EDITORIAL NOTE I
So Far…
t’s been a year since we made our debut as Goa’s first lifestyle magazine. We began with a flourish with an exclusive and exhaustive cover story on the unmatched star in the constellation – the Mangeshkar family. It was a hard act to follow, but since then we have featured an ever-shining galaxy of Goan stars: Charles Correa, Leander Paes, Rajdeep Sardesai and many more, both incipient and established, in our various editorial sections. These include achievers in diverse fields: the arts, social service, sports, environmental protection, advertising and the corporate sector. We have been eclectic in our choice, the only criterion being excellence in one’s chosen field. And it has not only been about personalities. Being a lifestyle magazine, we have celebrated Goa in all its glory, be it music festivals, cinema, architecture, humanitarian work, sports and theatre. We have celebrated the true spirit of Goa in all its dimensions and will continue to do so. The culmination of our aims has been the Goan Achievers’ Awards, featured in our last issue, which we have instituted along with The Navhind Times to honour successful Goans in different fields of human endeavour. In our Cover Story we encapsulate our past issues, not to pat ourselves on the back, but for readers to enjoy a brief flashback on
our coverage so far. Accomplishments by Goans in diverse fields is what we cherish and recognise. And few deserve this recognition more than industrialist Shrinivas Dempo, who – in a rare interview – recounts how he unwinds after office hours and explains the importance of grassroot development in football through the Dempo Club’s collaboration with Danish academy FC Midtylland. I bet his admission that he takes two holidays a year will urge many better-halves to demand more quality time from their partners! Our First Lady, social worker and wife of the chief minister Asha Kamat, reveals how she helps women become independent and spends long hours ensuring all those waiting to meet her husband are made comfortable in their home. She refuses to encroach on her husband’s time to the extent that she sometimes SMSes him to call when he is free. As ever, architect Siddha Sardessai goes behind the scenes to uncover the rugged beauty of the Sanquelim farmhouse belonging to Vijayadevi and senior statesman and Speaker Pratapsingh Rane. On this rare occasion I accompanied Siddha and had the good fortune of having Mrs Rane show us around this home and Mr Rane then take us to his ancestral house, which is more like a historic palace, including the room where the arms and
ammunition used during the Rane Revolt of the 1850s are displayed. Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor gives us the ingredients that will make up India’s first ever 24-hour food channel, while Michele Fernandes recounts her journey into foodland: from being a Pan Am air hostess to ‘homing in’ to an exclusive restaurant in Anjuna. I also cherish my brief interaction with Times of India Group Managing Director Vineet Jain, who together with older brother Samir, has revolutionised the business of journalism and without exaggeration are the most powerful media barons of the country. On the occasion of our first anniversary, I take this occasion to thank all our readers, subscribers, advertisers, and of course the editorial, circulation and production staff who have worked indefatigably to keep our flag flying. As we enter our second year — Viva Goa!
Dev borem korum! Kedar Dhume
READERS’ RESPONSE I received a copy of the April issue of VIVA GOA, which was very good. The awards event was covered well. I liked the interview with Padmashri Norma Alvares. I wish VIVA GOA a prosperous future. Suresh G Amonkar, Mapusa The April issue of VIVA GOA is vibrant. While the Goan Achiever’s Awards has honoured the true achievers, you have carved their worth in gold. Keep it up! It will inspire our youth. Dr Kedar Padte, Panaji
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Congratulations VIVA GOA on your first anniversary. You have done a commendable job of consistently bringing VIVA GOA invites comments from its readers. Letters should be short and relevant and can be sent to editor@vivagoaonline.com
well-researched and refreshing articles to the readers. I wish you all the best and success in the years to come. Deepa Awchat, Mumbai Thank you so much for featuring a snippet in your esteemed magazine on the first charity art auction that we held. It would havecertainly helped more people to realise the work we are doing and help us in our cause. Katharina Poggendorf-Kakar, Margao
The best letter of the month will get a free pair of ladies’ shoes from SENIOR
Editor & Publishers Note We make every effort to publish a magazine that is informative, entertaining and free of errors. Any omission or inaccuracies are entirely unintentional. Please do bring to our notice any item that may be incorrect or photography erroneously published. Also, we would be pleased to include any item or photograph that warrants our attention. We believe in the spirit of Goa and its warm and lively people, and do hope the content in the magazine brings smiles to our reader’s faces. As always, suggestions and comments are welcome on feedback@vivagoaonline.com
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FIRST LADY Asha Kamat Social worker
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FEATURE
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John Damascene Soares, the last Goan survivor of the Gulf’s worst maritime terrorist attack off Dubai in 1961, holds a memorial service for those who lost their lives
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‘We R 1 Today’— this little legend is usually seen on the first birthdays of ‘tiny tots’ in our newspapers. We are, of course, all mature grown ups but sometimes we cannot refrain from patting ourselves and taking a child-like pleasure in celebrating a special occasion
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editor@vivagoaonline.com
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By Dr Francisco Colaco
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Each of us can make simple changes in our homes to help the environment
FEATURE
Sanjeev Kapoor says Goa is an important food destination as he hits a new milestone as the world’s first chef to have a 24-hour food channel
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AFTER HOURS Shrinivas Dempo
CMD of Dempo Group
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LEGAL BRIEF Weeding Out Corruption
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BOOKWORM ‘The Goan Jungle Book’
Reviewed by Manohar Shetty
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ART REVIEW ‘Khala Bhoomi – Goa’
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By Naguesh Rao Sardessai
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FEATURE
Advertising festival Goafest 2011 stuck to its ‘cleaner and greener’ approach without going out of sync with the aim to be bigger and better
Shailesh M Amonkar shailesh@kemistry.in
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WELLNESS Spa Alila
By Parineeta Sethi
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HOSPITALITY GOAN CUISINE Goa Marriott Resort Festive Feasts By Chef Sinead McManus By Deepa Awchat
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COUTURE Goa Fashion Week 2011
By Diksha Khanna
Editorial Consultant
Manohar Shetty
Assistant Editors
Emylou D’Souza Dielle D’Souza
reporter@vivagoaonline.com Photographs and Design
Edric George
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Manager Advertising
HOMING IN
advertising@vivagoaonline.com Mob: +919850077993
From an air hostess with Pan Am to running a café in Anjuna, it has been a long and eventful journey for Michele Fernandes
Tamara Faleiro
Circulation
Satyawan Parsekar
circulation@vivagoaonline.com Published by
M/S Advertising Associates
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[Publication Division], 703, Dempo Trade Center, Patto Plaza, Panaji, Goa 403 001, INDIA Tel : +91 832 2438999
GOAN CUISINE Summer Treats
Cover Credit Design: Erika de Noronha
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By Chef Deepa Awchat
INTERIORS/EXTERIORS
Pratapsingh and Vijayadevi Rane’s home in Sanquelim reveals history amidst greenery, says Arch Siddha Sardessai
By Adv A N S Nadkarni
Principal Consultant
HEALTH Tottering on the brink
FEATURE
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Kedar N Dhume
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COVER STORY VIVA GOA!
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Editor & Publisher
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BIZ NOTES
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VIVA GOA DIARY
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HAPPENINGS
Printed at Akruti, 318, Parvati Industrial Estate, Pune Satara Road, Pune 411 009 All rights reserved. Republishing in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. All photographs unless otherwise indicated, are used for illustrative purposes. RNI registration applied and pending
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VIVA GOA SPOTLIGHT Aneesh Gera DJ
COVER STORY
We look back on our first year of publication – and look forward to the new challenges ahead By KEDAR DHUME
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e R 1 Today — this little legend is usually seen on the first birthdays of ‘tiny tots’ in newspapers. We are, of course, all mature grown-ups but sometimes we cannot refrain from patting ourselves and taking a child-like pleasure in celebrating a special occasion. We are indeed a year old, and look back on the thresholds that we have crossed and the frontiers that lie ahead. It was evident to us when we first launched VIVA GOA in May 2010 that a surprising lacuna existed in the print media in Goa. While the state boasted of as many as four English dailies, three in Marathi, one in Devnagiri Konkani, besides a weekly paper, a general interest monthly and a business magazine, there was no sophisticated and informative magazine on the lifestyle of Goa. By lifestyle we do not mean a narrow and superficial definition of high living, fine dining, or celebrity journalism — though that is a part of it — but a magazine which reflected the positive and convivial face of Goa, a Goa that is among the most prosperous and enlightened in the country and is not just the epicentre of tourism. A Goa that deserved a full-colour magazine that was comparable to a national, if not international, publication, printed on high-definition art paper at an affordable price. Indeed over the past 12 issues we have done little to foster Goa’s touristy, holiday image and have focused instead on achievers and achievements by Goans in various fields of human endeavour. We launched our very first issue with a cover story on India’s first family of singers, the legendary Mangeshkars, written by world renowned celebrity photography Gautam Rajadhyaksha, whose relation with the family goes back 25 years. It was the first time ever that a story covered the entire family – Lata, Meena, Asha, Usha and
brother Hridayanath. The issue was launched by another name to reckon with, Shobhaa De, one of India’s most popular authors and former editor of Stardust, Society and Celebrity magazines. While Rajadhyaksha and De may not be true-blue Goans, they have a strong spiritual connect with the place through their family deity Lord Manguesh in Mangueshi. It has in fact been our avowed agenda to feature and highlight Goans and Goan achievements in every cover story so far, specially in the case of ace tennis player Leander Paes, originally from Velim-South Goa, who hopes to start a world-class tennis academy here. In other issues so far we have featured achievers bonded to Goa both by blood and inclination, luminaries such as internationally acclaimed architect Charles Correa and CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardessai, whose father was legendary cricketer Dilip Sardessai. It was a pleasant surprise to many readers that Paes and Sardessai are indeed Goans. The only exception we have made so far in our cover story is in featuring Jade Jagger, the daughter of Rolling Stones frontman Mick and human rights advocate Bianca Jagger, but who is an internationally acclaimed fashion designer in her own right and, as importantly, made Goa her second home. Besides, she was much too much of a scoop to pass over or relegate to our popular ‘Homing In’ section featuring foreigners who have settled here but have the good of Goa always in their hearts and in their actions with, however much we enjoy highlighting that section too. Readers too responded warmly to that story. But VIVA GOA, as the name suggests, is about Goa, for Goa, and is a celebration of Goa. Our ‘After Hours’ column
in which busy professionals reveal how they relax and spend free time, has included P K Mukherjee, Kumar Gera, Nitin Kunkolienkar, Ralph de Souza, Anil Counto, Dr Dileep Deobagkar, Bhim Sain Bassi, Shantaram Naik, Victor Albuquerque, Dr M Modassir, Cesar Menezes and in this anniversary issue Shrinivas Dempo. Our ‘First Lady’ column on eminent women of Goa has included Vijayadevi Rane, Pallavi Dempo, Dr Pramod Salgaocar, Lalita Joshi, Therese Almeida, Neela Navelkar, Sabina Martins, Snehalata Bhatikar, Manisha Naik, Harshada Kerkar, Padmashri Norma Alvares and Asha Kamat. This reads like a roll call of committed Goans, all sharing a common love for Goa. And this is only a list culled from our first 12 issues. VIVA GOA is committed to featuring such achievers in the issues to come. Our monthly ‘Health’ column written by doctors, including Dr N S Dumo, Dr Ajay Karande, Dr Kedar Padte, Dr Shekar Shirwaiker, Dr Sanjeev Garg, Dr Vinaykumar Pai Raikar, Dr Nilesh Talwadkar and Dr Francisco Colaco, who graciously agreed to educate our readers on healthy living. We have also consistently featured young, rising Goans in the arts and in sports, especially in our ‘Spotlight’ column and will continue to do so in future issues. Within our short ‘first term’ as it were, we have introduced the inaugural Navhind Times VIVA GOA Goan Achievers Awards, judged impartially by an independent jury and by the Goan public. These awards, given away at a glittering evening in Panaji, are testimony to our commitment to rewarding excellence in various fields. We hope to make this an annual feature and felt especially proud and honoured to bestow the Lifetime Achievement Award to the legendary singer of Goa, Gyana Saraswati Padma Vibhushan Kishori Amonkar in its first year. Being new to the field, it has also been a learning experience for us at VIVA GOA. From chasing down hectic deadlines, to cajoling advertisers and breathing down the neck of printers, it has been a challenging, but worthwhile, experience. Our staff — from the editorial, to circulation, advertising and printing – all deserve much thanks. We look forward to the challenges
ahead and promise to make VIVA GOA even bigger and better. We believe that one year in the existence of a periodical is only a stepping stone towards many more years to come. Central to all our issues have been our regular contributors and columnists. We extend our appreciation and many thanks to our specialist writers. Our most important columnist is senior advocate Atmaram Nadkarni in ‘Legal Brief’, who is my guide and is also VIVA GOA’s legal shield against defamation cases which thanfully have not come our way yet! When we started the magazine we were asked what a legal column was doing in a lifstyle magazine, but it has been received well over the past year. It has evolved into a column on philosophy as well and is one of the most popular sections of the magazine. We also thank architect Siddha Sardessai on his commentary of the interiors and exteriors of some of the distinctive and contemporary houses in Goa. Masterchef Deepa Awchat has been praised her sumptuous recipes in ‘Goan Cuisine’, a column eagerly awaited by our female readers. The leading spas in Goa consider it an honour to be reviewed by Parineetha Sethi, editor-in-chief of AsiaSpa India magazine, one of the world’s best publications on spas. Our ‘Hospitality’ expert Sinead McManus is always on the move and discovering newer and more enchanting hotels and resorts all over Goa. I take this opportunity to thank my professional team who have helped me put this magazine together, starting
with my principal consultant Shailesh Amonkar, who has had years of professional experience working for ‘Times of India Group’ and later as a Director with ‘Sakaal Media’, and with whom I normally bounce my ideas off. Editorial consultant, Manohar Shetty, who provides valuable insight to VIVA GOA and sometimes shapes up copy to make it more reader friendly. For the evocative photographs, hats off to our young and dynamic photographer Edric George, whose pictures have contributed immensely to increase the visual appeal of the magazine. For the many well-researched and succinct articles and features, our Assistant Editors Emylou D’Souza and Dielle D’Souza have spent many a late night in the office. For the attractive design and layout to our artists Nagesh Naik and Erika de Noronha. To the generous advertising support we thank, of course, our advertisers besides the persuasive skills of Tamara Faleiro. For our mounting circulation, we congratulate Satyawan Parsekar, who is ably assisted by Victoria Pires. And above all, our thanks to our ever growing list of subscribers and readers. Without their articulate responses and support, we would be like a ship without a rudder. On our part, we look forward to yet another year of providing readers with more well researched, readable and entertaining articles and features on and about our very own Goa. VIVA GOA!
