It is the time of Ganesh Chaturthi, the celebration of the Lord of Wisdom, created from the slough of Goddess Parvati, symbolically the soil of the mountains. It is also a celebration of the biodiversity of our hillsides. In the Konkan, it is a family reunion festival with an outreach to the neighbours. In her recently released book, ‘Food & Identity’, Dr Biula Cruz e Pereira has documented the Ganesh Chaturthi ‘vaje’ that the parents send to their married daughter’s home for distribution in her village during the festival. There are specific vegetables needed for the Gauri puja. However, after the Ganapati Murti (idol), the focus is on the Matoli, a canopy above the idol that mimics the biodiversity one encounters in a Devrai, an undisturbed area of the forest.
The Matoli at Ganesh Chaturthi brings into the spotlight the entire plant diversity of the rainforest in the Western Ghats. Since these plants are needed for the celebration, the villagers ensure that at least some plants of these species are conserved and perpetuated. The Matoli frame and the fruits are normally tied with twine made from the bark of the Kewan or Dhamanni tree (Helicteres isora) also known as the East Indian Screw Tree because of its screw-shaped pod. So, one more tree gets conserved, even if its fruits are rarely on display.
The Wood Apple or Bael (Aegle marmelos) is a part of the culture, tradition and observances, especially in the worship of Shiva. Flowers of Nanno (Lagerstromia microcarpa), Lingudd or Nirgudi (Vitex negundo), fruit bunches of Fish-tail Palm or Bhill maad (Caryota urens), the Soapnut or Ritha (Sapindus laurifolius), find place in the Matoli along with coconut, betel nut, banana, limes, lemons, citron, nutmeg, and other cultivated fruit, nuts and spices. The Kangla vine or liana (Celestrus paniculatus) is known as the Intellect Tree. Goa is proud to have the coconut tree, or Cocos nucifera, as a ‘State Tree’ that everyone has seen and can recognise. Most Goans die without ever knowing what the earlier ‘State Tree’, Matti or Terminalia elliptica, looks like.
The Shreephal (coconut) that is tied to the Matoli cannot be one of the fallen nuts: it has to be lowered to the ground. The long rainy season makes the exposed, tall and slender coconut trunks slippery with moss and algae growing on the wet bark. The coconut pluckers use the mechanical devices, now manufactured by Nilesh Prabhu Velguenkar at Purva Farm in Nirankal-Dabal or by Samson da Costa at Horivacao in Carmona-Salcete for safety. One slip on the tree and it cannot just be the end of one’s career but one can end up crippled for life. An increasing number of coconut pluckers are adopting the mechanical devices that they rejected with derision when they were first introduced. Young and athletic agriculture graduate, Shweta Gaonkar has become the unofficial brand ambassador for all things new with the coconut tree, including woman coconut pluckers.
All other fruits that are needed to be tied by their stalks and, therefore have to be plucked manually by cutting along with the stalk. They fetch a premium price. The butter yellow flowers of Harnne and various other types of wild flowers are tied to the Matoli. Villagers from the foothills of the Sahayadris bring these flowers to the urban markets just before Chaturthi.
Now entrepreneurs have seized the opportunity and offer different packages of fruit and flower combinations to suit the budgets of the rich, middle-class and the urban poor. Two agriculture graduates market their farm produce along with wild flowers from the hillsides. Others accept booking and payments via WhatsApp, Gpay or other UPI platforms. Some even do home delivery of the fruits and vegetables.
The diversity of plants that we have in Goa is also on display in the food at Ganesh Chaturthi. Five different kinds of vegetables need to be cooked for the food at Gauri Pooja. This year the focus is on local content because there is a new awakening about Mother Nature’s bounty. Kuddukichi bhaji from Celosia argentea, Talkuleachi bhaji from Cassia tora, the Irvil or yard long beans Vigna sesquipedalis, the Alloo bhaji of Colocasia esculenta , the Touxem or cucumber of Cucumis sativus, the Vowchi bhaji of Basela alba, and the Bhenddo or Ladyfingers of Abelmoschus esculenta are just a few of the traditional vegetables. It is time to celebrate them all.
Turning back to Mother Earth, Goa and Goans have worshipped Sateri and Bhumika as the Earth Goddesses. Agriculture is being revived not just by rural farmers who made a comeback from the cities but also the urban dwellers who became jobless during the pandemic. Dr Bhushan Bhave creates awareness about the conservation of biodiversity through the tradition of the Matoli. He has authored a book on the subject.
The SFX School’s “Festival of Plants and Flowers” builds awareness among school students for the last thirty-two years and motivates them to put it into action through kitchen gardens at home and at school. Visit your neighbourhood Ganapati celebrations and learn more about the Matoli. Just explore. Maybe you can become an entrepreneur next year!
(The writer, former Agricultural Officer and a mentor to the GenNext organic farmers, is committed to nurturing young talent for a food-secure future)
