EDITORIAL NOTE An Enduring Quality A s a student of fine art more than two decades ago, Gautam Rajadhyaksha was my idol. His vivid portraits of the stars of the time left a lasting impression on me. Until his untimely demise recently, he was the undisputed master of portraiture and his pictures of famous cine stars, like the stars themselves, have an enduring quality. Back in 1990, though I was not his apprentice, he would always welcome me to his studio at Opera House. We remained in intermittent touch, but in more enduring contact after he wrote the superb cover story for our inaugural issue last year on the Mangeshkar family and provided us with some rare and evocative pictures. He was a close friend of India’s first family of song and was a virtual treasure house of memory and anecdote on the Mangeshkars. And like me, he was an ardent devotee of our common family kuldevta (deity) Lord Manguesh. May his soul rest in peace. In our next issue we will carry a more fitting tribute to his legacy as a pictorial commentator on our film industry. Goa has been the pulsating hub of pop and rock music ever since the sixties and seventies. Old timers will remember the all-night full moon parties and the discos and impromptu dance floors. Those days were the forerunners to
the beat of the new century — retro, hip-hop, trance and house, celebrity DJs, and innovative ‘Silent’ music which had its genesis in Goa. These are the sounds of the new Goa, culminating with the arrival of the Sunburn dance and music festival a few years ago. This year’s fiesta at Candolim, backed by the famous performing arts promoter Harvey Goldsmith, promises to be the most ambitious ever organised by Percept India Limited, the dynamic events management company. Music is Goa’s natural ally, and Sunburn is set to strike another felicitous chord for the burgeoning tourism industry. ‘Bred locally, sold globally’ is its new mantra. The brain behind this idea is none other than Shailendra Singh, and although not a Goan, merits a breakaway from our norm to find a place on our cover. It is his relentless pursuit of "the best" that has helped Sunburn become so popular. Another kind of dance music has struck a high note with Dr Martin D’Costa, Goa’s ballroom dance pro. Under his stewardship, The DanceSport Association of Goa has bagged several top national honours in recent competitions. Garbage disposal has become a paramount issue all over Goa. We are pleased to feature the dynamic Mayor of Panaji Yatin Parekh and his ambitious plans to give the capital city a new look.
In our ‘First Lady’ section, we take pride in featuring Dr Nandita de Souza, head of Sethu Trust. Nandita has spent a lifetime in the care and welfare of disadvantaged children, especially those afflicted by autism. The selfless work of ex-British serviceman and founder of the International Animal Rescue team in Goa, John Hicks who looks after the welfare of animals is highlighted in our ‘Homing In’ column. On a personal note, I am pleased that my alma mater ('85 batch), Sharada Mandir has been rated as the No 1 school in Goa by market research firm C-Fore in Delhi for Education World, a leading human development magazine. Though I may not have passed out with distinction, I am thrilled by the distinction awarded to my former school. Till our next issue, ‘Viva Goa!’
Kedar Dhume editor@vivagoaonline.com
READERS’ RESPONSE I wish Viva Goa all the success it deserves. Greetings and best regards, Angela Kazi, Miramar The August issue was excellent. It’s like seeing Goa in a different light and realising how many Goans have made it to the top of their respective fields across the country. I think this has been a great initiative. Well done! Avni Bhende, Mumbai I missed the legal column by Adv Atmaram Nadkarni last month. It is one of your best columns and hence should not be omitted. Venkat Lolienkar, Margao
Loved your cover story ‘Making Wishes Come True’… Thks for making us aware of the innumerable activities undertaken and its presence in Goa!! Actually didn’t know abt its presence in Goa until I read d beautifully written article of Viva Goa. Either their activities aren’t given much media coverage or ignorant me :( Pallavi Salgaocar The Make A Wish Foundation is an
awesome organisation founded in America. They do a lot of good here. Glad to see its reached Goa, as well :) Meghana Naik The Make A Wish Foundation would be happy to have any kind of contribution in terms of time or volunteering. Vaishali Puranik Joshi
Viva Goa invites comments from its readers. Letters should be short and relevant and can be sent to editor@vivagoaonline.com Editor & Publisher's 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.