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Shobhaa De, Gautam Rajadhyaksha and Wendell Rodricks at the VIVA GOA launch
The Journey So Far…
JULY
Around that time, in the summer of 2010, a new but unheralded musical phenomenon was sweeping through the Southern beach belt of Goa. With the strict ban on live music imposed beyond the ‘unearthly’ hour of 10pm, a group of enterprising foreigners unleashed ‘Silent Noise’. With music selected by internationally known DJs pulsating through personal earphones, it added a new dimension to the phrase ‘for your ears only’. And highlighted the ingenuity of the young in defeating the killjoy diktats of the not-so-young. Best selling author Shobhaa De, the chief guest at our opening night, also granted us a free-wheeling interview, featured in this issue. We were also proud to feature ‘First Lady’ Pallavi Dempo, Executive Director of ‘Navhind Times’, besides the spiritual, mystic painter Udayraj Gadnis. Behind the scenes: Being a first of its kind phenomenon, our columnist Sinead McManus actually went to a Silent Noise party and experienced it.
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JUNE
We gave much thought to our inaugural issue as we are well aware that first impressions are lasting ones. As the subject of our cover story, several famous Goans crossed our minds, but it was the Mangeshkar family that won our unanimous approval. Ace photographer and family friend of the Mangeshkars, Gautam Rajadhyaksha wrote the intimate portrait of the staggeringly gifted family. We remain grateful for his contribution as well as for the rare B&W photographs from the archives of Vishwas Nerurkar. In ‘First Lady’ the normally reticent Vijayadevi Rane also spoke to us with pride on her work with deprived and underprivileged children in two of Goa’s best run institutions, Bal Bhavan and the Sanjay School for Special Education. P K Mukherjee, Managing Director of Sesa Goa in our inaugural ‘After Hours’ section also opened up on his love for soccer. And luckily for us, designer Wendell Rodricks had just returned from an epic holiday in South America. The iconic fashion designer also revealed a talent for photography with his vivid pictures capturing the splendours of Latin America. Behind the scenes: The editor visited Gautam Rajadhyaksha to request for pictures of the Mangeshkar family, but was met with surprise when the ace photographer volunteered to write the article as well. We knew then that the launch issue would make an impact.
We highlighted the dynamic face of Indian TV, Rajdeep Sardesai, who is a household name across India through CNN –IBN. The Editor-in-Chief spoke on his love for Goa and on the memories of his late father, Dilip Sardessai who was among India’s best known cricketers. We also walked back in time to capture the glory of Panaji’s famous ‘Latin Quarter’, Fontainhas, even as off-beat band ‘back2basics’ spoke about their love for retro music. Behind the scenes: We dispensed with tradition and sent Rajdeep Sardessai a final copy of his interview. Despite being Editor-in-Chief of a live channel, he sent his reply in seven minutes flat. Noises of construction work at People’s High School in Panaji nearly drowned out voices in the audio recording of the interview with ‘back2basics’ singer and lecturer Jude Mascarenhas, making transcription a tough job.
Mid-monsoon is a time to stay indoors — or watch movies. ‘Inox’ created not only something of a movie-going revolution in Goa, but also caused the multiplex to become Goa’s No 1 entertainment hub. Behind the scenes: For our cover story, we had an apprehension that former chief minister Manohar Parrikar would avoid CBI inquiry-related questions, but he surprised us by saying the longer the inquiry takes, the more people will credit him with bringing Inox to Goa. Model Waluscha Robinson opened up on her journey on the catwalk to fame, the telephonic interview ending with a broken pencil point and an aching hand.
AUGUST
MAY 2010
COVER STORY
DECEMBER
Goa’s meteoric rise as the Number One ‘Event Destination’ in the country took the lead in our November issue. IFFI, the Sunburn Festival, the Big Chill and several other mega events held in Goa are testimony to the state’s flair and organisational skills. Goans have long been top-dogs in the field of advertising, and Agnello Oswin Dias has come a long way from Chinchinim to bagging the most coveted awards at the Cannes international advertising festival. Far removed from that glitzy world is Goa’s first Art of Living teacher Neela Navelkar whom we featured in our popular ‘First Lady’ section. Behind the scenes: In our new column ‘Making A Difference’, we highlighted the achievements of Muskaan, a trust for people afflicted with cancer, whose members were initially apprehensive about the photo session but were later game to pose for pictures.
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NOVEMBER
Internationally acclaimed architect Charles Correa shared his concerns over the unplanned and haphazard development of Goa and offered some pragmatic solutions. Dr Gustavo Pinto explained why a life spent among ailing animals hasn’t gone to the dogs! Behind the scenes: When we arrived at Charles Correa’s home in Betim for the interview, architect Sunil Sardessai, who accompanied the editor to help with the interview, touched Correa’s feet in respect when he saw him and later admitted it was the best day of his life. For the photoshoot of Dr Gustavo Pinto’s article, a raging bull pawing the ground shook nerves at a little known animal farm in the hectic heart of St Inez.
Tennis ace Leander Paes revealed his dream of setting up a world class tennis training facility in Goa and shared some intimate family photographs with us. Activist Sabina Martins was at her forthright best in her freewheeling interview even as Wendell Rodricks brought the traditional Kunbi sari back to life in a contemporary avatar. Behind the scenes: Paes granted us an exclusive interview that we chased for three months. An editor of a local leading English newspaper later called up and asked how we managed something they’d been chasing for six months. We didn’t let out the secret!
Our new year, 2011 issue was a bit of a gamble. It paid off as we discovered that gambling is more than popular in Goa, with its on and off shore casinos. Dr Shekhar Salkar explained in ‘Health’ how early detection could save many lives from breast cancer, while Briton Simon Hayward revealed why he feels Goa is India for beginners in the ‘Homing In’ column. Behind the scenes: Our team set foot in a floating casino for the first time to find out why Goa is a major hub for those willing to throw the dice and woo lady luck in India. We played and won!
JANUARY 2011
OCTOBER
Come September and we took note of the rising trend in fitness and health related issues in Goa. The nurturing of the mind is as important as physical fitness, and Therese Almeida, educationist and Director of Manovikas School shared her passion for learning. Behind the scenes: While doing the photoshoot for the cover, we asked fitness trainer Norbert D’Souza to suggest a beautiful face from among the members of his studio, and he pointed to our assistant editor Dielle D’Souza and said ‘perhaps her’. She preferred being behind the scenes and anyway we had found a better face!
SEPTEMBER
COVER STORY
APRIL
Our March cover story featured the 16th-century edifice of the Raj Bhavan in Dona Paula, a monumental testimony to both viceregal grandeur and power. In recent years the ‘bookish’ café, Literati in Candolim has become a hub for literary events and book releases. VIVA GOA believes there is no better place to inculcate the reading habit than in its congenial environs. The sisters Riddhi and Siddhi Mapxencar are all set to take fashion design to another level—check out their work in this issue. Behind the scenes: The team was thrilled to bits when proferred a tour around the grand rooms of the Raj Bhavan, including the VVIP suite where the Presidents / Prime Ministers stay.
MARCH
FEBRUARY
Our February issue earlier this year saw us digress from our avowed path of featuring only Goans and Goa-centric features as our cover story. But one doesn’t thumb one’s nose to an exclusive interview with Jade, the daughter of legendary rockstar Mick and Bianca Jagger. We also took great pleasure in featuring Victor Albuqurque, head of the ALCON Victor Group who is even more passionate in his concern over the direction that Goa is headed as is Manisha Naik, Chairperson of the Goa State Welfare Board. In this issue, it also pleased us to feature the Mustard Seed Art Company. Behind the scenes: We’re certain Jade Jagger, who consented to our request after much persuasion, helped us retain the scoop of an interview with an international celebrity for a month by not speaking to other publications. It’s hard to remain unknown in Goa.
The Navhind Times VIVA Goa Goan Achievers’ Awards held prominence in our April issue. All the nominees have gone beyond the self to make Goa a better place. We also featured Cesar Menezes, the pharma pasha of Goa, who has done wonders for the state’s pharmaceutical industry. Behind the scenes: We were congratulated not only for a well-organised awards ceremony, but also that Kishori Amonkar, whose infamous short temper precedes her, actually sat patiently through the entire event. Animal rights activist Norma Alvares and her husband Claude posed for pictures with family additions, their dogs Diesel and three-legged Miki, who looked like they’d been doing photo sessions for ages.
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The VIVA GOA Team: (sitting) Manohar Shetty & Kedar Dhume. (From left) Satyawan Parsekar, Tamara Ann Faleiro, Dielle D’Souza, Erika de Noronha, Emylou D’Souza & Edric George
All
FEATURE
Fired Up SANJEEV KAPOOR says Goa is an important food destination as he hits a new milestone as the world’s first chef to have a 24-hour food channel FOODFOOD
By DIELLE D’SOUZA
H
e’s the reason your grandmother would agree to add an extra teaspoon of sugar to the cookie mixture. As the most well-known chef in India, Sanjeev Kapoor doesn’t have to think twice about releasing a book or coming up with a new recipe. With 36 cookbooks that have sold around 10 million copies and 25 million hits on his website, the 46-year-old has decided to storm India with his 24-hour channel FOODFOOD, which has actress Madhuri Dixit as its lifestyle ambassador. Khana Khazana, Asia’s longest-running TV cooking show, has propelled him into the hearts of every Indian family and Kapoor hopes his new channel, to be available on Airtel DTH and Tata Sky as well, will continue to keep people’s mouths watering. The masterchef serves up his recipe for success at Resort Rio in Baga
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What role does Goa play in your new channel FOODFOOD? If we look at places which can boast of its food within India, Goa would feature in the top three. And if that is where Goan food is, then naturally it is a place of importance. I first filmed here many years ago and Goa as a place of interest is not something that only Indians like. It’s global. At FOODFOOD we’re looking at an international reach. Places like Goa give us an opportunity for immediate identification. While Chettinad may be good, people may not know about it. We don’t have to sell Goa. Tell us more about your time in Resort Rio. Goa was an off-side that we did for our senior team. At FOODFOOD we believe that food is a very creative thing and for that you need an environment that is relaxing and should motivate you to think beyond. We came to Goa to think of what we want to do in the coming months. Our initial numbers are fantastic, but how do we make sure that these numbers are not just an initial excitement? Also, as a team-building exercise we had a contest of our senior executives. It’s similar to a cooking contest on our channel called Maha Challenge. We’ve filmed our team-building exercise too, but don’t know if we’ll air it. How has Goa inspired your cooking? Goa has been inspirational in many ways. We went out for breakfast at Britto’s and I ordered an omelette and got the idea to cook a rechado omelette next. When you have ingredients which are specific to a region it’s fairly easy to use them in different ways. I’m doing a live show in Chandigarh which produces a lot of eggs and since we were in Goa, I thought of egg balchao. By itself it sounded fine but I had to present it in an interesting way so I’m using the egg balchao as a stuffing for golgappas. Name some of the dishes you cannot miss when in Goa. All the popular ones including vindaloo, cafreal, rechado, fish curry, shark ambot tik, xacuti… In the last five days I wouldn’t have eaten anything but Goan food. That is a rule for me.
Sanjeev Kapoor at Resort Rio
How did the idea for the channel emerge? I have been doing TV shows for nearly 18 years now and in some ways you can say that was the beginning. I always thought of what the next step would be. Constantly moving from one TV channel to the next was not something that excited me. I wanted something where I have more control on the content. That’s when I thought about the channel, nearly seven years ago. What are the challenges you faced? Anyone I would speak to would say I was mad. It’s the first time a chef anywhere in the world has launched a TV station. ‘Food as a category, how big is it? Would it work? How can I run a channel?’ are questions that I asked myself. I had no doubts, but you can’t do everything alone – you need many people to make it happen. But it was fun all the same. Would you see the first 24-hour food channel as a milestone for Indian television? Definitely. I think it would change the way people think of food in India. It is also a first for a chef anywhere in the world. In some sense it’s path breaking. Who is your target audience? People look at food as a niche market, but right from the first day we decided we didn’t want to be a niche channel. Our approach would be of a specialty channel with a mass reach. Our target group is females between 24 and 44 years. The overall thinking and
product revolves around food. It’s food and beyond, food and lifestyle, all emotions of food – learning with food, games with food, reality with food, travel with food, health with food, Bollywood with food, you name it. What would you say makes a good cooking show? Is it the host or the recipe? It’s a complete package, but a very large part of it is essentially the host. If the show is instructional, definitely the host with good recipes ensures its success. If it’s a game-based show, then the concept would be the main focus. But in all of this, food would remain the main ingredient; it would always be centre-stage. Many of today’s TV chef hosts have their own style – Gordon Ramsay has his brash fiery attitude, Jamie Oliver his laid-back style and Padma Lakshmi her intelligent narration. How would you describe your style? It’s the Sanjeev Kapoor style! I think it’s easy-going, approachable, friendly, informative and not intimidating. Gourmet food is usually expensive and demands refined tastes but today the lines have blurred between classes. What is it about gourmet food that attracts people? There’s a dichotomy. People want to believe they had a gastronomic experience that is different. But when it comes to actual consumption, the numbers are different. If we take say Thai food, people
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would want to experience that sort of cuisine, but within their comfort zone. So if they find shrimp paste or fish sauce offensive, they’ll eliminate that from the recipe and eat Thai food which is not that Thai, but yet somewhere near it. It’s a bit like health food in India, where it’s more talked about than eaten. I think we are a country where we want to talk Caesar Salad but eat samosas. Many youngsters are living independently and learning to cook as they go along. How do you view this changing trend in the Indian perspective of having many dishes in a single meal as opposed to a one-pot meal? Over the last 18 months, I’ve seen a change in people who come up to me and say ‘Hi’. Many younger girls are coming up to say ‘Hi’. I haven’t changed and I’m doing the same thing I’ve been doing for a long time. It’s their perception that has changed. They are also willing to talk about food and know more about food. Being Indian is something they are proud of, which may not have been the case earlier. While the pressures of time also exist, there are means available today to ease the effort. The younger Madhuri Dixit with Sanjeev Kapoor
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generation will be more responsible for the promotion of Indian food. They are breaking out of the trend of having noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do you see food as a tool for globalisation or as a way to maintain the identity of a region? Both can co-exist. Food has always brought people together. But it’s also very progressive and keeps changing. Identity is the way they are together. Just as humans are not the way we were a few hundreds of years ago, we all know that a little over 400 years ago we didn’t have chillies, tomatoes or potatoes. So what we call authentic today is not authentic at all. Food evolves. It brings people together, yet does not always keep the same identities. It creates new ones, but the new identities would be distinct in their own right. What place has veganism in your new channel? As vegetarianism goes, I think a large portion of our channel is dedicated to it. I’d say close to 70 per cent is vegetarian. As for pure vegan food, the only differentiator there is milk and milk products. What we have seen in India, is that people are vegetarian but they
rely heavily on milk and milk products. So we don’t want to currently isolate that on our channel. How important is it to know the source of your ingredients? These are early days, but I’m seeing the change although it’s fairly slow and small. Whether it’s allergies to gluten or nuts, or lactose intolerance, this has just started, but we as a channel will be sensitive to creating awareness – what are the allergies, how they work, etc. To us that is not an opportunity, but a responsibility. ‘Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper’. What do you think? That’s the only way according to me. I don’t miss any meals. People are now talking about five smaller meals instead of three. Adding a meal is a possibility, but avoiding one is not. Any advice to those looking at the kitchen as a profession? If they’re passionate not just in cooking but in knowing the overall picture, work hard, and follow it with passion they’ll be successful. If they think it’s easy and they can become Sanjeev Kapoor overnight, forget it. It means lots of sleepless nights. n
AFTER HOURS
A column in which CEOs, political figures and other busy professionals reveal how they relax and spend their spare time
‘We have Every Reason to Maintain a Pristine Goa’
Chairman and Managing Director of Dempo Group SHRINIVAS DEMPO believes a balance of life and work relaxing By DIELLE D’SOUZA
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hrinivas Dempo comes straight to the point. But then he has to. With so many firms under one roof, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Dempo Group of Companies doesn’t have time to dawdle and dither. A proud Goan with a lineage to bear, Dempo reveals his passion for family, food and football. When he isn’t looking into the future of his firms, he scouts for upcoming Goan sportspersons to encourage as Goodwill Ambassadors and ties up with international clubs to groom nascent footballers. Along with his responsibilities as President of the Goa Football Association and Governing Board Member of top institutes, he ensures he sets time apart to spend with his young daughters and wife Pallavi. Pics by Edric George
He takes some time off with VIVA GOA On a typical day at the office I start my day with some exercise and head to work at 9.30 where I check mails and pass instructions. After that are planned meetings and reviews with heads of companies. My style is to avoid too much interference. I try and fix responsibilities, so a lot of it is follow-up and what the next step should be. I also spend a lot of time visioning. A large part of the day goes into reading what goes on in the world and how our companies react to those situations. On the co-existence of industry and environment Our generation is at a great advantage, trying to capitalise in doing the best
we can to assert ourselves as leaders in industry. The only challenge we face being in Goa is that the market is small. Also, we find there’s a growing resentment to industry here – anything to do with land becomes quite controversial. Some reasons are sound because they have started asking about the benefits to the local population. That’s why our group is looking at larger projects outside Goa so that we grow in size, but at the same time our existing activities here will continue. We’ll see how best we can attract new industries like health and education, which are much more environment-friendly. On tax-relief and CSR Tax relief is just an incentive or
motivation to companies to spend more towards CSR. It’s like a good bribe. For me, tax is incidental. You should decide, whether it’s tax efficient or not, that a certain percentage of your profits must be spent on social good. On the collaboration with Danish football club and academy FC Midtylland I think Sesa Goa’s academy has done a great job over the years. If India has to progress in football we need to concentrate on youngsters. Simply getting players from outside and trying to qualify may not take us very far in the long run. Keeping that in mind, I always had this feeling that although our team has done well, where do we focus? How do we want to position India as a player in the World Cup? Grass root development is the focus. Unfortunately, there are no successful models in India. So I decided to have a technical partnership with FC Midtylland because they have a great youth development programme and a very comprehensive academy. There’s a lot of motivation, and the youngsters become excellent players because they have the best coaches. I thought of setting up a similar academy here, or having some Goan boys and girls go there. We also need to focus on women’s football in Goa. Unfortunately in the India team there’s not been a single Goan in recent years. Again, I have looked at a club in Sweden which is doing a wonderful job in women’s football. They are coming for discussions with us soon On whether children of well-known personalities find it difficult to slip out from their parents’ shadows Our children’s generation is learning to be independent much faster due to the exposure they get in social circles, the advent of the net, or in their school curriculum. But in a small state like Goa you still feel over-protected. That was my own experience when I studied in the US and in Mumbai. I felt a little lost initially since we came from a smaller state where we were overprotected as youngsters. But I’ve seen that our children are learning to come out of that safety net much faster than we did.
