Tale of the Honest Cow

contributed by Shri Ramesh Pai, Abu Dhabi

Editor’s note: Shri Ramesh Pai, from Abu Dhabi, (photograph at left) brings to us yet another generous contribution - a Treasure of Konkani culture and literature,

recorded in 1992 at Kerala. This treasure is for all of us to hear, imbibe, and share with all our brethern. Radio Idli team thanks Ramesh maam for giving this opportunity to share this true cultural treasure. Here is what Ramesh-maam has for us:

The Story begins:

A cow, its calf and a Tiger - No, this is not the beginning of a puzzle. These are the characters in a Konkani folk tale which is popular across the west coast. The story is not only worth listening, but also worth learning.

It happened in a town called Karaamati (Or Teraavati, according to a different version). There lived a cow by name Ganga (See, how consciously has the anonymous author named the cow after the holy river) with a calf. Nearby was a forest, wherein lived a tiger. The cruel animal thrived on eating one cow each day. Everyday the cows would decide whose turn would be.

Hear the folk tale embedded in a rhythmic composition:

Bhovali_Gaayi sung by Aparna Pai at Kerala Konkani Academy, 1992 (check the audio commentary on the same by Adv. Uday Bhembre later in this article)

During 1992, when Kerala Konkani Academy conducted a Seminar on Konkani Folk Literature at Ernakulam, the song ‘Bhovvali Gaayi’ was sung by Ms. Aparna K. Pai. The audio clips are also available in the esnips folder ‘www.esnips.com/web/konkanifolkaudios’. It will be interesting to listen an analysis of the same tale, as heard in Goa, from a prominent Konkani writer Adv. Uday Bhembre, which is also available in the same above link. He has nicely brought out the ethical and moral values of the folk song in sweetly chiseled words.

konkani-folk-song-commentary-Uday-Bhembre

And the day arrived, when (more…)

“Awaken the Konkani in You” experience:

(A report courtesy Shri Muralidhar Kamath, Konkani Sammelan)

The Santa Clara Convention Center was buzzing with Konkani chatter for three days. 1307 delegates from all parts of the world attended the convention. Most cherished was this opportunity to meet friends and relatives. The Panchadik Lounge with backdrops from Mangalore, Goa & Kumata was a perfect place for socializing.

The classical music performance on July 3^rd evening by Mahesh Kale captivated the audience. His “Natya Sangeet” kept the listeners enthralled every second. He even sang a Goan Konkani song composed by his guru, Pt. Jitendra Abisheki.

On July 4^th, as the clock struck nine, the Opening ceremony started with the Ganesha Vandana. The melodious Konkani songs & lilting music that were woven together with the cultural theme still keep ringing in our ears.

Our chief guest Prakash Padukone, youth keynote speaker Dr. Sumeeth Bhat and keynote speakers K V Kamath & Jaya Row inspired the audience with their speeches. Seminar topics were educational and well attended.

On July 5^th, Konkani youth had a blast with the “Konkani Idol” competition. Karaoke singing, held during the happy hour on July 3^rd & July 4^th in the Dhingdo Lounge was quite a popular and successful event. The plays, skits and dances in the regional programs were greatly appreciated. The day’s programs culminated with the Closing ceremony which presented various skits, dances and the “Bailatta” which reiterated the theme and tried to “Awaken our Inner Konkani”. The executive committee was presented in quite a unique fashion. They waltzed on the stage to a customized tune in dark suits and swirling ball gowns.

Dining hall arrangements were another highlight of this convention. All delegates enjoyed delicious and authentic Konkani food in one seating during each meal. The festivities finally ended with a banquet & joyous dancing on July 5^th. Konkani people of all ages moved across the dance floor to popular Hindi tunes

The Organizing Committee feels quite gratified that the Sammelan met the expectations of the attending delegates. We really appreciate and acknowledge the incredible sacrifices and efforts of the volunteer teams over the past two years, the open hearted generosity of the many donors and sponsors, the talented performers who entertained the gathering, the professional Convention Center staff & vendors and most of all, “You” - the enthusiastic Konkani delegates who came from far and wide to attend the Sammelan.

See you all in Chicago for the Sammelan 2010!

-Article courtesy - Shri Muralidhar Kamath, Konkani Sammelan

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Introduction of our new contributor:

Roshan Pai Ramesh is the Chief Editor of the Konkani Dictionary Project (www.savemylanguage.org). His passion is researching and documenting the Konkani Language. He also maintains an extensive collection of Indian coins (pre-british era). Professionally he’s the Director of an IT Consultancy company based in the UK. He does occasionally fancy a pub crawl when he’s not too busy with the above.

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Through the ages mankind has come up with some remarkable inventions. Language is one such beautiful invention.

Languages progress and evolve over time, enriching themselves as time flows. It no longer remains just a means of communication, but rather a complex medium of interaction between people.

Konkani too has seen it all. It’s been there and done that. Originating from Sanskrit, it has taken its own unique path. To really appreciate the richness of Konkani, you need to overhear two Mangloreans speak to each other in their so called pure ‘Amchigele’. The richness of the language is immediately striking.

Having a rich spoken language however does not suffice. It needs documentation. It needs rules. It needs to be standardized. First and foremost it needs a dictionary. This step has always preceded the organized literature phase. This is where the ‘Konkani Dictionary Project’ comes into the picture. (more…)