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VIVA GOANS Ronny Sequeira Photographer
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ARTIST REVIEW Yolanda Sousa Kammermeier
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By Naguesh Rao Sardessai
COVER STORY Hi 5! Sunburn
It’s back, and in a much bigger way – with well laid-out plans that promise to send thrills down your spine. Sunburn Goa 2011 celebrates its fifth anniversary this year and organisers are pulling out all the stops to make this the mother of all parties. Viva Goa gets the party details
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Editor & Publisher
page
Kedar N Dhume
editor@vivagoaonline.com
GUEST COLUMN Bringing The World Closer Through Tourism
Principal Consultant
Shailesh M Amonkar shailesh@kemistry.in
By Swapnil Naik, director of Tourism, Govt of Goa
Editorial Consult ant
Manohar Shetty
page
Assistant Editors
Emylou D’Souza Dielle D’Souza
AFTER HOURS Yatin Parekh
Mayor, Corporation of the City of Panjim
reporter@vivagoaonline.com
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page
FOCUS
Sharada Mandir School scored the highest in Goa in a survey conducted by EducationWorld-C fore Survey of Schools 2011
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page
LEGAL BRIEF Towards A Greater Glory By Adv Atmaram Nadkarni
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INTERIORS/ EXTERIORS
Arch Siddha Sardessai discovers how art and architecture blend perfectly in Subodh & Savita Kerkar’s house in Saligao
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HOSPITALITY The Living Room
By Sinead McManus
Head, Sethu Trust
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PHOTO ESSAY Kongyachem Fest Mhamai Kamat house, Panaji OCTOBER 2011
HOMING IN
Photographer
John Hicks, once with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in the British army, has dedicated his life in Goa to the welfare of animals
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PHOTO ESSAY Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
FIRST LADY Dr Nandita de Souza
Epifanio Fernandes Erika de Noronha
By Chef Deepa Mhambre Awchat
HEALTH 6 Ways To Ruin Your Knees
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GOAN CUISINE Diwali Delights & Founder, Art of Living Foundation Others
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FEATURE
The Goa DanceSport Association has proved that the state takes its dance spirit seriously. Viva Goa steps in tune with the dance world in Goa
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG)
Design
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Janice Rodrigues
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By Dr Mudit Khanna
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Chief Sub-Editor
66 page 76 page 80 page
BIZ NOTES
HAPPENINGS
VIVA GOA DIARY
Edric George
Manager Advertising
Tamara Faleiro
advertising@vivagoaonline.com Mob: +919850077993 Circulation
Satyawan Parsekar
circulation@vivagoaonline.com Published by
M/S Advertising Associates [Publication Division], 703, Dempo Trade Center, Patto Plaza, Panaji, Goa 403 001, INDIA Tel : +91 832 2438999
Cover Credit Design: Erika de Noronha 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 Vivek Nayak Author
Sunburn scorch
COVER STORY
It’s back, and back in style. This year Asia’s biggest dance music festival brings all its cards to the table –a larger arena in Candolim, pulsating music streamed live to 80 countries, more high-profile DJs, music conferences and its ace of aces, British performing arts promoter Harvey Goldsmith. Among its ever growing fans and a possible tie-up with the tourism department to be Goa’s brand ambassador, Sunburn gets set to sing Happy 5th Birthday… BY DIELLE D’SOUZA
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I