On what he loves about Goa I love the Goan people and take great pride in the fact that I’m from Goa. People are perceived as kind and friendly, to a large extent very low profile. This state is beautiful and the challenge is how to maintain it. There’s a dichotomy – one is we have to develop and expand. Our youth need good jobs, educational facilities, but we also need to keep it pristine. What could be done is good planning to maintain the flavour of both. The best way to start is with the Regional Plan. People from all over the world flock to Goa because they love it. There is something special about everything – the cuisine, our people, the environment, the architectural blend of Indian and European. We have every reason to maintain and yet show a growth path for our younger generation because we can’t remain stagnant. On the sussegado attitude Enjoying a quality of life is useful. I’m not crazy to want to work for 24 hours, ignore my family and just run after the business. That’s one of the reasons why I sold our five-decade-old mining operations. The whole reason was to be able to balance life and work. You can’t be over-sussegado, but a fair amount of balance helps you relax. On his hobbies I love reading non-fiction. Books by people like former president APJ Abdul Kalam make you feel so positive about India in the future. My passion is football, so whenever I get time I watch matches on TV. Exercise for the mind comes from reading and yoga, when time permits. Your mind becomes less stressful and buzzes with ideas. I also like to introspect. I spend a lot of time travelling when there’s not too much pressure. I’m also a foodie and love good wine.
On quality time and vacations with the family I see the children off to school and end my work day at about 6.30 so I can devote time to my family. From then until the children go to sleep at 9 pm, I spend a few hours with them. I try to take two vacations a year, one with the children, and the other with my wife so we get time as a couple. I love going to Italy. One reason is the similarity with Goan culture – lovely people, great food, great shopping and beautiful places. I love walking around the streets, spending time in cafeterias with a cup of espresso and biscotti and spending hours with a book. On his philosophy in life Contributing to society in general really excites me. While I believe in generating wealth, the generation of wealth for my own use is limited. The reason I try and generate more wealth than I want is to give back to society. Some of our programmes like the Goodwill Ambassadors and scholarship fund for Goans to study in the UK have done so well. The best way to serve your nation is to be useful to the people around you when God has given more than what you require. His message to young Goans Youngsters must be passionate about what they want to achieve. I find that a lot of youth lack determination and commitment to an issue. Whether it is fighting corruption or getting more accountability from our politicians, there has to be a focused determination to achieve it. n Pallavi and Shrinivas Dempo
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LEGAL BRIEF A regular column on legal affairs and philosophy
Source: www.dippy-dp.blogspot.com
ATMARAM NADKARNI is a senior advocate and former Advocate General of Goa
Weed Out Corruption Lok Pal may not completely wipe out corruption but the fact that such an authority is available is sufficient to instil the fear of accountability, writes senior advocate ATMARAM NADKARNI
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he recent event which culminated in the Central Government virtually surrendering the authority conferred on it by the law and Constitution of India, appointing the Drafting Committee comprising civil society members, is a matter which should arouse mixed feelings in the intelligentsia. Before I deal with certain aspects of the matter, let me make a few things clear. I for one, wholeheartedly endorse the movement launched by Anna Hazare and his supporters against corruption. I am also in favour of a Lok Pal/Lok Ayukth at the Centre/State level. I am not against civil society members being allowed to participate in the drafting of the Lok Pal Bill. However, the Bill is normally drafted by the Law Department of the state or central governments. There is absolutely no doubt that legislative drafting is a skilled job and has to be done with accuracy and expertise. Also, there little doubt that the present members
comprising politicians like Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid, besides people like Shanti Bushan, Prashant Bushan and Justice Santosh Hegde are individuals of outstanding expertise and merit. If one applies the test of merit while choosing the best, the quality of the members cannot be questioned. That said, a fundamental issue of governance is raised. A petition to that effect has been filed in the Allahabad High Court which has since issued notice to the Union of India. The fundamental objection is to the government abdicating its position of authority in preparing a Bill and piloting it in the House. Essentially, the state and central governments have a responsibility to prepare a Bill keeping in mind the views of civil society or the general public. In the present case, the threat of a ‘fast unto death’ by Anna Hazare has led to the government giving in to demands to the extent of issuing,
virtually at midnight, a notification constituting a drafting committee. This is unprecedented. There have been drafting committees constituted before by various governments to draft various legislations. There have been innumerable cases where governments have engaged the services of eminent lawyers to make contributions on subjects which are complex or relatively new such as cyber crime etc. The objections raised in many quarters cannot be said to be completely without any substance. Having said this, what happened in our country was a welcome trend. Citizens, young and old, across the length and breadth of the country formed themselves into groups and took to the streets in support of the movement against corruption. This is a welcome and desired phenomenon which perhaps is required in order to see the logical conclusion of eradicating corruption completely. Lok Pals or Lok Ayukths may not completely wipe out corruption but the very fact that such an authority is available is sufficient to instill in corrupt politicians and bureaucrats the fear of accountability while discharging their functions. Today in this country, we are faced with a situation where more controls breed more corruption. Corruption in this country is rampant and has reached its zenith and the only exception, perhaps, has been the judiciary in which the citizens of this country have reposed their faith and trust. It has stood the test of time and performed exceedingly well. The monitoring of investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation under the Supreme Court
Source: www.indiatogether.org
directly; appointment of Special Public Prosecutors by the Supreme Court are all matters which should be followed and emulated by various High Courts in this country. The Chief Justice of India has said that we need good people in black robes. So true. If the citizens of this country lose their faith in the judiciary, it would only invite chaos and disorder. It is time therefore that the High Courts in this country wake up and take a pro-active role in matters of corruption. Their silence will destroy the system if they do not intervene on grounds of self-imposed limitations. The time has come when every decision of the government should be required to be reviewed judicially in the public interest. Any delay in this quarter will only help spread corruption. The time has also come for the people of this country who years ago made a tryst with destiny to redeem the pledge wholly and in full measure to serve Mother India. All Indians should rise and revolt against the violence of corruption. Such a revolt is inevitable, notwithstanding the social consequences, for the sake of our future generations. If such a non-violent revolt is not resorted to by the citizens at this stage in the form of fasting unto death and peaceful agitations, the widespread discontent and cynicism which is deeply embedded in the souls of harassed citizens will definitely see a nadir of violence being born. I would describe corruption by politicians and bureaucrats as a form of state terrorism for the suppression of
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human rights, humanity and the cause or abundance of injustice. It is not merely the temptation of the senses which corrupts a person by being unable to resist wealth and power; it is rather the final flame of goodness which has been blanked out and needs to be illuminated. Our criminal justice system on account of its shortcomings has not been able to effectively deal with the corrupt. The lawyer only governs the poor whereas the rich govern the law. The poor and the middle class have little money. This fundamental flaw is too obvious in our democracy. Justice Krishna Iyer in his recent publication ‘Legal Spectrum’ has essentially dealt with this in an erudite manner. It is not enough to ensure that the Lok Pal and the Lok Ayukth Bill is passed. What is of essence is that the appointment of the Lok Pal be from those with high and unquestionable integrity unlike the mess that happened in the case of the CVC despite people like Chandrabushan and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh comprising the Appointment Committee. It is a great shame for these two gentlemen who are otherwise known for their eminence in their respective fields. If the Lok Pal or the Lok Ayukth in the state only undertakes a proactive role will there be a greater semblance of fear of accountability among the rulers. Otherwise it may end up as yet another instance of social and political parasites enjoying themselves at the cost of the public exchequer. n
I would describe corruption by politicians and bureaucrats as a form of state terrorism for the suppression of human rights, humanity and the cause or abundance of injustice
Source: www.namesake-expert.com
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ART REVIEW
Source: www.jzane.com
NAGUESH RAO SARDESSAI is an alumnus of Goa College of Art. An avid art commentator and television host, he strives to update and upgrade the value of Goan art and artistes
‘Kala Bhoomi -
oa’ G
Our new column explores Goan art and debuts with an overview of the industry and suggests that rural talent also be brought into focus
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he art scene in this small state vibrates with tremendous resonance. These are exciting days for collectors and artists alike. Tourism has also helped draw attention to happenings in Goa and that in turn brings in an eclectic mix for impressionable connoisseurs. Goa is indeed a ‘Kala Bhoomi’ – a land of the arts. It has always had a vast array of artistes. Local fairs, village feasts, temple bhajans, church choirs, festivals and other community-driven occasions remain the breeding ground for these creative souls. Most have risen through their own efforts. Master Dinanath Mangueshkar,
the Mangueshkar sisters, Khaprumama Parvatkar, Pandit Jeetendra Abhisheki, Anthony Gonsalves, Ramdas Kamat, Prabhakar Karekar, Remo Fernandes and Lorna in the field of music to name a few. Prabhakar Panshikar, Damu Kenkre, Prasad Sawkar and M Boyer and many have left a mark in the theatre world besides others who have been silent contributors to the Indian film industry. Kesarbhai Kerkar, one of the best singers in India, was a disciple of Vajebuva, Bhaskarbuva and Barkattulla. As a disciple of Alladiya Khan, she was the heir of that musical gharana. Moghubai Kurdikar studied with
Alladiya Khan’s brother, and later with Alladiya Khan himself and acquired gharana discipline. She learnt tal shashtra from Khapruji. Visual art has not been left behind with many stalwarts holding elevated positions in the hearts of young practicing contemporary artists. They have earned global recognition and an enviable following. Antonio Piedade de Cruz, Antonio Xavier Trindade, Angelo da Fonseca, R G Chimulkar, R P Kamat, Vasudev Gaitonde, Vamona Ananta Sinai Navelcar, Franjoao and Laxman Pai need no special introduction to art lovers. Francis Newton Souza is one of the great painters of the world. As co-founder of the Progressive Artists’ Group, he contributed immensely to Indian art. To keep the tradition of nurturing talent, the Goa College of Art was established under the banner of the Kala Academy and later taken under the wings of Directorate of Technical Education, affiliated to Goa University. The introduction of a formal training ground in the state has given a boost
to the aspirations of the talented and helped steer the inherent potential in a positive direction. Alumni from this institute have established footholds in the highly competitive art market and blossomed to command respectability. Quite a few have made an impression and gained recognition like Baiju Parthan, Rajeshshree Thakkar, Theodore Mesquita, Viraj Naik and many others. While Baiju is a celebrated artist with an enviable price tag to his paintings, Thakkar and Mesquita have received the Harmony Award for Emerging Artists. Viraj Naik’s works were well received at a Sotheby’s auction in the US. Installation artist Dr Subodh Kerkar has held major shows at the international level and is the recipient of the prestigious Busan Biennale Award. India’s best known spiritual artist and founder of the Spiritual Art Movement Udayraj Gadnis, whose series of Lord Ganesha paintings received worldwide acclaim, traces his roots to Goa. Visual art has grown exponentially
and the growth has been more horizontal than vertical. There has been a spurt in people appreciating and practicing art at the cost of – at times it must be admitted – qualitative expansion. Vertical growth should have shown more refinement and innovation through competition. Extending ‘Rajaashraya’ or state patronage to artists will boost the morale of the community and help give legitimacy. The Department of Art and Culture seems to be doing this successfully for the last few years. Private players have always been supportive, and proof of this is the growth of art galleries in Goa. Visual art activities are mainly concentrated in and around Panaji, extending through the north along the beach belt. To make Goa a model state with all-round development in art, every region of Goa needs to be nurtured and promoted. It would be naïve to say that all is fine in the world of art in this paradise. We are still in a transition phase and the glass is only half-full. The churning will throw up the jewels and bring glory to this land called ‘Sunapranta’. n
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Source: www.newphilanthropycapital.com
FEATURE
Source: www.afaqs.com
Executive chairperson and creative director, Ogilvy South Asia, Piyush Pandey and the team celebrating their win
Creativity
with a
Conscience
– Lynn de Souza CEO, Lintas Media Group
Goafest 2011
India’s biggest advertising festival Goafest 2011 stuck to its ‘cleaner and greener’ approach without going out of sync with the aim to be bigger and better
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rganised jointly by Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club Bombay (ACB) at the lavish five-star Zuri White Sands Goa Resort, Varca, Goafest is the country’s premium enclave of advertising professionals. Based on the theme, ‘Ideas are all around you, can you SPOT one?’ the organising committee planned a series of initiatives to engage participants throughout the event. Installation art pieces depicting different aspects of responsible advertising were laid out at the venue – products of the fest’s ‘Creativity with a Conscience Contest’ to spread awareness about the Advertising Standards Council of India’s (ASCI)
