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Time of India
06-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Ashadhi Punav celebrates revitalised nature, Goa's veneration of greenery
Keri: The fourth lunar month, Ashadh, is not only the season of downpours but also the period of outpouring of lushness, with the sprouting of emerald leaves that bedeck Goa's religious and cultural tapestry. Every year, the full moon day of Ashadh is celebrated as Ashadhi Punav by the tribal Velip community in the forested areas of Goa. The new leaves of Dillenia pentagyna (karmal) tree are used as bowls to serve offerings of a sweet dish to the folk deity. The dish is made with rice, jaggery, milk, and grated coconut. Devidas Gaonkar, a tribal researcher from Badde in Cotigao told TOI , 'During the monsoon, karmal trees bear new leaves. Our ancestors fashioned receptacles from these leaves to offer the sweet dish to the deity. Then the leaves served as plates for households.' Gaonkar said that protocol is observed to this day. This holy month sustains another tradition — to offer a special pancake made with rice to the unseen holy spirit of the area. Anand Vaghurmekar from Vaghurme in Ponda, said, 'We offer a pancake, locally known as Rot, on a banana leaf to the holy spirit as a sign of our gratitude for guarding us from various odds and obstacles during Ashadh.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Experience the thrill on every turn with the new SP125 Honda Learn More Undo In Goa, communities once lived in harmony with nature. They repurposed plates from the leaves of Macaranga peltata (chandivada), Butea monosperma (palash), and Holarrhena pubescens (kuda). These nature-gifted plates were used to serve offerings to deities on festive occasions. Tectona grandis (saylo) is a tree that shimmers with new leaves throughout the year in Goa. These leaves too become improvised plates. However, the leaves of Dillenia pentagyna are the stars during Ashadh, delighting Goans with their radiant freshness. Hence, they are used for religious rites and rituals. In Sattari, annually, a sweet dish made with rice is offered to folk deities on the new leaves of Dillenia pentagyna on Kholyachi Parab. The practice is meant to propitiate the folk deities.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Claims of forest rights face challenges as Dec deadline looms
Margao: Sixty-five-year-old Mahadev Velip clutches weathered papers outside his mud house at Morpirla, in Quepem taluka — documents that could secure his family's future under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act. Like thousands of others, he waits as chief minister Pramod Sawant's Dec 19 deadline to clear all pending claims faces mounting challenges. With 10,500 claims filed across the state, only 871 families have been cleared to be issued sanads (title deeds) so far. Another 949 claims have been rejected, leaving 8,680 families in limbo — including Velip's. Sanads will be issued to 150 families at a function to be held on Monday at Ponda. Also, a special camp will be held on June 14 across six talukas to fast-track pending cases. 'This land has been our home for generations,' said Velip, his eyes scanning the foliage around his dwelling. 'Without official recognition, we have always lived in fear.' Sources in the tribal welfare department reveal three critical obstacles threatening the Dec 19 timeline. The most pressing is a severe shortage of skilled personnel for spot verification and demarcation of claimed land — the crucial step in the validation of each claim. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en Bragado (ver precio) Verisure Undo Survey teams currently manage only three to four verifications per day, a pace that appears insufficient given the massive backlog. The monsoon compounds these difficulties. Heavy rain triggers extensive vegetation growth and waterlogging, making forest sites virtually inaccessible and bringing verification work to 'almost a standstill', officials said. A forest department official said, 'We are racing against time and nature. The monsoon window severely limits our working months.' A third challenge involves ensuring adequate gram sabha attendance to validate claims — the requirement of 50% quorum at gram sabhas, with a third of them women, has turned out to be a major impediment in the speedy processing of the claims. Further, processing claims that are not supported by adequate documentation is fraught with delays. With the Dec 19 deadline only six months away, sources said the fulfilment of the promise depends on navigating these formidable challenges.