t’s back, and in a much bigger way – with well laid-out plans that promise to send thrills down your spine. Sunburn Goa 2011 celebrates its fifth anniversary this year and organisers are pulling out all the stops to make this the mother of all parties. From December 27-29, around `30 crore in investments will have been poured into the extravaganza in Candolim. And the volume will be all set to match light-headed delirium and fun ‘n frenzy. Sporting the tag of Asia’s biggest dance music festival doesn’t make organising Sunburn Goa any easier. It will be half a decade this December that infotainment company Percept India Ltd first decided to enter the arena with a Godzilla-sized combatant. The few
set to the Sands whimpers protesting the decibel levels and alleged drug abuse have already been put to rest with stringent adherence to time and security regulations. The new buzzword on party street is ‘Sunburnite’ and the early bird fuel gauge online went from full to empty in 48 minutes flat. This means at least 3,000 buyers have guaranteed their entry into this year’s festival venue in Candolim even though they are still in the dark about the DJ line-up. But that’s not all there is to Sunburn, insisted Shailendra Singh, vice chairman and joint managing director of Percept India. He says, “Sunburn is no longer a festival, it’s a religion. If it was all about the DJs, then why didn’t half the country fly to Abu Dhabi for Tiesto? Nobody asks ‘Party at the Park’ in London who’s playing. It’s the experience, the brand.” And this experience could become the state’s brand ambassador at tourism events abroad. The ‘Phoenix’ The organisers aren’t looking back at their previous successes. More than 40,000 people partied at Sunburn last year, but riding on that wave is certainly not an option. Sunburn is being “re-born” and Harvey Goldsmith is its phoenix. The man is synonymous with entertainment. He’s produced, managed and promoted some of the biggest names in the business – from The Rolling Stones to Dame Shirley Bassey to Elton John, The Black Eyed Peas and Luciano Pavarotti – and now he’s headed to Goa. There’s a promise made to take technology to a level so amazing “you’ll get goose pimples”. Singh explained, “Harvey Goldsmith, the god of entertainment, is coming and the sets will have video-mapping for the
first time. This has never been seen in India before. We’re also going to have dry ice machines and an 80-foot stage. It’s going to be killer.” Incidentally, Percept has roped in organisers of multi-national annual dance music festival Global Gathering, who are set to give the crowd a taste of their technology – the kind that does not limit Sunburn to the mêlée that swarms around the centre stage at dusk. The festival is streamed live in 80 countries, with around 1.5 million pairs of eyeballs registering hits across the world last year. Of these, 400,000 stayed online for 16 minutes on an average, watching the proceedings and getting hooked.
There was also reportedly an incident of a Portuguese fan who proposed to his girlfriend in Lisbon live on the network as he partied at Sunburn. Social networking sites are abuzz with urgent requests for passes and pleas to the organisers to feature popular DJs and groups. One fan Monique Varnavides posted, “All the way from Australia! See you there in December! Any VIP tix on offer?” Others just wrote, “I want passes” or simply “Tickets”. Shout-outs for deadly trio Swedish House Mafia, Canadian progressive producer deadmau5 and Dutch DJ Sander van Doorn among others are all over Facebook. The OCTOBER 2011 9
COVER STORY
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organisers too are fuelling a surge of excitement with pictures, contests, questions and suggestions.
– where music in Asia stands and where it’s heading, with the spotlight on India (see box).