codes of responsible advertising. Young creative minds, all below 30 years, raced against time to come up with interesting ideas to portray the various themes. Leading the festival, Lintas Media Group’s Chairperson and CEO Lynn de Souza revealed that “the aim of Goafest is similar to Cannes, where fun and learning are mixed together in a resort environment. Goafest started out in 2006 as an AAAI initiative with seminars and awards. After a couple of years, it tied up with the Ad Club of Bombay to present the prestigious Abby awards.” On why the state is the preferred location for an ad fest of this magnitude
when some of the biggest agencies are based in Mumbai, she explained, “Goafest is a national gathering of advertising professionals from all over the country. Mumbai is no longer the advertising capital of India. Gurgaon and Delhi have seen rapid growth followed by other centres like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Cochin, Pune and Kolkata. Goafest gets over 3000 delegates from all over the country and a few international delegates as well.” Lynn added that “Goafest is the advertising industry’s most important and largest event. Spread over three to five days, with international speakers, the Abby awards and several other mini events, which are a mixture of fun and learning, attract more than 3000 people to Goa every summer.” Goafest is a medium to bring together the movers and shakers of advertising and explore various facets of the field in a fast-changing world. Like last year, Ogilvy India maintained its numero uno position, getting the maximum number of awards. Vodafone’s Zoozoos campaign won the Grand Prix in the Integrated as well as the Film Craft category, one trophy going to Ogilvy and the other to Nirvana Films. Mudra Group with 26 Metals and Publicis with 22
were second and third, respectively, in the overall Metals tally. JWT, which won a Grand Prix last year for the ‘Lead India’ campaign for The Times of India, stood at the fourth position. An elated Piyush Pandey, executive chairperson and creative director, Ogilvy South Asia, spoke to Afaqs – the country’s leading advertising portal and fortnightly – about the Grand Prix win for his Cadbury’s campaign. “I think, the entire Cadbury campaign was one from the heart, with a lot of client support. People on the streets loved the work. To my mind, when the jury approves the work which even
my neighbour does, it means a Grand Prix.” It was a triumph for the Zuri resort as well with a three-year contract as venue partner for Goafest. A happy Roberto Simone, GM, said, “The coming together of the Fest and Zuri has delighted us. Not only is it a strong partnership but a long-term association which helps us redefine hospitality. We treat hospitality a little differently from just luxury and we are most happy to host the Goafest and the who’s who of the ad world. We loved the experience this time and are looking forward to the Fest next year.” n
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Pics by Edric George
FIRST LADY Featuring eminent women of Goa
‘I am Active in Social Work, But will Never Join Politics’ As wife of chief minister Digambar Kamat, social worker ASHA KAMAT has had to work her equally busy life co-ordinating dozens of women’s self-help groups around his
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er home is open to one and all and there’s not a time of the day or night that she is not available to friends, family and her social welfare groups. Asha Kamat has formed at least 60 self-help groups for women across Goa, to help them become independent. With her husband Digambar Kamat and children Deepali and Yogiraj as the centre of her life, she welcomes party workers and the general public into their home in Margao and ensures that everyone is well taken care of.
his political life, except see that everyone who came to our house – be they guests or committee members – was made comfortable. The doors of our home are always open and people have said it is very easy to meet the chief minister.
Asha Kamat gives VIVA GOA a peek into her life
Do you believe in giving back to society? After the children grew up I began setting up self-help groups for women. There are now about 50 to 60 groups mostly in Margao of various types with approximately 2,000 women involved. The members make different types of products – jute bags, candles, agarbati, etc, which will be showcased on a newly launched website. We have just begun the
Your husband is a politician. What are the adjustments you have had to make? I’ve made a lot of adjustments with regard to the children because my husband has no time for the family. I have looked after every aspect of my children’s upbringing ever since he has been in politics. We got married in February 1979, and elections were in Pics by Edric George
June that year for the chairman of the market committee. My husband did not interfere in the children’s upbringing but they have never caused trouble. They were very good in their studies and at the most my husband would look at their results sheet. He has always had the utmost confidence in our children. I never really took much interest in
construction of a huge mall in Margao, which will house workshops and stalls for the ladies. In collaboration with the Tourism Department, buses will bring the tourists in, just like they do in places like Rajasthan and Gujarat. Ladies as old as 60 and 70 have joined our groups. I organise classes for them where artisans of the Goa Handicrafts Corporation teach them different arts. I also hold meetings with the group co-ordinators to inform the women of the numerous government schemes available to them. Where do you see Goa heading? Goa has become a brand even abroad, perhaps in part due to films. A large number of people from outside also retire and settle here. But we in Goa have no pride for our state, and continue to sell beautiful houses to outsiders as their rates are better. Does it make sense to sell them to someone who is going to demolish them? Goans are also opposed to a lot of development. I understand that prosperity and suffering are two sides of the same coin. But you cannot stop development either. People even opposed the construction of a hospital in Margao, saying the fields were being destroyed. But soon many will get jobs and the hospital will provide good, specialised treatment for the poor. Margao’s Hospicio is very old. Describe your daily routine. My day starts at 6am and ends at about 12.30am. I go for a walk between 6 and 7, and then do half an hour of yoga. After that our home is always packed with people waiting to meet my husband, no matter what day of the week it is, even on Sunday. He has absolutely no rest. Even when we go out of Goa, there are friends to meet. I’m amazed at the patience the people have, but my husband never shows his stress or lets it affect his relations with the people. His phone is constantly ringing through the night. He gets a lot of calls regarding electricity problems. People know the engineers will face some pressure if he calls and the problem will get solved. We received a call recently at around 2am about a stalled Kadamba bus from Belgaum. A traveller had my husband’s number and gave it a try. There were children
on the bus and they were in the middle of the journey without transport at that time of the night. So my husband made some calls and sent a bus for the stranded people, providing relief. Do you have a philosophy in your life? I have learnt from Digambar that friends are God’s gift. He doesn’t hold grudges. I don’t really care if anyone says anything about me; I am not bothered. But I immediately defend my husband. I made sure my children learnt everything from driving when they were 18, to swimming, etc. I’ve been busy teaching them all this and this is where I get my happiness from. Both my children have never taken advantage of my husband’s name. How have family ties evolved now that your husband is the CM and your children have moved away? I got my daughter married early at 22, but she completed her LLB. My son, who did his MSc in the US, will do his MBA now as I told him he’ll never get time to study later. Now that they’ve grown up we don’t interfere in their lives. I even send texts to my husband as he is sometimes busy with meetings. I send him a message asking him to call me when he’s free. There’s no tension of disturbing anyone. I message everyone now, including my children. What is your hobby? How do you relax? There’s no time to do much except going through a magazine once in a while. Earlier I used to play a bit of badminton, but now there’s no time for that either. I like to walk and watch movies whenever I can. But I still enjoy life. My hobbies are the routine things I do.
Do you believe women suffer gender bias even in progressive Goa? I think there’s equality among men and women in Goa. Women are not like they used to be before. They’re more forward and bold. In most fields they’re above boys. I’ve always wanted girls and wouldn’t have minded having two girls. There’s never been a time that I have said my daughter has to do something or not do something because she is a girl. We’ve had a lot of freedom in this house. My new daughter-in-law also says she’s very comfortable in our home. Do you think your son will get into politics? As of now I don’t see any intention to join politics. I’ve always encouraged my children to follow the career of their choice. No one knows what’s written in your destiny. Who knew my husband would become the CM one day? I can’t say whether my son will join politics. I have been able to adjust to a husband in politics, but that might not be the case with my son’s wife. n
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Asha and Digambar Kamat
FEATURE
Remembering The
Dara
Aldona resident JOHN DAMASCENE SOARES, the last Goan and one of three remaining survivors of the Gulf’s worst maritime terrorist attack off Dubai in 1961, holds a memorial service for those who lost their lives
The wreck of the M V Dara sits 37km off Dubai, in less than 30 metres of water. Courtesy Royal Air Force
By DIELLE D’SOUZA
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ifty years on, the last living crew members of the Gulf’s worst maritime disaster remembered the day emblazoned in their minds’ eye. John Damascene Soares and Ian Tew last met when they were struggling to remain alive off the coast of Dubai when a bomb ripped
a hole through the M V Dara on April 8, 1961. The explosion was later attributed to a terrorist attack. Soares, then a 23-year-old deputy purser on the British liner, held a Thanksgiving service in his hometown of Aldona last month on the Golden Jubilee of his second chance at life. “Never in my Ian Tew and John Damascene Soares
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Pic by Edric George
wildest dreams did I think I was going to meet Ian again,” said Soares at the memorial service, where a gathering of family and friends recalled that dark night. At the time, the tragedy of the Dara was considered second only to the infamous Titanic, which sank in 1912. As many as 238 people of the 819 registered on board, including 19 officers and 113 crew members, lost their lives. The liner, owned by the British-India Steam Navigation Company, had arrived in Dubai from Basra on May 23 and was in the midst of unloading cargo, embarking and disembarking passengers when it was hit by a shamal. The violent storm of wind and rain typical in Iraq and the Persian Gulf forced Captain Charles Ellson to take the ship out of the harbour to ride out the storm. Soares, who had retired to his cabin, was torn from his sleep by a sudden massive explosion between the decks at 4.40am. “There was great panic among the passengers and crew and many perished by jumping into the sea or by overcrowding lifeboats which capsized,” he explains. The explosion began a number of fires, which resisted all efforts by the crew. Those who did not jump into
the dark seas crowded into lifeboats to stay alive. Says Tew, who was 17 at the time, “Another cadet and I tried to shut the main fuel off because of the fire. I later squeezed into the lifeboat where Damascene was, while the other cadet lowered it into the water.” As an empty boat floated by, panic-stricken passengers began jumping into it and sank the lifeboat. Soares went under and struggled for his life after getting entangled in a logline while most others disappeared beneath the waves forever. When he finally surfaced, he grabbed hold of a floating wooden bench and clung on to it with another passenger. “After a while, the ship’s fitter also swam over and got hold of the bench. Two hours later, he let go all of a sudden. I shouted at him, but he did not reply. His eyes were closed and he drifted away,” the 73-year-old says. Passing tankers brought with them hope, but unaware of the disaster, swept by in the distance, leaving him and the other passenger hanging on to the piece of wood. A couple of hours later he tried in vain to get the other passenger to hold on to the bench, but he had fallen unconscious and slipped away. “I never saw him again,” Soares adds sadly. He was later saved by a passing
ship, the ‘Empire Guillemot’ after eight hours in the sea. Tew, meanwhile, took charge of one of the ship’s lifeboats and was eventually rescued by a Japanese ship. “It’s a day of thanksgiving that I’m still around,” he said. He had come to Goa after a short stop in Dubai, where in remembrance he had scattered flowers over the sea at the wreck of the Dara. More than a year after it sank, a British Admiralty Court declared that the explosion was “almost certainly” caused by an anti-tank mine “deliberately placed by a person or persons unknown”. Tew said he was haunted by the images and sounds of that terrible night in the prologue of his book ‘Salvage: A Personal Odyssey’ on his later career as a ship salvor. Soares, on the other hand, repressed the memories of the night into his subconscious. “I had forgotten for the last 50 years. I had not even thought about it because if I did, I would not have been able to carry on sailing,” he says. It is hard to say how many else remember the unexplained tragedy, but Soares and Tew, for their part, offered thanks to their luck and paid tribute to those who had lost their lives that night. n
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An explosion and fire on the M V Dara that claimed the lives of 238 people left her resting on the bottom of the sea. Courtesy Gary Ruaux, The National
HEALTH
A regular column on healthy living
DR FRANCISCO COLACO MD in Internal Medicine from KEM Hospital in Mumbai. He is a consultant physician and has been practicing in Margao for over 30 years. He was honoured by the Margao State IMA for Outstanding Contribution in the Medical Field
Source: www.atodblog.com
Tottering on the
k i r b n
Gen X breeding more teenage alcoholics in Goa
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n the 80s and the 90s, I remember many of my anti-Portuguese friends talking through their hats. They would often insist that the problem of alcoholism in Goa is a Portuguese legacy. Not that I loved Portugal more than Goa, but I could never completely agree with that sentiment. To me, it was pathetic that successive post-liberation governments – the “puritan” BJP and the so-called “Congress” in Goa pursued the alcohol culture with ever more zeal and fervour than our erstwhile colonial masters. Just like our slogans “one tap for each house,” Goa’s post-Liberation rulers seemed to say: “one bar per family”! Predictably, Goa today faces a horrendous alcohol problem. We cannot escape the fact that we are sadly breeding a phalanx of teenage alcoholics. The causes are diverse and include family history, presence of associated anxiety or depression, lack of parental ties and monitoring, and peer attitudes towards the consumption of alcohol. Childhood abuse or exposure to violence and trauma also plays a role.
