BOILANCHI GADDI
(BULLOCK CARRIAGE)
The ‘boilanchi gaddi’ is a kind of 2-wheeled carriage drawn by trained bullocks
commonly used in Goa until around the mid nineteen-fifties. It was constructed
in a wood/iron combination. Its fastest travelling speed could be compared to
the usual leisurely walk of a steer. These bullock-drawn carriages were
privately owned.
My earliest memorable experience in travelling in this sort of conveyance was
when I was of about 8 years of age, riding in it to St. Anne’s Church in Parra,
to witness my cousin’s Baptism. A family in Parra owned one of these types of
carriages. It could be rented by making bookings in advance.
One of the most visible outstanding features that caught one's eye was a pair
of its huge iron wheels that served a dual purpose - as riding wheels and
fly-wheel combined, giving it momentum once it got going. It seemed it was
effortless for the bulls to haul these carriages once they got rolling.
These carriages, although uncomfortable, provided a means of some convenient
form of transportation for certain occasions such as the one mentioned above.
The ride was bumpy even though the cab was mounted on leaf springs, but this
could be attributed to unpaved or pot-holed roads at the time. A floating axle
joining the two large wheels passed through a square-cut hollow on the
underside of the cab with a track width of about 6 feet. The wheels were of a
diameter little larger than that of the ‘gaddo’ (about 6 ft.) with large hubs
(around 12" dia.), but the width of the wheels was smaller than the gaddo
(about 2-1/2”).
The cabin had 2 rows of longitudinal bench seats facing each other These seats
could sit 6 people and 2 small children - snug and squeezed in - between the
passengers or on their laps. The passengers could communicate with the driver
through a small window in the front, who had his own comfortable seat unlike
the ‘gaddo’. This raised wooden seat was quite a comfortable perch for the
driver, providing him with an overall view. The seat had curved and decorative
iron bars on both sides. The driver’s seat appeared to be more like a wooden
chest with hinges, that doubled up as storage space for the driver's personal
belongings. This was mounted on top of the longitudinal V-shaped beam, tools or
vehicle accessories. The beams continued up to the rear of the cabin and
contributed as important members of the overall structure of the body. The
cabin had reasonable headroom, and the passengers were well protected from the
elements like the sun and rain with a slightly arched wooden roof. The outside
panels of the cabin were usually painted in a shade of off-white, mustard or
yellow-ochre, and the bordered iron framework was finished in dark red or brown
oil-paint. The interior was finished in medium blue with varnished wooden seats.
Entry into the cab itself was through the hinged rear door, embarkation aided
by a step-up board fitted to the cab's base. Both sides and back window had
hinged wooden flaps with curtains on stretchable wire.
The front end consisted of a double bow withers yoke that was placed on top of
the longitudinal V-shaped centre-piece that ran along the full length of the
cart. The yoke was fastened to the longitudinal beam by means of a rope thereby
giving it the flexibility of pivoting it to some degree, and giving it a
marginal swivel action between the pair of bullocks. This feature aided tight
turns. The yoke was harnessed over their necks in order to pull the carriage.
The front end of the centre-piece curved and extended downward so that, without
the bulls, the cart would rest at a minimum slant. If parked on a slope the
wheels were chocked with wooden slats.
Stopping or braking power was provided ‘verbally’, with gentle 'ho-ho' or a
gentle touch. Most of the maneuvering and negotiating was done by means of
touch or contact conveyed to the bullocks by the driver with a stick - a slight
nudge here and a slight tap there - on their backs. The bullocks seemed ever
obedient, gentle in nature and never seemed to be in a hurry to get to the
destination. These animals were held in reverence by the owner and his family
members, and respected for the work and sustenance they provided.
The yoke rested over the necks of the bullocks, and in hauling it stopped short
just before the ridge of their shoulder blades. Bells that hung around the
bulls’ necks chimed constantly as they passed through the villages. These bells
had a distinct sound and acted as warning bells to others, or merely let the
people know about the presence of the ‘boilanchi gaddi’ in the vicinity or
area. The sound of the bells, referred to as 'kinni-kinni' in common
descriptive form, could be heard far away and long into the quietness of the
night as the lone hard-working driver returned home with his carriage. A gently
swinging hurricane lamp hung low in front, beneath the main beam and between
the bulls. The light from this lamp was more to warn others of its approach to
oncoming motor vehicles rather than a light to guide itself or light up the
road in front.
I was too young to remember or to care how much the fare would have cost for a
ride on these carriages of yesteryear, but my guess is they must have been
quite affordable and probably would not have cost a fortune. They were pulled
out of service as their popularity declined due to their slow speed combined
with the import of affordable motor vehicles and taxis. They were mainly
confined to their own districts and seldom made long trips over the hills.
Another impression stuck in my mind is that people walking briskly along the
road often overtook them. Among my childhood memories are the ones that the
bulls seemed to make a good team, faithful, quiet, with their downward and
humble gaze, always seemingly engrossed in their own thoughts, and also the
very rare sight of the driver asleep, with the bridle reins and stick in his
hands. There was certainly an advantage in having trained bullocks so that way
the driver could be assured of reaching home safely by taking the shortest
route possible after a long and hard day’s work. Also, having trained bullocks
meant reliability, more like putting them on auto-pilot, homing in towards home
and following the right track. And without a GPS system the driver had the
added benefit of reaching home while he had his usual dose of forty winks.
The era of these types of slow but reliable vehicles made an exit for good,
making way for modern transportation. Those were the days of innovative ways of
transportation of another period of yore. It is now just a childhood memory -
gone but not forgotten.
Tony Fernandes
http://tonferns.blogspot.com/2009/02/boilanchi-gaddi-oxen-cart.html
Hand-made Model by Tony Fernandes
Scale 1:16 1/8" thick plywood. No saw, jig or scroll-saw used. All parts
hand-cut with sliding art-line cutters.
(Boil, Konkani, sing. : Bullock) (Boilanchi, plu.: of Bullock) (Gaddi: Vehicle,
Carriage) (Boilanchi Gaddi: Bullock Carriage)
* Withers yoke is a yoke so called because it fits just in front of the withers
of the bullocks. The yoke is held in position by a coir rope harness. The pull
is generated from the yoke without exerting too much pressure on the bullocks’
necks. The weight in fact is on the front of the bull’s withers. Ideally, a
high hump on the withers prevents the yoke from slipping over.