Candolim on the World Map And the comparatively steep ticket prices are no deterrent. Fans can pay upwards of `25,000 for their stay, food and festival passes as costs rocket around the Christmas/New Year period. “We’re bringing in very high-quality tourists at the right time to Goa,” said Lyndon Alves, director of Sunset Getaways Goa, the local partner of Sunburn. “If a tourist could afford to pay more than `4,000 for a ticket, he or she could also afford to pay for dinner, hotel and other things. It has made Goa popular among an international clientele who earlier did not even think of coming here.” Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes reiterated, “Sunburn gives those who visit Goa specifically for New Year a reason to come a few days earlier. The festival has given Goa a lot of business and put Candolim on the world map. So much so that Candolim alone cannot support the business, so even places like Calangute and Nerul do well.” Rumours have it that the festival adds crores to Goa’s tourism revenue but the organisers are struggling to convince loose tongues that they aren’t the ones swallowing all the cash. In response they have zeroed in on the need to discuss what they call “music tourism”
Local but Global Percept India’s aim is to showcase Sunburn as a ‘glocal’ brand – bred locally and sold globally. International and domestic DJs play alongside each other at different stages catering to niche dance music trends. The website promises a carnival-like atmosphere. Singh added, “We’re trying to cater to the niche, so there’ll be a bit of trance, dub-step and even live instruments. With four big stages and four small stages playing different genres of music, we’ll get a wholesome music experience going.” But to manage such a massive festival, the logistics are astronomical. It’s anybody’s guess how much the top-notch DJs they fly in are paid, and the setting up of props, barricades, organising everything from bouncers to fixing CCTV cameras, banners to stage set-up, advertisements and permissions call for dozens of cheques to be signed. The investment in this year’s Sunburn is anything between US$5-6 million (`24-29 crore). And the thousands of fans who add to the already burgeoning number of visitors descending on the Candolim-Calangute-Baga stretch in the run-up to New Year will make for a milling, mela-like atmosphere. In a bid to slash traffic jams
omnipresent in the area during that time of the year, the organisers have looked to Barclays Cycle Hire for inspiration. The public bicycle sharing scheme launched in London last year involves users hiring cycles, returning them to one of the many docking stations around the city and picking them up where they left off if required, all for a nominal fee. “I’m hoping to put a thousand cycles in Candolim, where you can rent them from any one of the ten cycle stands and drop them off at any other one,” said Singh, who is in talks with the government to implement many proposals, including this one. “I’m hoping for a stop to the cars and scooters, except for the people who live there. Tourists should cycle around those four-odd kilometres of Candolim,” he added. Bigger, Better For its fifth anniversary, Sunburn promises to be bigger. Much bigger. Organisers are talking in the region of double the number of DJs that played last year, a spiritual spa, and a larger arena with six entry-exit points. Even the website has been overhauled to feature tweets, posts, games, competitions and newsletters, as well as guides to the festival and Goa in general. Reports suggest a 65 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of people who made it to Sunburn, with the national audience making up the lion’s share. According to Director of Tourism Swapnil Naik, the government has received a proposal from the organisers “to make it a bigger event with about 100,000 footfalls over the three days”. He added that a float parade from Candolim to Arambol and an amusement park could also be part of the atmosphere, albeit in different locations, the idea being to spread the festival, reduce congestion and involve more locals in the experience. Added Karan Singh, CEO of Sunburn, “The initial feedback from officials has been very positive. We enjoy a great relationship with the Department of Tourism due to the contribution Sunburn has made towards Goa tourism over the 12
OCTOBER 2011
past five years. We expect official approvals for these concepts very soon and the planning for them is already underway.” Vice chairman and managing director of Percept Harindra Singh toyed with the idea of opening fast food chain stalls such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s or Café Coffee Day inside the festival venue. “Hari was trying to convince me to bring in McDonald’s last year, but I asked him to trust my judgement. I want the locals to produce the food. It’s about being raw and real,” said his brother Shailendra Singh. The number of stalls at Sunburn has ballooned in four years – from ten to 90 – and they feature anything from eco-friendly items to vegan snacks. Brand Name The government has also received a proposal asking for Sunburn to be recognised as a brand during international tourism fairs. Tourism director Naik explained, “We have received a request but unless there is a policy decision, we will not be able to make any commitments. There are various locations around the world that are associated with shows, for example Amersfoort in Holland is known for jazz and Cannes is known for films. If something like this develops with Sunburn, it will help overall.” Shailendra reiterates, “Goa needs to feel that Sunburn is theirs. I expect the government to recognise that the festival is Goa’s brand ambassador, to protect it and use it to their advantage. It’s a great way to show Goa live to 80 countries.” With the horde of people thronging the festival, there’s always a chance that it might turn into