Source: www.glogster.com
But, one of the prime reasons for underage drinking in Goa is the awareness of alcohol created by unbridled advertising and its easy availability. A visit to any disco reveals that youngsters, knowingly and unknowingly, indulge in alcohol beyond their heart’s content. Beyond doubt, “alcopops” and “designer drinks” are the main culprits behind the teenage alcohol boom. A recent report in the popular magazine The Week, provided a glimpse of the pathetic scenario in Mumbai: “City youngsters” the writer says, “now end their day with a flaming shot at the pub, the best bet for a perfect kick. A current rage among the youth is a fiery combination of 15 ml each of Bailey Irish Cream,and Kahlua layered in a shot glass with Cointreau at the top. “The drink is then set on fire and a straw is put through to the bottom or the drink is poured straight down the throat. The result is a
big high... The drink has a distinct aroma and finds favour among youngsters who like to end their beer session with this shot.” Obviously a lot of that same culture is spreading throughout Goa. Teenage drinking not only sows the seed for “total alcoholism” in later life but, addiction leads to poor performance in studies among school seniors, frequent car accidents, sexual promiscuity and early sexual encounters. Alcohol is often just the beginning of, and the “gateway” to, substance abuse problems. Parents, first and primarily, must set a good example to their children. We must be factual when discussing drinking with children and set firm guidelines and do our utmost to help teach them what real friendship is all about. We must also get to know our children’s friends and their families and take more time out to get involved in their activities.
In short, spare some quality time with our children. Research has shown that it is particularly the 13-16 age groups that are attracted to the idea of alcopops. There is a dire need for expeditious and concrete governmental action to address the problems of underage and teenage drinking. Specific legislation, responsible marketing, effective monitoring of the alcohol industry and health education is the need of the hour. Alcohol education (much like sex education) needs to be introduced from primary school level. Frequent spot-checks on retailers using “test purchases” by under-18s must be conducted. Voluntary proof-of-age ID schemes also need to be implemented. In the event we choose to remain passive and decide to do nothing, the future of Goa will be bleaker for yet one more reason. n
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FEATURE Lifestyle choices will influence how we live – our health, attitudes and behaviour. Each of us can make simple, but effective changes in our homes to help the environment
Background pic by Edric George
At Home 36
•Say NO to standby! Electronic devices draw power even when switched off, so unplug anything not in use. Power strips make this easy for devices used together (like computer, modem, speakers etc) •Service all electronic devices regularly. Consider changing anything that’s more than 20 years old, you will save a lot on electricity bills •When buying new devices, opt for ones with better energy performance ratings such as Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) stars •Choose HFC – free refrigerators. Hydrofluorocarbons are greenhouse gases and a big factor in causing climate change •Upgrading your desktop? Choose a laptop; they consume much less electricity. Avoid toxic substances like polyvinylchloride (PVC) and Brominated Flame Retardent (BFRs) in products. Look for brands that take back and recycle products safely •Switch to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and see your electricity bill go down. Light Emitting Diode (LED) arrays are woven better. •To prolong the life of your cell phone battery, charge it when it is completely discharged •Always load your washing machine to full capacity. Let sunlight and air dry your clothes for free •Don’t keep your refrigerator too cold. Three to five degrees Celsius for the fresh food section and around 15 degrees Celsius for the freezer are ideal temperatures. Defrost your fridge regularly. •Switch off lights and fans when you’re not in the room •Buy locally and organically produced fresh food as far as possible •Aim to remove harmful synthetic chemicals from your house. Try soap nuts, cooking soda, vinegar etc to clean. And they are effective! •Replace paper napkins with cloth
Water At Work
A VIVA GOA compilation
•Print only when necessary, use both sides, and reuse/recycle waste paper. E-mail more! •Disposable cups, raw waste materials just end up in landfills. Why not get personalised porcelain/steel mugs for each employee •Convince your company to go green in its practices. Simple things like organised carpools and telecommuting options go a long way •Choose video-conference over flying for meetings
•Fix leaks and drips. Monitor your water bill for unusually high use •Turn off that tap! Don’t leave it on while you brush or shave, use a cup instead •Did you know that installing aerators in taps and showers help to reduce water consumption by ten litres per minute •Switch to low-flow toilets if you can, or put a couple of plastic bottles full of water in your flush tank •Use water in a tub or sink to do laundry or the dishes instead of running water •Choose a front-loading washing machine. If buying a new one, they generally use less water than top loading ones •Water your plants at night – less water will evaporate
Green Buildings
Transport
Waste
•REDUCE: Buy only what you need and choose durable products •REUSE: Repair, don’t replace. Switch from disposable to reusable products •RECYCLE: Paper, glass, some types of plastic, metal objects, etc can all be recycled. Use organic waste like vegetable peels to manure your plants •Keep separate bins for different types of garbage •Always follow a manufacturer’s instructions for disposal of hazardous waste like batteries. Never throw them out with regular waste
•Take the bus! Using public transport as far as possible is an easy way to go green •Carpooling is easier on the environment and your pocket •Cycling and walking helps you shrink your carbon footprint and keep fit at the same time •If you must buy a car, choose one that minimises the use of fossil fuels. Consider electrics and hybrids. Greater mileage in your vehicle means better efficiency
•Green buildings are environmentally responsible and resource efficient throughout their life-cycles. They cost more at first but give you savings for life Source: Vistara 2011, Goa College of Architecture
Learn how to conserve Goa’s depleting frog population and help birds beat the heat in the summer
Keep them croaking!
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he onset of the monsoons might no longer be signaled by the croaking of frogs in the fields. Across the world, their populations are disappearing faster than they ever have in the last 65 million years – a cause for alarm. Studies in India in 1999 and 2002, conducted in collaboration with international agencies including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), have confirmed disappearing species, while local individual herpetologists and Goa University’s Department of Zoology and the Goa Forest Department also indicate depleting frog populations in Goa. Our state presents problems of poaching and consumption of frogs without allowing them to breed, toxic effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, habitat destruction and human interference in the ecological balance. Despite a blanket ban on the catching and killing of frogs in 1985 under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, ten people were detained and fined for violation of the law. Many Goans still consider frog meat a delicacy, but eating these endangered reptiles may not be too safe for us, just as the habit has proved dangerous for them. Consuming their meat can trigger paralytic strokes, cancer, kidney failure and other deformities. As a vital link as predator and prey in the food chain, their extinction will throw the ecological balance out of gear. Frogs and tadpoles, being voracious eaters, consume millions of mosquitoes and their larvae every year. One of the suspected reasons for the recent rise in recorded cases of malaria and other vector borne diseases in Goa can be attributed to the decline in the numbers of frogs. What to do: Do not eat frog meat, and discourage others from doing so as well. If there is no demand, poachers will simply not catch them. If you come across someone poaching frogs or restaurants serving their meat, report it to the police or any forest department officials whose contact details are available online.
Keep them chirping!
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he sweltering heat of the summer doesn’t only get to us humans, but has animals and birds seeking shade and water. Disappearing tree cover and dried-up water bodies do not make their hunt any easier. Providin g a bird bath with clean fresh water for birds to drink and bathe will help our feathery friends cool off. You can use any container, but ensure the depth of the basin is no more than one to two inches to accommodate bathing birds easily. During the heat, the water will evaporate easily, so clean and fill the container regularly. Throw some seed around your bird bath to attract more birds.
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BOOKWORM
Animal Farm ‘The Goan Jungle Book’ by Nirmal Kulkarni Reviewed by MANOHAR SHETTY
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ore wildlife enthusiasts can only be for the good of Goa — they are intrinsic environmentalists and they are ‘good natured’ in the best sense of the term because they truly care for nature. They are the natural foes of the steel and concrete lobby and may their numbers multiply. Nirmal Kulkarni is an ecologist, conservationist and photographer. He has for several years explored and recorded his findings in the wilds of the Western Ghats in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. He has also done research work in the forests of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat. The ‘Goan Jungle Book’ is a byproduct of his explorations mostly in the Mahdei Wildlife Sanctuary and the Chorla Ghats. He recounts with keen enthusiasm his encounters with a seven-foot long King Cobra, the Spectacled Cobra, the Ornate Flying Snake, on his own pioneering work on the strange subterranean ‘legless amphibian’, the Caecilian, on his sightings of the Malabar Pit Viper and the rare Sri Lankan Frogmouth, a bird as ‘elusive as a mythical ghost’, and the rarely spied Slender Loris with its huge, saucer-like eyes. He elaborates on measures to safeguard ‘the oldest tourists’ in Goa, the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle in Morjim.
Reading through this excellent compilation, one is drawn to the conclusion that the most voracious ‘maneater’ is man himself who, apart from the wild boar, makes a meal of flying foxes, bull frogs and crocodiles, and stretches the hide of Monitor Lizards, now close to extinction, to make ghumots and uses its blood for asthma patients, its boiled oil to treat burns and wounds, the Monitor Lizard, that grows to over a metre, is now listed as a Schedule 1 species on par with the tiger and the rhino. The highest form of protection afforded by the Wildlife Protection Act notwithstanding, the author predicts that this reptile will go extinct in the wilds within two years. Even the national bird, the peacock is rarely seen in Goa as there is a flourishing trade in its magnificent feathers. The book, printed under the aegis of the Department of Art and Culture, Goa, though by no means comprehensive, is an excellent compilation graced by some evocative and rare photographs by Nirmal Kulkarni the author. n
INTERIORS/ EXTERIORS
An alumnus of the Goa College of Architecture, Arch SIDDHA D SARDESSAI casts an expert eye every month on distinctive and contemporary houses of Goa
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Pics by Edric George
A portrait of Vijayadevi and Pratapsingh Rane occupies a prominent place in their house
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Amidst
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The home of VIJAYADEVI and PRATAPSINGH RANE in Sanquelim is living testimony to their prominent family as well as their love of nature, which has guided the destiny of Goa
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isiting the residence of Vijayadevi and senior statesman and Speaker Pratapsingh Raoji Rane brings back images of his illustrious role in politics. Coming from the prominent Maratha family of the Ranes that has long dominated politics in the North Eastern pocket of Sanquelim in Goa, I thought of their memorable record in
the chequered history of Goa as we drove past the gates of the ‘Golden Acres’ in Kulan, Sanquelim. The drive to the porch of the house was lined by various plantations that had been grown and nurtured by Pratapsingh Rane himself. “I am very passionate about plants, I nurture them like my own children, says
Rane. “Urbanisation is eating into agricultural land, but here I have created on my 55 acre plot a living laboratory. This is my contribution to the state of Goa apart from my political career.” He seems very enthusiastic as he takes us around the house and explains every piece of history behind the antiques and rare
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Coco at the doorstep amidst the art collection
Classical furniture with rich fabrics along with the curtains and scallops add to the colonial effect
The perfect ambience for the study, which adjoins the master bedroom
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memorabilia. An array of materials grace the bungalow – windows and doors are crafted from high quality teakwood; marble flooring is found in all the public spaces; wooden flooring in the private areas. The bathrooms remain swathed in tiles from floor to ceiling. Large windows in all the bathrooms make them open to light and ventilation. Moving through the private areas of the home, one notices an individualistic approach to segregate the public and private spaces. The entrance corridor speaks largely of the owner’s penchant for art. A Surya God statue well-placed within a niche besides the entrance door and hanging brass lamps add a classy touch. The walls around the house are adorned with paintings by Prafulla Dahanukar and Shridhar Kamat Bambolkar. Vijayadevi has been an avid collector of antiques and paintings and her collection has grown consistently through the years. The dimension and scale of the custom-made paintings adorning the walls add grandeur to the house. The formal living room houses grand classical furniture in solid wood with rich fabrics and cushions in hues to complement the colour schemes. The curtains with scallops and the floor of polished marble add to the colonial effect. Adjoining the living space is an open courtyard with its terracotta collection that leads to the political office. On the other side is Pratapsingh’s cabin. The walls are lined by photographs that relive historic moments. There are photographs with prime ministers and presidents, the Pope during his Goa visit and a most cherished one with Mother Theresa. There is also a map of Sanquelim that was gifted by the last Portuguese Governor General of Goa. The dining room has a very rare collection of the family dynasty immaculately framed on the walls. An intricately embroidered ghasha that was once used as a floor mat and the pankha find a prominent place on the walls. It is not too often that one sees these remnants used in royal dynasties. These bring out the essence of tradition and family culture preserved in a contemporary era. Vijayadevi’s home reflects her
Simplicity rules in the master bedroom
impeccable taste in art. The Rane residence boasts of some exquisite statues, vases, majestic chandeliers and paintings, along with bric-brac from around the world. She says, “I love collecting artifacts, paintings and sculptures and these tactfully frame the historic beauty of traditions in the family and merges into the décor.” Originally designed by architect Ramesh Pathare, the renovated house has undergone a complete makeover. Mumbai-based architect Raju Huplekar of Huplekar & Sadekar has moved away from the mundane to add an innovative touch. He has created an unusual and striking home for his client, where he not only lent an aesthetic look to the indoors but has also tactfully framed the landscaped beauty of the plantations to be a part of the décor. With five bedrooms, this two-storeyed pristine white bungalow on the verdant lawns stands testimony to the tastes and personality of the
Ranes. Circular stairs lead you to the family room. The walls here are adorned with family paintings. The master bedroom is a study in beauty and simplicity. An eye-catching floral stained glass pattern not only extends the design element, but also adds a creative touch to the otherwise simple decor. The simplicity further percolates into the library which has a warm and cosy wood-panelled look, with comfortable sofas and a divan. Coco, their pet, jumps onto the master bed and plays naughtily with the pillows during the photo-shoot as if announcing “I too live here”. Vijayadevi is quick to add ,“This house is child-friendly and Coco-friendly!”. It’s amazing how antiques nestled among traditional elements of the royal dynasty can capture the essence and bring to life the aura of a bygone era. It’s these elements, so passionately adopted by the Rane family, that add a historical touch to the house. n
18th-century antique rifles at the Rane house
The family room with portraits of the grandchildren
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HOSPITALITY A column which reviews the best hotels in Goa
SINEAD McMANUS has lived and worked in Goa for the last five years. She lives in Calangute, North Goa, but her job entails travelling extensively around India, +promoting the country to the British/ American Travel Trade and to the independent traveller
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International Touch, Local Soul The GOA MARRIOTT RESORT has truly embraced the convivial spirit of Goa
he r–T acto iew f X Its ed v atch uan unm he Q e - T and m o br to C Still premium whole a a , Spa romises laxation p e that orld of r n w io t w a e n n uve j e r and
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T’S BACK! Emerging after expansive renovation, let’s welcome the renewed Goa Marriott Resort to serve us in he capital. The Goa Marriott Resort – the first Marriott property in India – in Miramar was established by V M Salgaocar and Bros Pvt Ltd, led by brothers Shivanand and Dattaraj Salgaocar, the managing directors of one of Goa’s foremost industrial houses, in December 1999. Besides the hospitality industry, they are into mining and health care, and also contribute to educational services in the state. On our arrival, we entered into the lobby with its picturesque view of the Arabian Sea. The formality of checking in was very relaxed as we were seated with our receptionist and served a chilled beer, which made a refreshing change. Our chatty receptionist also became our guide and escorted us to the room, informing us of what was on offer for the duration of our stay. The 180 newly renovated rooms either with sea or well-maintained garden views are designed to meet every need of the leisure or business traveller. Our choice
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on this occasion was a spacious and most comfortable suite with a well-furnished balcony, which allowed us to enjoy the breathtaking view. Goa Marriott Resort has also revamped the food and beverage facilities within different environments throughout the hotel. With so much on offer we had a lot to cover over the next couple of days. AZUR, a transition lounge adopts different moods through the day, a breakfast café in the morning, an elegant lounge during the day and a trendy bar as the night sets in. The Cake Shop with its array of freshly baked cakes, pastries and sandwiches displayed so artfully, is an overwhelming temptation. Simply Grills became our evening dining destination for sizzling grills and barbeques on the sea front. A very romantic setting! Wan Hao Pan with its Asian cuisine offered us another opportunity to dine in a traditional Oriental courtyard. Lobby Lounge Coffee House, with my favourite view of passing party boats, serves up the most relaxing sunset cocktails. Director of food and beverages, Gaurav Wattal says, “Our F&B would be best described as an international offering with a local soul. A melange of options that range from the tapas, to the char grilled steaks, from wood-fired pizzas in the all-day dining restaurant to dimsums in the evening – the Goa Marriott Resort presents a plethora of choices for the global traveller as well as the local connoisseur.” Even with the spa yet to open (set for June 2011) there was still plenty to do around the property. Sun lounging by the pool seemed to be a popular choice with guests and a great hangout place for swimming, snacking and napping. For a bit more of an adrenaline buzz, the hotel’s in-house casino is the place to go where you can find yourself on a high rolling table or in our case, the slot machines. The young and dynamic general manager, Pavithran Nambiar came on board in September 2010 – a time when the owners sought to bring in more innovations and facilities. With his long term plan of staying on with the Marriott and the enthusiasm that he has brought with him, the hotel is set to rise to even more opulent heights. But wanting to give back to the community, Pavithran has on offer free services of their boardroom facilities to charities, NGOs and similarly inclined societies. The Marriott Goa has wholeheartedly embraced the true and generous spirit of Goan hospitality. n
The past two years have seen a complete renewal of the hotel. What hasn’t changed is our intention to remain a local hotel as well as a tourist destination
Pavithran Nambiar General Manager
COUTURE
On what’s haute in the world of fashion in Goa
High on Fashion G
DIKSHA KHANNA has a master’s degree in fashion design from Leeds University, UK. She has worked as an executive with Globus and as a senior fashion designer with the Giovanni Group. She is currently based in Goa
A dazzling display of creativity made for stunning collections at Goa Fashion Week 2011. VIVA GOA analysed the creations on the ramp
litz, glamour and panache entered the land of sun, sand and sea with the first ever Goa Fashion Week 2011 (GFW 2011). Vivanta by Taj Holiday Village Goa, one of the state’s most prestigious venues, was host to an exhilarating three days of a fashion extravaganza that kicked off at the beginning of April. From spectacular sets, stunning creations, front-row celebs, models and designers milling about, it was clear that the city was high on fashion. Designers showcased their collections to the most discerning crowd. The theme was pleasure clothing coupled with beach and resort wear. “Unlike other Indian fashion weeks, this one rotates around the concept ‘Mass but Class’ that concentrates on business-to-business
Siobhan D’Silva Fashion on canvas
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• The collection was inspired by the late American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement Jackson Pollock’s work. Siobhan adapted his drip technique among others to add colour to her clothes. • The line comprised dresses, tops, skinny pants and leggings. • She also worked with artist Sofia Badvari to paint on fabric using various techniques and equipment. • Fabrics used are cottons, net, jersey and silk blends.
