Would a fair at a feast or zatra anywhere in Goa be the same without the ubiquitous stalls selling roasted gram, peanuts and the traditional Goan khajem? It definitely would not.
It is these stalls, simple but colourful, that announce to passersby that there is a celebration in the local church or temple. And, who can resist the urge to buy some of what is on sale there or, at times, even a little of all the items?
That’s what makes Goan festivities traditional, and what everybody expects, even longs for.
So, why not make these traditional items – available at our Goan feasts and zatras – popular at other celebrations, too?
For instance, if the khajem, roasted gram and peanuts are what Goans pop into their mouths at feasts and zatras, why should the people attending the Carnival and Shigmo float parades be denied the opportunity to munch on freshly roasted gram and peanuts, or savour the kaddio boddio and other local sweets as they watch the parade?
Give it a thought. What if along the parade routes, on either side, at a distance of every 200 metres or so, there were to be stalls selling the traditional khajem and roasted gram and peanuts, that are available at all feasts and fairs?
Wouldn’t this add value to the Carnival and Shigmo parades as well as be an opportunity for the Goan sellers to add to their paltry earnings?
Kaddio boddio have been accorded Geographical Indication (GI) status, meaning they are truly a Goan preparation.
It is therefore the responsibility of the government to promote this very Goan khajem, and what better opportunity than the Carnival and Shigmo parades to showcase this to the tourists, who will be milling along the parade route.
This is an opportunity that cannot be allowed to go untapped, all it needs is a little extra planning, and despite there being just a little over week to the Carnival parade, there is still enough time before the Panjim parade to get it done.
In fact, this year, the government could consider this as an experiment and have such stalls at just Panjim and Margao, and depending on the response, extend it during the Shigmo parades at all other centres.
I, for one, would love to munch on some hot gram, peanuts and kaddio boddio as I watch the parades and, I am certain that like me, there will be thousands of Goenkars who will surely do the same should there be such stalls along the parade routes.
Even tourists would surely sample the khajem and then, perhaps, purchase some to take back home. It’s an opportunity to make these sweets known to visitors, who might otherwise not get the chance to sample them.
What the Carnival and Shigmo parades offer is a multi-pronged opportunity, whereby one can promote the local sweets to tourists, give local sellers a chance to earn and give people, at large, what they like to munch on at festive times.
Given that Carnival comes at the beginning of the season of Lent in the Catholic Church, there will be no feasts and fairs until after Easter. It’s a long month and a half during which the traditional khajem and gram vendors will not find an opportunity to set up stalls at any fairs.
They would surely welcome the opportunity to set up stalls at the Carnival and Shigmo parades as this would mean an additional source of income before the lean season sets in.
In keeping with the gaiety, colour and spirit of Carnival and Shigmo, the stalls could be set up and decorated by the government, and the sellers only asked to come there with their wares and sell them.
In fact, with sale of khajem kind of restricted to merely fairs at temple zatras and church feasts, it becomes almost a seasonal item and so difficult to obtain at other times. It’s time to make it more popular.
There is no doubt that such stalls would bestow a festive atmosphere to the parade, besides promoting Goa’s GI recognised products. It is definitely a suggestion that the government should consider seriously, for Carnival and Shigmo are special to Goa and kaddio boddio is as Goan as it can get.
