In one short verse, the great Goan poet Bakibab Borkar (1910-1984) captured the essence of what it means to be Goan1:

Please Sir, God of Death
Don’t make it my turn today,
not today
There’s fish curry for dinner.

[1] Great Goans by Mario Cabral e Sa and Lourdes Bravo Da Costa, N.N.A.P. Publications, 1991.

Fish is the Goan’s raison d’être, and to say that our seafood cuisine has no equal in the world is a statement of fact, not a boast. When two Goans meet, the conversation opener is always “What fish did you have today?”

Entire communities in the coastal fishing villages were once committed to the occupation. The advent of commercial fishing and its big trawlers in recent times has considerably weakened the older socio-economic practices. And with access to education and alternate career choices, the children of traditional fisherfolk have taken to casting their net on Facebook instead. There is still enough critical mass of fishing culture left in Goa to perhaps last another generation or two.

The photos in this sequence were taken in Siolim and Siridona, and convey a sense of the informal market setting in a Goan village.

Catch of the Day
5D, 24-105L

Fresh fish for the early bird
5D, 24-105L

Sorting
5D, 24-105L

Traditional fisherwoman in Siolim
5D, 24-105L

A classic Goan village scene - in Siridona
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

In Siridona
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

The Goan fish market - by Mario Miranda
From 'GOA with love'

This is Part 2 of the conspectus on the cafés of Panjim. The first installment outlined the city’s café culture and covered the iconic Café Central. Here we survey the pioneering houses of the genre that are still active and thriving.

The menu at all these cafés has much in common. They distinguish themselves by their house specialties and through variations on familiar dishes. Panjimites are deadly serious about their cafés and brand loyalty is fierce, with affiliations carrying seamlessly over generations within families.

A few of the older cafés have now adopted a two-tier seating (and pricing) arrangement by adding an air-conditioned annexe. The comfort it provides in the summer months is welcome, but to those of us weaned on the originals, the new upgrades have diminished some of the spirit and character of an earlier era.

As mentioned in the earlier post, Café Central no longer supports a sit-down setting. Café Tato is today the top dog, located only a few steps away from the old Café Central site. It was founded in 1913 by Keshav Govind Dhuri from the village of Nerul, and is the oldest of the surviving cafés. It began as Hindu Upahar Griha, which was later dropped in favour of “Tato,” the founder’s cognomen. Today the enterprise is run by the grandson, Pradip Govind Dhuri.

Café Tato is internationally known for its bhaji-puri. See this and drool. (Note: the t’s in Tato are soft, the ‘a’ is long, and the second syllable ‘to’ is phonetically similar to the Engish ‘raw’.)

Breakfast of the Gods - Café Tato
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

Pradip Dhuri, proprietor
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

Café Aram – earlier known as Café Remanso – came online c. 1945. It is the birthplace of the world’s greatest batata-vada. I’m sorry to say that, all the hoopla notwithstanding, the vada-pão from Bombay is a thundering flop. The ability to tell a good batata-vada from a great batata-vada is what separates the men from the boys. The key to the batata-vada is encrypted not in the filling (as is commonly and mistakenly imagined) but in its shell. The herbs & spices, thickness, consistency, coefficient of porosity, and the overall softness of the coat taken together are vital to the success of a batata-vada. My research has shown that only Café Aram meets the highest parametric standards in this regard. The Bombay batata-vada with its thin, wimpy shell stands no chance against the genuine Goan article.

Café Remanso (Aram)
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Café Aram
5D Mark II, 24-105L

All the Goodness
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Mother of all batata-vadas - Café Aram
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

Café Prakash was founded in 1955 by Vasudev B. Sakhalkar, and named after his son Prakash who is now in charge. This is the watering hole of Goan journalists (known locally as patracars) who divide their time between the café and work (95% café, 5% work).

Prakash Sakhalkar, proprietor of Café Prakash
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Café Bhonsle was established in 1920 by Rama Bhonsle. The family legacy is today handled by his grandsons. Specialties here include mix-bhaji with chapati, and the piquant mirsang (batter fried hot chili pepper).