as well as the business-to-client model,” revealed Rakesh Wadhwa, director of Goa Fashion Week 2011. GFW 2011 belonged to the new generation as the digital-age designers dominated the catwalk with dazzling displays of creativity. Designers such as Siobhan D’Silva, Cherylyne Estibeiro, Ranji Kelekar, Andrea Dias and Jyotsana Bhat made an impressive launch, while more seasoned designers such as Monty Sally, Philu Martins, James Ferreira and Swapnil Shinde lived up to their reputations. It was truly an amazing journey of colour, creativity and couture. Celebrating the spirit of Goa, model Apoorva added, “It’s our people, our place, so the comfort we feel shows on the ramp.”
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Sabby
Cherylyne Estibeiro
A new level of creativity
Delicate and romantic collection, a designer with an eye for detail
Jyotsana Bhat
Monty Sally • Romance, love and peace were the keywords for this young designer who drew her inspiration from the 1960s and French architecture. • The collection started with structured corsets and divided skirts in polka wear of the1960s to romantic long flowing floral printed gowns.
Thinking outside the box; interesting headgear was the highlight of the collection
• Monty Sally ventured into a surreal, dreamy world with a mix of shapes and materials. • The colour palette was black, white and metallic. • An unconventional collection comprised street jackets, patent leather pants and skirts with sheer separates.
Natural talent
• Body art became wearable art on day two of the Goa Fashion Week 2011. Veteran tattoo artist Sabby’s body art creations produced quite a buzz in the audience and took the fashion journey to a new level of creativity. • His tattoo designs included popular figures like Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin.
• A studded, jewelled, glamorous collection. • Short dresses, embellished bodices and knee-length leggings. •For her party and cocktail collection, darker shades of blue, black and metallics were used.
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James Ferreira Satin smooth
Swapnil Shinde
Philu Martins
Breathtakingly beautiful
Soulful
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•She displayed a journey from innocence to corruption of the soul through her line. •A strong collection in colour and cuts. •Shimmer and shine blended well into her clothes.
•Signature draping; fabrics used were jersey, chiffon and satin with Sholapuri bottoms.
•Inspired by the actors of the 40s and 50s, Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich. Oodles of sex appeal. •High-waisted broad belts teamed with necklaces accessorised the outfits. •From sexy cocktail dresses to elegant gowns, perfect for the red carpet event.
WELLNESS A regular column featuring the great spas of Goa
Viva Alila Located along the shores of Majorda Beach, amid verdant paddy fields, Spa Alila at the ALILA DIWA RESORT is both picturesque and re-vitalising
PARINEETA SETHI is the Publisher and Editor-in-chief of ‘AsiaSpa India’. She is an authority on spas and has closely followed the spa culture in Goa
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pread across a generous space of 18,000 sq ft against the lush backdrop of tropical Goa, Spa Alila at Alila Diwa Resort is like a peaceful oasis of beauty and wellness. The décor is reminiscent of the Portuguese with pitched roofs and columns and lends the ambiance a cosy, worldly touch. A spacious facility, the spa features five single treatment rooms, two double treatment rooms, two suites and a salon where therapists take care of all your beauty needs. Complete with steam, an outdoor shower, lounge beds and a garden area – each room is a sanctuary where you can immerse yourself in utmost comfort and gain that extra TLC. There is also a juice bar where you can sip on cool concoctions that are nutritive and invigorating. On the menu are therapies and treatments that are well-conceptualised, and fuse together the best of Asian and European techniques. The main aim of these treatments is to detox the body and restore health. Apart from these, one can also experiment with fruit-based treatments that are quite refreshing. The most recommended on the Spa Alila menu is the signature Therapeutic Journey, which is a 90-minute treatment encompassing the goodness of Balinese massage strokes, Swedish deep tissue techniques and Thai elements for healing. The Goa Goodness oil especially used for this treatment, is fragrant and soothing. Promising a tranquil atmosphere, natural treatments and an amiable service by expert therapists – Spa Alila adds warmth and contentment to your wellness experience. n
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The warm hues, personalised service and appealing innovative array of treatments combined with the healing touch from our trained therapists make Spa Alila an ultimate destination to rejuvenate, balance and relax your mind and body
- Saji Joseph General Manager Alila Diwa Goa
HOMING IN
A regular column by foreigners who have made Goa their home
‘Let’s Appreciate Our Differences’ MICHELE FERNANDES first landed in Goa from France in the swinging seventies. From an air hostess with Pan Am to running a café in Anjuna, it has been a long and eventful journey
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first came to Goa in the late 70s. I had taken six months’ leave from my job as an air hostess with Pan Am and UTA International Airlines to explore India and experiment with all the things that I had heard about: gurus, ashrams, meditation, yoga – I used to attend philosopher J J Krishnamurti’s talks in Europe. When I visited Goa it was paradise! I stayed in a beautiful red stone house in Anjuna, which was a quiet fishing village at that time. Later I met Remo; we got married and moved to his ancestral house in Siolim.So, I guess I would say that I set up here because I married a nice guy from Goa and started a family. We now have two sons, and we have lived happily ever after… well, almost! :) I’ve always been a good cook — at least my friends and family say so! So I opened ‘La Vie en Rose’ last year which began as a day café in Anjuna but is open for dinner during the season. Apart from the café, I have set up a stall at the Saturday night market in Arpora.
My friend Poony, who also has a stall, introduced me to Ingo’s. It was quite a challenge and horribly tiring the first year, but luckily I received a lot of help from my sister. Now I am more organised and my sons and friends also help. We are doing our famous quiches and cakes but have also introduced several other dishes. Overall, it’s been quite a lot of fun. The amazing part about the market is what it has to offer people from totally different lifestyles, tastes, and cultures – we have to cater to them all! The one thing I like most about Goa is the diversity of the people: Goans, people from all over India, foreigners – the conventional kind or the ‘freaks’ – working or holidaying, all contributing their personal charm to Goa. Not to forget the sweetness of old Goan folk, and of course some of the untouched (as yet) sandy beaches and the majestic coconut trees. And I have a weakness for Goan food, I need my fish curry rice at least twice a week – with fried papads!
‘
Michele with sister Jeannine and sons Noah and Jonah. Pic courtesy Michele Fernandes
‘
Actually, now I don’t know what I like most about Goa! When my children work, I work, when they have holidays, I take a holiday too. This is not exactly the appropriate method to follow for a career women, but I am not much of a career woman, I am more of a mother. When my restaurant is open from November to April, I do everything – from checking the stock, to ordering and receiving the merchandise, updating the menu with the staff and attending to customers. Ever since I discovered the wonders of the internet, I love taking my laptop to the garden table to look up new recipes. I love to cook and experiment with new recipes. When the restaurant is closed between March and October, I do all the pending paper work (and there is a lot!), spring cleaning, gardening, visiting friends, swimming and almost everything that does not involve going into the kitchen. I try to go to France once a year, especially in the summer. The days are long and we have sunlight until about 11pm. So we enjoy late night summer barbeques in my sister’s garden. Although my sister, who is retired, stays with me every year for a few months, I need to get back to what was once my life, my family – including my aunts who are getting old. The fragrance of nature, local food from a household kitchen, and the cheese. The local markets, so clean and appealing, green Normandy and dry Provence — we love our “tour de France”! I also go to Singapore to visit my elder son who works there. I love Goa, but can’t help feel that so many things need to change. Goa is now one of the dirtiest tourist destinations in the world. Sadly, some shop-keepers, taxi drivers and youngsters have become very arrogant. I try and help at a direct and individual level. I am in the process of sponsoring the education of some children and will continue to do so in the future. But mostly I am an animal lover. I save stray animals in need and nurse them back to health, be it dogs, cats, owls, squirrels, bats or snakes. I have five dogs and five cats — all saved from the streets. I believe that anti-rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats should be made free and mandatory. I would also like to highlight that I do not understand where this sudden anti-foreigners sentiment has started from, and what the motive behind it is. There are Indians abroad, and there are foreigners in India! Finally, all I can say is that life is about adjustment, so let’s appreciate the differences. If we were all the same, life would have been boring! n
I have a weakness for Goan food, I need my fish curry rice at least twice a week – with fried papads!
Pics by Edric George
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GOAN CUISINE
A monthly column offering the best of Goan food and drink
Summer T Treats
In celebration of VIVA GOAs first year anniversary, rustle up some recipes for a sumptuous meal
Chef DEEPA AWCHAT, originally from Mapusa, is the co-founder of ‘Goa Portuguesa’, ‘Culture Curry’ and ‘Diva Maharashtra’, Mumbai’s popular, award wining restaurants. She is also the author of ‘The Goa Portuguesa Cookbook’ deepaawchat@ goaportuguesa.com
Caldinho de Peixe
Serves 4
(Fish in a Mild Coconut Curry)
Ingredients 58
Pomfrets.................600 gms (2 medium) Ginger-garlic paste.........................½ tsp Turmeric powder.............................½ tsp Oil................................................2 tbsps Green chillies.........................................2 Onion, finely chopped.............1 medium Tomato, finely chopped...........1 medium Coconut milk.................................2 cups Cumin powder.................................¼ tsp Chopped coriander leaves............2 tbsps Salt to taste
Method
1 2 3 4 5
NOTE To make one cup of coconut milk, grind one cup of grated coconut with half a cup of water. Squeeze the coconut to extract the milk and strain
Cut each pomfret horizontally into two-inch thick slices and marinate in a mixture of salt, ginger-garlic paste and turmeric powder for 20 minutes. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the green chillies and onion until the onion changes colour. Add the tomato and cook until soft. Add the pomfret slices and cook each side for two minutes. Add the coconut milk, cumin powder and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.
NOTE You can replace the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, coriander and cumin seeds with one tablespoon ofgaram masala powder
Prawn Xec SXec erv
es 4
Alle-Belle
Fresh Mango Mousse
10-12 bo w
ls
(Coconut Pancakes)
Ingredients
Makes 1 0
Ingredients
Ingredients
Peeled medium prawns.............400 gms Turmeric powder.............................½ tsp Ginger-garlic paste..........................1 tsp Oil................................................4 tbsps Cloves....................................................8 Black peppercorns..............................10 Cinnamon.......................1 two-inch stick Coriander seeds............................2 tbsps Cumin seeds...................................½ tsp Dried red chillies.................................10 Grated coconut............................1½ cup Onion, finely chopped..................1 large Tomato, finely chopped...........1 medium Lime juice........................................1 tsp Chopped coriander leaves..........2 tbsps Salt to taste
Fresh mango pulp........500 gms (2 cups) Castor sugar...................200 gms (1 cup) Gelatin.......................15 gms (1½ tbsps) Egg yolk................................................6 Egg white..............................................3 Cream...............................250 ml (1 cup) Water...............................125 ml (½ cup)
For the pancakes Refined flour...................................1 cup Baking powder...............................½ tsp Egg........................................................1 Melted ghee or oil.......................2 tbsps Sugar..............................................½ tsp Salt to taste
Method
For the filling Grated coconut..............................2 cups Grated jaggery................................1 cup Soaked cashew nuts............................20 Cardamom powder.........................½ tsp
Method
1 2
Marinate the prawns in a mixture of turmeric powder, salt and ginger-garlic paste for 20 minutes. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and stir-fry the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, coriander and cumin seeds and red chillies. Add the coconut and grind with one cup of water to a fine paste. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a separate pan; add the onion and sauté until it changes colour. Add the tomato and cook until soft. Add the ground paste, half-a-cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the prawns, lime juice and salt and cook for five minutes until the prawns are tender. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with pao or any Indian bread.
