Summertime in Ancestral Goa.

Jackfruits on the tree

Ancestral Goa was peaceful. Our ancestors lived in the bosom of Nature. Their life was simple. They feared God, tilled the land and harvested the hills. Come April May, Nature’s bounty was unlimited: Ponos (jackfruits), ambe (mangoes), cazu (cashews), chunna, kantam (berries of different varieties) and fruits of many other types were found aplenty in the backyard gardens of the Goans and on the hills as well.

Plucking mangoes

The distinct peculiar aroma of the jack-fruits and the delicious tempting mango fragrance in the homes is what made the ancestral summertime unique. Children would spend most of their time roaming the hills in search of their favorite fruits while elders were busy in their kitchens. The produce of the fruit bearing trees was distributed among neighbors, relatives and friends in the vicinity or far away as a token of love, affection and good relationship. This era is slowly passing into oblivion. Goa is developing perhaps for the worst, nature is being destroyed and the environment is being polluted. From simple living to modern sophisticated lifestyle ~ a change is perhaps inevitable among the Goans.

Lowering mangoes

 Summer was fun for the village boys who were seen whirling round on their bicycles. Some music buffs

Old box guitar

would strum their guitars sitting under a mango tree. Others would look for an opportunity to surreptitiously climb a jackfruit tree to knock down one or display their skill aiming at a ripened mango with a ‘cati’ (s sling with a stone) to have it shot down at one stroke. Parents often received complaints much to the surprise of the errant boys, when they returned home for lunch. A good trashing or a strict warning to stop all such mischief the next time would disperse the boys for a while. But that didn’t deter the fun loving mischief-makers who would regroup together by a well and sing the much known Konkani romantic ballad: ‘Tambde Rosa tuze pole’ ( rosy are your cheeks, oh darling!). Despite all the threats and punishments, fun and hilarity continued among some jovial village boys till the summer came to an end. Sadly, time plays havoc with life. It cannot stand stationary. Ancestral Goa is not the same today.

Ayres Sequeira.