Mix-bhaji - Café Bhonsle
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

Café Bhonsle
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Chao (tea)
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

The final pick is Café Real (the Portuguese ‘Real,’ meaning royal), founded in 1946 by Gajanan Shirodkar, and celebrated for its exceptional bhaji-puri.

Café Real
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

Toddy tapper Premnath Govekar of Siolim, Goa
5D, 24-105L

Mario Miranda's version (from 'GOA with love')

Premnath Govekar
5D, 24-105L

PS: Toddy.

A new book by Wendell Rodricks entitled MODA GOA – History & Style, dealing with Goa‘s traditional costume and attire, will be launched next month at the Jaipur Literary Festival. The chapter on Hindu Iconography features several of my photographs.

Congratulations to Wendell-bab on this work. I look forward to its release.

Picture credit: missmalini.com

The renowned Goan cartoonist and illustrator Mario Miranda passed away today in his village of Loutulim, Goa.

Mario-bab was an old world Goan and had in him that inestimable quality of graciousness. He was known best for his brilliant depiction of Goa and his political satire. His canvas was often ‘busy’ but insofar as Goa is concerned, it reflected Mario‘s deep love for his Goan homeland, his insight into its culture, and his attention to detail.

One morning in 2007 when my wife and I dropped by unannounced at his house in Loutolim, he was kind enough to spend time with us, and presented us a signed copy of his book, GOA with love.

Mario Miranda
5D, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

Mario Miranda in his study at Loutolim, Goa
5D, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

GOA with love (our signed copy)

Rao re! Rao re! (Stop! Stop!)

Shiro is the classic Goan dish made with semolina, milk, sugar, and ghee. Variations on the theme are found elsewhere in India but the shiro made in Goa has its own distinct signature. When fresh banana pulp is added on special occasions, ingestion of shiro becomes a sublime religious experience. It can be consumed as a standalone item or as a plugin with the main course. Shiro is also known for its medicinal properties and will cure you of sound arterial health.

Note: A word on Konkani pronunciation – the ‘ro’ in shiro is phonetically similar to the English ‘raw’.

Shiro
5D, 24-105L

Hearty Goan breakfast
5D, 24-105L

Purveyors of shiro - a village café in Siolim
5D, 24-105L

I have a good recollection of the Goan gentry of my young days, of their modes of dress, speech and mannerisms, of the old world charm, adapted from the Portuguese and synthesized into a uniquely Goan composite. That kind of codger is today a rare sight in Panjim. Likewise, the hardy Goan of the working class has been transformed by the times although a few still cling to the old ways – but surely not for long – even as their grandchildren conquer the new worlds of Facebook and Twitter.

These images were made while waiting for a sunset shoot in the village of Saligao. The 300mm telephoto lens enabled enough separation from the men for a candid shot. The mellow orange of the late evening sun was a bonus. As is my wont, I try to engage my subjects once the photographs are secure in my bag.

Julio Rodrigues wearing his loincloth (in Goa, called the caxtti) was returning with bags of livestock feed. For a tinge of nostalgia, notice the Hercules logo on his old bicycle. In the second image we see Jagannath Morajkar trudging home after an honest day’s work. There is something very Goan to their look, and soon sights like these will exist only in our memory.

On the way home: Julio Rodrigues
5D Mark II, 300L f/4 IS

Day's end: Jagannath Morajkar
5D Mark II, 300L f/4 IS

Jagannath Morajkar
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

This year the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi falls on August 23. The weight-challenged Mr. G is much loved and admired all over the country. In Goa, the celebration has traditionally symbolized a return to the roots with Goan Hindus repairing to their native villages across the state. Fun, fireworks and lots of delicious high calorie vegetarian food mark the occasion, for Mr. G is the biggest foodie around.

A few selections from the 2007 festivities at our place in Panjim follow.

Ganesha
5D, 24-105L

My nephew Yash and niece Saraswati doing aarti
5D, 24-105L

Traditional meal served on banana leaf
5D, 24-105L

Traditional sweets
5D, 24-105L

Ganapati Bappa prepares to leave
5D, 24-105L

Visarjan: Farewell to Mr. G at the Panjim docks by River Mandovi
5D, 24-105L