3 4 5
1 2
Beat egg yolk and egg white separately until fluffy. Dissolve gelatin in half-a-cup of warm water. Mix egg yolk and castor sugar in a bowl. Add mango pulp and the dissolved gelatin to this mixture. Mix well. Add cream to it and stir well to mix. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to cool. Remove from refrigerator and add egg white to this mixture. Stir well to mix. Pour this mixture into small serving bowls and refrigerate for an hour to set.
3 4 5
NOTE If readymade sweet mango pulp is used, use only 100 grams of castor sugar
Method
1 2 3 4
Beat the egg until light and fluffy.
Make a smooth batter with the flour and one-and-a-half cups of water. Add the beaten egg, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes. Heat a small non-stick frying pan and grease it with melted ghee or oil. Add two tablespoons of the batter and swirl the pan to make a round pancake. Cook on both sides until bubbles appear on the surface. Remove from the pan and place on a flat surface. For the filling, mix together the coconut, jaggery, cashew nuts and cardamom powder and set aside for 15 minutes for the jaggery to melt. Place one tablespoon of coconut and jaggery filling horizontally on each pancake and roll up tightly. Serve hot.
5 6
7 8
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BIZ NOTES
MPT crosses 50m tonne target in 2010-11
coke, along with 1.5 million tonnes of POL and other liquid cargo. Elaborating on MPT’s contribution to Goa’s economy, Pandiyan said, “Around 30 per cent of the state GDP is contributed to The Chairman of MPT P Mara Pandiyan, IAS, releases the ISO 9001 certificate, along with Naval Officer In-Charge by the port. MPT (Goa) Commodore Ajay Chabra, DIG Narasimha of the Coast also generates Guard, Deputy Chairman Biplav Kumar and Secretary R P Paibir 30 per cent of the employment and 30 per cent of ormugao Port Trust Chairman Goa’s revenue. As we develop, we will P Mara Pandiyan, IAS, said contribute more and more to the state he was delighted that the port and be in the service of the nation and increased output from 48.85 million development of Goa.” tonnes last year to cross a milestone at This year, 10.63m tonnes was loaded 50.02m tonnes in 2010-11. He added by the Mechanical Ore Handling Plant that the achievement now placed the port at the seventh of the 12 major ports (MOHP) at Berth No 9 compared to 12.01m tonnes in 2009-10, the fall in India by passing the target set by caused mainly by an extended monsoon the Union Ministry of Shipping, and a ban on iron exports from Government of India. Karnataka. Container traffic at the port A record-breaking 40.84m tonnes of was 17602 TEUs (18222 tonnes) during exports and 9.18m tonnes of imports the year as against 17296 TEUs (191815 added up to a 16 per cent increase in tonnes) handled in 2009-10. MPT total throughput, Pandiyan said, added handled 948 cargo vessels last year, that the break-up consisted of 40.35m tonnes of iron ore, 6.93m tonnes of coal/ down from 985 the previous year.
M
A record of 3400 tonnes per hook was achieved while loading iron ore lumpy on to the vessel M V CLEAR last year, surpassing the previous record of 3100 tonnes. The port saw a 21 per cent increase in traffic to 7.36m tonnes at Mooring Dolphins, up from 6.06m tonnes last year, as well as a six per cent rise in traffic handled by trans-shippers and floating cranes. Rail traffic also increased to 6.93m tonnes from 5.22m tonnes in 2009-10. Future plans of the port include handling Panamax-size vessels with a draft of 14mts at all Mooring Dolphins and the construction of a berth alongside the breakwater, meant mainly for non-cargo vessels including cruise vessels with a draft of eight meters to be completed by August. Four MMTPA mechanized coal import terminals at berth no 11 and a coal handling terminal at berth no 7, both on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis, are being developed this year, Pandiyan said. Other plans include the development of 7.2 MMTPA iron ore export terminals at West of Breakwater (WOB) at the port next month with a berth for an additional shiploader for loading of iron ore.
EDC Ltd posts improved results
C
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ompared to previous years, Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Ltd has shown a marked improvement for the financial results of 2010-2011. During the year, Rs 5303.62 lakhs were sanctioned to 765 units and Rs 4601.27 lakhs was disbursed. As much as Rs 7516.74 lakhs was recovered this year. The turnover and projected net profit was Rs 44 crores and Rs 20 crores respectively. The corporation, whose current net worth is more than Rs 250 crores, has been in a position to reduce its non-performing assets (NPAs), partly with the help of the One Time Settlement Scheme announced in the last Budget. The marked improvement enabled EDC to declare dividends to the stakeholders for the second successive
year and an amount of Rs 100.92 lakhs was declared for the financial year 2009-2010. The corporation continued to manage the land acquisition matters of the government and streamlined its operations. During the financial year 2009-10 Rs219.59 lakhs was remitted to the government as interest on these deposits. The officers and staff of EDC, which completed 35 years of its existence during 2009-2010, were guided and supported by MLA and chairman Agnelo Fernandes and the Board of Directors, along with managing director W V Ramana Murthy. EDC involved its stakeholders by interacting with them, which resulted in formulating new schemes and modifying its existing schemes,
EDC Chairman Agnelo Fernandes presents a cheque for Rs86.20 lakhs to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat
to meet the current requirements of the industry. Two new loan schemes were introduced during the year, viz. “Financial Assistance against mortgage of immoveable properties and Composite Loan Schemes for EDC clients with good track records”.
SBI inaugurates 76th branch in state
T
he 76th Branch of State Bank of India in Goa was inaugurated in Saligao by Riten Ghose, General Manager in the presence of Dr Wilfred D’Souza, former Chief Minister and Dilip Parulekar, MLA from Saligao Constituency. The inaugural function was well-attended by senior citizens, businessmen and personalities including, the Sarpanch of Village Panchayat, Saligao, Lucas Remedios and Fr Luciano Fernandes. In his address, Ghose appealed to the residents to avail of the benefits of internet and mobile banking, and the ATM and Locker facility at the bank. He also mentioned the ‘SMS unhappy’ scheme ie the platform for redressal of customer
SBI General Manager Riten Ghose inaugurating the 76th SBI branch in Saligao. Also present are former Chief Minister Dr Wilfred D’Souza, MLA Dilip Parulekar, Assistant General Managers M Y Desai and G Gupta, Saligao Sarpanch Lucas Remedios and Fr Luciano Fernandes
grievances about the services of the bank. M Y Desai, Assistant General Manager revealed that after almost a year “we were able to acquire the premises in Saligao and urged the residents to take full advantage of the banking facilities available at the branch”. The guest of honour Dr Wilfred
D’Souza and Dilip Parulekar, emphasised the need for implementation of various government schemes by the bank to benefit the public. G Gupta, Assistant General Manager thanked the invitees and the service providers for their contribution in opening the branch and making the function a success.
GHRSSIDC holds Aparant Maand
G
oa Handicrafts Rural Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (GHRSSIDC) recently organised Aparant Maand, the state’s biggest handicraft, art and cultural exposition at Curchorem. The Maand was inaugurated by Chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) and MLA of
Chairman of GTDC and MLA of Curchorem Shyam Satardekar inaugurating Aparant Maand in the presence of Chairperson, GHRSSIDC Sameer Salgaoncar and Nikhil Desai, Sanjay Raikar, Desai, Nitin Kakodkar, Devendra Kenkre, Dipak Desai and Hussain Mulla.
Curchorem Shyam Satardekar, in the presence of Chairperson of GHRSSIDC Sameer Salgaoncar, MD of GHRSSIDC Nikhil Desai, Chairaman of Sanguem Municipal Council Sanjay Raikar, Vice Chairman Desai, and the Directors of GHRSSIDC Nitin Kakodkar, Devendra Kenkre, Dipak Desai and Hussain Mulla.
Aparant Maand is an exhibition cum sale of furniture, shell craft, coconut craft, terracotta, crochet and a diverse range of exquisite handicrafts by artisans from Goa. Cultural programmes including, dramas among others were also organised.
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BIZ NOTES HDFC Bank opens H three branches in state
DFC Bank, which recently won The Asian Banker-Leadership Achievement Awards 2011 for Strongest Bank in the Asia Pacific Region, inaugurated three branches in Goa at Cuncolim, Sanquelim and Navin Puri Marcel.The new branches will offer its customers world-class banking services under one roof ranging from basic services such as savings accounts, fixed deposits, current accounts, mutual funds, lockers, NRI services, demat to sophisticated direct access channels such as ATM, phone banking, net banking and international credit and debit cards. Navin Puri, country head, bank branching from Mumbai said, “HDFC Bank has been strategically expanding its reach and we see high market potential in this region, hence it is important that we further strengthen our presence in emerging markets like Goa. With signs of growth now visible in the region, the requirement of banking services will play a critical role. The new branches will offer our customers a wide range of banking services, using the finest technology.” Among private banks, HDFC Bank, has the largest network of branches in the state.
V
olkswagen unveils new Passat with BlueMotion Technology Europe’s leading car manufacturer Volkswagen has launched its new Passat fitted with the highly innovative BlueMotion Technology for India. The car will be available in a diesel variant in both automatic and manual transmissions, starting at Rs 20.80 lakh ex-showroom New Delhi. Sales of the Passat will start with the Highline and Comfortline, to be followed later by the Trendline. Neeraj Garg, director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group
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The all-new VW Passat has been unveiled in Goa Sales India Pvt Ltd said, “We started our journey in India with the introduction of the Passat in 2007, and three successful years later it gives us great pleasure to bring the latest generation to the market. “The all-new Passat will be exclusively available with BlueMotion Technologies in India and the distinctive innovations will work
together to achieve good fuel efficiency and reduced emissions without depriving customers from the fun of driving. “It is a design into the future with upgraded comfort, convenience, quality and safety, and more importantly cleaner and extremely fuel efficient.”
BIZ NOTES Acron bags Electronic City construction project
A
cron Infra Projects, a Goa-based property development and infrastructure company, has been awarded the work of constructing a 500,000 sq ft residential complex in Electronic City, Bangalore. The seven multi-storey residential towers will each comprise stilt plus 12 floors. “Acron Infra Projects is fully geared to take on interesting and challenging projects like hotels, hospitals, stadia and public buildings, residential and commercial structures,” said Amar J Britto, director, Acron Group. Acron is also executing a number of hospital projects in Pune and Goa for large hospital chains like the Manipal Group and many government agencies. “The four attributes of Quality, Speed, Economy and Safety are the underpinnings of theoperational efficiency of the Acron Group” said Mr. Deepak R.Menghnani, CEO Acron Infra Projects. Amar Britto
AND’s high-street fashion hits Goa
A
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nd Designs India Ltd, one of country’s renowned fashion houses, announced its foray into Goa market by launching two of its most popular high-street fashion brands AND & Global Desi at Caculo Mall in St Inez, Panaji. Anita Dongre, one of the ace prêt designers of the country, conceived the brand AND, which is arguably India’s first high-street western brand. AND offers fashionable and stylish silhouettes at value prices, and presents a range of styles from vibrant colour tunics to plain and solid colour dresses along with a complete range of corporate wear including shirts and trousers. Global Desi on the other hand is a spunky indo-western brand with an ideology of global style and Indian threads. It blends cuts, colour, embellishments and the vibrancy of Indian fabrics into kurtas that you can team with a churidar / shalwar / patiala or even a pair of denims.
Extremely delighted about making her footprints felt on the Goa fashion segment, Anita Dongre, creative director, AND Designs India Limited says,” I am glad AND Designs has marked its presence in Goa with the launch of AND & Global Desi stores, which is all set to make a definitive spot in the Goa fashion world”. She adds, “I am sure the collection at our stores would appeal all the young and fashion conscious women of Goa, who seek chic style at smart pricing.”
Anita Dongre
VIVA GOA DIARY
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Gandhi at KK Birla, Goa Campus renaming
T
he BITS- Pilani Goa Campus was officially renamed as KK Birla Goa Campus April 21, 2011 by MP Rahul Gandhi who unveiled the mosaic mural of Dr Krishna Kumar Birla, the first chancellor of BITS – Pilani University. The Chancellor of BITS – Pilani University and Chairman of Aditya Birla Group Kumar Mangalam Birla, B K Birla, Sarala Birla, Pro Chancellor of BITS-Pilani and Editorial Director of Hindustan Times Shobana Rahul Gandhi at the renaming ceremony of BITS – Pilani, Goa Campus Bhartia, Vice Chancellor Dr B N Jain, Acting Director of Goa Campus, K E Raman and the directors questions on several issues of national importance. of all BITS campuses were present on Speaking on the recent Jan Lokpal Bill, he maintained the occasion. that Anna Hazare was within his rights to agitate for Speaking at the renaming ceremony the bill the way he did, however, he also cautioned of BITS – Pilani, Goa Campus to KK Birla that the bill must pass through a democratic process Goa Campus, Gandhi struck a chord with before becoming a law. He also praised the UPA the student gathering in the Institute’s government’s role in making the government more auditorium. He reached out to the crowd transparent, citing the RTI Act as a major milestone in on the importance of developing ideas bringing corruption to the fore. and on the need to get these across to the On the controversial issue of reservation in the maximum number of people. country’s premier institutes, he said that the need of He stressed on the urgency of moving the hour was not to debate on the issue of reservation, away from a geographical-based but to increase the number of such institutes in the development model, to one which places country, to cater to the need of more meritorious more emphasis on the individual. students. He added that there are no simple solutions Interacting with the crowd in the to the problem in India, and it would require massive subsequent session, Gandhi answered patience, time and extensive support of the people.
Triumph of Secularism, a book on Opinion Poll released
T
he Union Minister for Culture Kumari Selja released ‘Triumph of Secularism’, a book on the opinion poll in Goa written by veteran journalist Rajan Narayan and historian Dr Sharon D’Cruz and published by Goa Publications Pvt Ltd. The book was released in the presence of the Chief Minister Digamber Kamat on April 18 at the Goa Marriott Resort in the presence of the former chief ministers Shashikala Kakodkar and Luizinho Faleiro, along with opinion poll stalwart Sr Adv Uday Bhembre and a distinguished audience which included Nana Bandekar and Ralf DeSouza. The book has been
published by Dattaraj Salgaocar, Managing Director of V M Salgaocar Bros Pvt Ltd and Chairman of Goa Publications Pvt Ltd. Besides Goa Today, Goa Publications has also earlier brought out ‘Aparanta’, a classic coffee table book of essays by eminent personalities to showcase the various aspects of Goa’s culture. The Triumph of Secularism was published as a tribute to Dattaraj’s late father and visionary industrialist Vassudeva M Salgaocar, who not only supported Goa’s cause both morally and financially to retain its distinct identity, but also staked his entire business empire to oppose the
Goa-Maharashtra merger. Selja congratulated Salgaocar for releasin Triumph of Secularism and reiterated that the Congress party always had been committed to secularism. She noted that the Nehru-Gandhi family had played a key role in the history of Goa with Pandit Nehru having given the order to the army to liberate Goa, Indira Gandhi directing the party to initiate and pass the opinion poll bill and Rajiv Gandhi who directed the Congress in Goa to pass the official language bill paving the way for statehood. The Chief Minister appreciated the book and urged every Goan to read it and retrospect about it. He also announced that the Directorate of Culture had entrusted Rajan Narayan with the task of bringing out a secular history of the last phase of the liberation struggle of Goa. Former CM Luizinho Faleiro also spoke on the occasion while Dattaraj Salgaocar welcomed and gave his thoughts on publishing the book. Deepti Salgaocar presented momentos to all the dignitaries.
Ireland’s Phelan to mentor Sesa Football Academy
S
esa Football Academy has brought former English Premier League star Terry Phelan on board to coach their young players. The former Manchester City and Chelsea left-back, who has served as a youth coach in North America and Australia, set to work with Goa’s young talent as Chief Mentor even before he was officially signed on for a three-year deal in April. He said, “Goa’s love for football is well known. I’m thrilled about being part of the Sesa Football Academy and look forward to working closely with the players and coaching staff. I believe the academy has the potential to become one of the best in the world.” Phelan aims to bring sports science involving long-term planning and analyses of a number of elements including speed and strength to the Sesa Football Academy. “Constant monitoring of players and managing nutrition are an important part of science. I have already begun
P K Mukherjee, MD Sesa Goa Ltd, and Elvis Gomes, Vice President of Goa Football Association hand over a jersey to Terry Phelan, who will now be the Chief Mentor for Sesa Football Academy. Also present are Dr N N Bhatiker, Advisor Sesa Football Academy, and Sukhvinder Singh, MD Libero Sports
evaluating training sessions based on technical, tactical, physical and social aspects,” the 44-year-old added. P K Mukherjee, Managing Director of Sesa Goa Ltd, said, “In his role as Chief Mentor, Terry will be looking after the junior and senior academies while also mentoring our coaching staff. Sesa Football Academy has consciously
decided to focus its energies and resources on increasing the standards of Goan and Indian football.” Phelan, nicknamed ‘The Scuttler’, has played for his country’s national team 42 times, including at the 1994 World Cup as part of the starting team that beat Italy 1-0 and went through to the pre-quarterfinals.
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VIVA GOA DIARY
E
Kiran Thakur felicitated at 60 ditor of Tarun Bharat daily Kiran Thakur was felicitated on his 60th birthday for his contribution to several social, cultural and educational institutions in Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Goa commemorates National Fire Service Day
The event of Thakur’s felicitation by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur, was attended by Shivshahir Babsaheb Purnadare, Saraswat Bank Chairman Ekanath Thakur, Sambhajirao Bhide (of Shivpratishtan) and Avinash Dharmadhikari (ex IAS). Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, who acknowledged Thakur’s hard work and dedication, presided over the felicitation ceremony. Thakur, the founder chairman of Lokmanya Multi State, Multi Purpose Co-operative Society, announced his plans to start a women’s university, a vocational institution to develop skills and the adoption of 30 villages in Khanapur taluka, Belgaum. Also present were Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar, Minister for Transport Ramakrishna Dhavlikar, MP Shripad Naik, Chairman of Law Commission Ramakant Khalap and Asha Kamat.
Marinha Dourada wins National Tourism Award
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ome Minister Ravi Naik said the proposed ladies wing in the fire department will soon be passed. “The file is already being processed and I’m sure it will be passed soon,” he said in his address on National Fire Service Day at the Fire and Emergency Services grounds in Panaji on April 14. If the file is passed, Goa will be the first state in western India to recruit women fire fighters in the Fire and Emergency Services. Naik also acknowledged that there was need for better equipment and urged the public to support the fire services. He also gave out awards to the firemen for their bravery and discipline. A Guide For Fire Safety Precaution was also released by the Home Minister at the function. Guest of honour Sanjay Srivastava, Chief Secretary of Goa, said, “We must remember that we are gathered here to pay homage to the brave firemen who died saving lives in Mumbai in 1944. We all feel safe because of our firemen since the courage and valour of that day has not been extinguished.” As many as 66 firemen in Mumbai laid down their lives on April 14, 1944 when the S S Fort Stikine loaded with cotton, explosives, ammunition and gold blew up into an inferno. Director of the Fire and Emergency Services Ashok Menon announced the winners of various events organised by the department such as poster and slogan competitions and a half-marathon, who were given trophies.
Jose Lourdes Proenca, Director of Resorte Marinha Dourada receives the National Tourism Award for 2009-10 from Speaker of Lok Sabha Meira Kumar and Subodh Kant Sahai, Minister of Tourism, Govt of India
The event concluded with a display of the various equipment used including a hydraulic platform with a portable Kevlar chute to rescue people from high-rise buildings, chlorine gas suits, Medical First Respondent Team trained by British experts, Collapse Structure Search and Rescue team, door opener kit, inflatable light, portable fire Home Minister Ravi Naik distributes a certificate to fire extinguishers fighting personnel at the National Fire Service Day. Also and quick seen are Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava and Director of Fire and Emergency Service Ashok Menon response vehicles.
VIVA GOA DIARY
Flower photo exhibition pays tribute to Kishori Amonkar
Pandit Jasraj with Kishori Amonkar lighting the lamp. Bharati and Bibhas Amonkar, film director Amul Palekar and architect Ulhas Rane are also present
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s a tribute to Gyanasarawati Padma Vibhushan Kishori Amonkar on her birthday, her son Bibhas Amonkar organised a photo exhibition ‘Flowers – a photo dialogue’ at P L Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy, Mumbai. The unique exhibition displayed 150 photos covering 75 genera found exclusively in the Western Himalayan region of the world famous Valley of Flowers of Gharwal. ‘Flowers – A Photo Dialogue’ was the first ever exhibition on flowers as a sole subject and carried scientific data/info like common names, botanical names, flowering season, altitude, medicinal values and uses, etc, making it also an educational experience. The exhibition, which approximately drew more than 12000 visitors, was sponsored by Saraswati Bank, Rockdale Health and Shree Ramanugrah Trust.
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Bibhas Amonkar packed in his career as an advertising professional and established himself as one of the country’s most renowned naturalists and photographers. Speaking to VIVA GOA he revealed that “nature photography has propelled many of his travels across the country and one such trip led him into the Valley of Flowers in the Western Himalayan slopes of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve”. The seasonal flowering of millions of flowers on these steep and rugged mountains appealed to the naturalist and the mountaineer within. He has completed seven trips to the valley from his first visit in 2007. Traversing the slopes during the short bloom seasons, he has managed to scientifically photo document more than 200-odd species included in 78 Genera. Amonkar has made it his mission to photo document the environment, flora and fauna of India. He has strived to spread awareness and to educate the common man of our natural heritage, wildlife and historical monuments. His present projects include photo documenting the trees of Mumbai and the monsoon flora on the Kaas plateau.
Navelkar’s poetic compositions
rof Datta V Navelkar recently had a successful show of his paintings at the Kala Academy, Goa. Academically trained in painting as well as applied art at the prestigious Sir J J School of Art in Mumbai, his works display a curious mixture of beauty and philosophy. Prof Navelkar’s paintings convey the intended idea in a very subtle way so as to avoid overwhelming the viewers. The lines, forms and colours orchestrate on the canvas to form an independent composition. Every composition speaks for nature, talks about our rich culture and heritage and captures the harmony in the society. His paintings have a certain poetic quality that gives a lilting effect and instills in the viewers infectious joy. Prof Navelkar has taught for more than three decades. Before retiring as
the principal, he headed the Department of Applied Art of Goa College of Art and had a brief stint at the Sir J J Institute of Applied Art. He has been on the General Council / Executive Board of Lalit Kala Academi, New Delhi and has worked as a member of Jury on various committees in the field of visual art. He has participated in various national and state level exhibitions and artist camps. Having won a number of prizes and honoured with various awards, many of his works are in institutional and private collections. Prof Navelkar, who has been a mentor to several noted advertising personalities and successful illustrators, saw a throng of artists and art connoisseurs visit the gallery during
the show. This is the proof of his caliber and popularity.
VIVA GOA Official launch of gourmet society chapter DIARY
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he third Indian chapter of the oldest and most renowned international gastronomic association, ‘La Confrérie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs’, has officially launched its ‘Goa Bailliage’ (chapter) by inducting new members in a grand ceremony at The Leela Kempinski, Goa. The ‘Bailli of the Bailliage de Bangalore’ (President of Bangalore chapter) Anja Matysik-Kroll and the General Manager of The Leela, Pascal Dupuis welcomed the guests. Manfred Matysik represented the association’s president Yam Atallah as the Inducting Officer of the ceremony. The Consul General of Portugal in Goa Dr Antonio Costa was conferred the title of ‘Chevalier D’Honneur’, while Marianne de Borgo and Shruti Pandit were conferred the title of ‘Dame de la Chaine’. Mario Sequeira, Jay Gidwani and Rudolf Kammermaier received the title ‘Chevalier de la Chaine’. Professional members representing the top Goan gastronomic industry were ‘Maitre Hotelier’ Pascal Dupuis (GM, The Leela), Rajeev Khanna
(GM, Vivanta Fort Agauda), Marc von Arnim (GM, Park Hyatt), Stefan Radstrom (GM, Grand Hyatt), Edouard Speck (Presa de Goa), ‘Chef de Table’ Judas Fernandes (Presa de Goa) ‘Maitre Rotisseur’ Gregory Bazire (Le Poisson Rouge) and ‘Maitre Restaurateur’ Leo de Souza
(After Seven) and Suzette Martins (Mum’s Kitchen). ‘Officier Maitre Restaurateur’, Joao Menezes de Aguiar called on the new members to be inducted and dubbed by sword and oath to their individual grade.
Foreign fundraisers for Goa-based charities
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Jamie Archer
he newly re-branded Animal Rescue Centre (ARC) based in Canacona, South Goa held a large fundraising family day recently. This fundraiser was critical due to the fact that the old site and home for 50 animals is due to be demolished to make way for an apartment block, funds need to be raised to build a new animal shelter. Fun activities were accompanied by live music played by talented local musicians. An auction and a surprise appearance by Jamie Archer, one of the finalists of UK reality show X-Factor 2009 made it an enjoyable day. The work of the ARC includes; animal birth control, rehabilitation of abandoned animals as well as providing medical service for pet owners in the vicinity. In another attempt to generate funds for Goa-based charities, Max Chandra, a UK National of part-Indian origin, will walk from Goa to Orissa via South India extending a helping hand along
Max Chandra
the way at the grassroots level via his charity foundation. ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ begins in November, 2011 from Palolem. “I’m actually going to cover the whole of India and I plan to complete it in five stages over two to three years,” says Chandra who runs a gym in Palolem. The donations will go to One Step at a Time Charity Foundation which will be the foundation that will support other charities along my journey.” Follow ARC on www.facebook.com/ Animal-Rescue-Centre-Canacona-SouthGoa and ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ on www.facebook.com/onestepatatime.in
HAPPENINGS
&Style
Beauty,
Glamour I
Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2011
t was hot at Tito’s. The top 20 contestants of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2011 pageant set the ramp on fire in a sizzling show choreographed by former model and national director of the contest Marc Robinson. Times Group managing director Vineet Jain and Tito’s owner David de Souza among others encouraged India’s young talent. The finalists introduced themselves to Goa and were given prizes including Best Ramp Model, Miss Body Beautiful, Miss Photogenic and Miss Beautiful Eyes. Femina Miss India has been producing beauty queens who bring home crowns for decades. The final three are selected to represent the country at Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth. The current Femina Miss India titleholders are Kanishtha Dhankar as Femina Miss India World 2011, Hasleen Kaur as Femina Miss India Earth 2011 and Ankita Shorey as Femina Miss India International 2011. VIVA GOA wishes all three winners the best at their respective competitions this year.
Vineet Jain
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Rakulpreet Kaur
Marc Robinson
David de Souza & daughter Sabe
Aditi Mishra
Kanishtha Dhankar
Sunil Chawla & Elena Starkova
Avdumber Hede & Jennifer Pinto
Yvette & Avelar Barretto
Ritu & Hemant Sharma
Sanjana & Suraj Morajkar
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Kennedy Lobo, Vicky Goveia & Alvind Soares Prayag & Gaurabh Quenim Pics by Edric George
HAPPENINGS
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Seasons Group launches The Living Room boutique hotel
he Living Room, a boutique hotel in Vagator, opened its doors to guests in Goa, launching in true party spirit with a cocktail night on the lawns. The plush seating and inviting bar drew guests from the hotel, including Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi. Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava officially launched the hotel, which is owned by the Seasons Group, the official caterers for all VVIP lounges at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi last year. Chairman and Managing Director of the hotel Sanjay Khullar and his wife Meeta welcomed everyone, as the guests enjoyed delicious barbeque dishes at the bar and grill lounge. Meeta & Sanjay Khullar
Sanjay Srivastava
Aditya Pancholi
Sidhartha Singh, Shaustav & Suruchi
Gopal Tewari
Punit Roy
Sunil Duggal, Amrik Dara Singh & Amit Khanna
Lalit Mishra
Rajiv Menon
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Ritika, Riddham & Sumit
Gauri Karkal & Glafy Castellino
Rainer Stoll & Marco Seiler
Pics by Edric George
VIVA GOA SPOTLIGHT
A great ear for music, a finger on the pulse of the crowd and a willingness to experiment, mix and match various genres of music – that’s DJ Aneesh Gera. The first Goan DJ nominated as ‘DJ of the Week’ by the website India-Nightlife.com, Aneesh who is currently based in the UK, studied at SAE Institute, Australia and has appeared in the movie Bride and Prejudice.
Focusing on Goan achievers
The ‘Guru of Groove’, as he is known on the circuit, speaks to VIVA GOA For you, deejaying is… Everything Your greatest forte as a DJ… My drive Three predictions for the deejaying scene in Goa this year… New upcoming DJs will make their mark and hopefully, a few more venues will come up. A much bigger season than last year Your opinion on Goa slowly emerging as a drug and sex destination… Show me any tourist destination that claims not to have those tags Your favourite type of music… Funk, retro, house and lounge Learning to deejay in India v/s abroad… There is hardly any comparison. Here in the UK there are so many deejaying schools to choose from – some have fantastic facilities and reputations. Abroad (Europe mainly), there is an explosion in the whole deejaying and nightlife culture. It’s fantastic!
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Pic by Edric George
Deejaying in India v/s abroad… From my time here in the UK, the nightlife scene is miles ahead. However, Asia is catching up very quickly. I love performing here as you get such a diverse mix of people in your audience, which makes every night very different and unique. However, deejaying in India feels like it’s on a different level, a better one. After performing in many different countries, my favourite place to perform without a doubt is Goa Advice to amateur DJs... Pick a genre you love and stick to it. You can’t expect to entertain if you aren’t entertained yourself. Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life
Aneesh Gera