the elbow-digging, feet-stomping rush that is Bandra fair or CST at peak hour. Percept has no intentions, however, of allowing the situation to escalate thus far. Explained Shailendra, “This year we’ll be capacity driven. We won’t sell more tickets than a pre-determined number. We’re doing this for security and safety, and it’s only fair that if you pay $200 for a ticket, you get the space to feel the experience.” But some voices of dissent suggest all is not fair at the festival. Seven owners give up their land for three days so Sunburn can be held bang on the beach. While organisers insist they receive permissions, the owners say there is no written agreement chalked out regarding the event. “Our main problem is that we do not get any money for the use of the land. There is no written agreement and it is the Panchayat that takes the decision to hand over the land to the organisers for those three days,” said one owner who requested anonymity. His home, like many of the other owners, directly overlooks the sets and the crowds, and while they acknowledge the organisers’ adherence to timings and traffic, their grouse over the lack of monetary compensation for land use appears justified. Fair Share The owner added, “The organisers keep to the timings and don’t allow
account. The ruling government or custodians of the state takes a call on what the rules are.”
vehicles down the street, so there’s no problem with these things. But it is common knowledge that everyone gets a share out of Sunburn. It’s not fair that we do not get paid. They do give us a few tickets, but that’s it. Last year, one of us had to actually call and ask for something. They need to come to us because it’s our land being used. We don’t really want to make a noise about all this as the villagers do benefit from the tourists who come for the event, which adds overall to the economy.” Another added, “We also face the problem of garbage disposal. It took a month-and-a-half for the garbage to be cleared, and that was only after one of us complained to the Panchayat. A lot of guests come here for tranquillity after the hectic Christmas/New Year week only to find a heap of garbage as part of the scenery. It’s bad for business.” Members of various citizens’ forums too have been vocal of their opposition to the festival. Last year, the Candolim Citizens’ Forum, Nerul Nagarik Kriti Samiti and Reis Magos-Verem Citizens’ Forum protested alleged noise pollution and traffic jams during the festival. But MLA Agnelo Fernandes dismisses the protests. “There are some NGOs, consisting of a handful of people, who are against Sunburn. They are not really representative of the population of Candolim. Festivals like Sunburn bring different kinds of effects to the place, but we need to consider the pros and cons before concluding if something is good or bad.” Shailendra Singh added, “Society is a balance of different people with different minds, but like-minded objectives. Those who oppose Sunburn have the good of Goa in mind while those who support the festival do the same. We need to take people’s perspectives into 14
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Future Plans Despite these hiccups, the idea of Sunburn has spread around India, with a business plan in place for four Sunburn-like festivals in New Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai. Singh said, “Not everyone can afford to come to Goa during that time. A lot of youngsters don’t get the experience, so we’re taking it to them, and instead of three days, we’ll have it for two.” There’s a chance the festival could also go to places like Indonesia, Dubai, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Sunburn is now worth $25m and is projected as a home-grown brand that’s making waves the world over. The first couple of years were hit by losses of `1.75 crore and `75 lakhs, and this year, large investments and the usual delayed permissions run the organisers the risk of not making healthy profits. Once the ball is rolling, however, a no-show is hardly likely. After all, their pre-Sunburn magic cast a spell on the students of Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics in Mumbai. Umang Festival
2011 found more than 2,000 students grooving to Pearl Miglani, Lost Stories and Shaan Singh at the JRM Grounds this August. That’s not all Percept is looking at. With 26 per cent of former VJ Nikhil Chinappa’s promotions and events company Submerge in its pocket, the company is creating two new brands – New Moon and Superstar. The first is aimed at party lovers aged 40 and over, featuring a more “pop, relaxed atmosphere” with seven stages representing the seven chakras of the body. For the younger crowd, there’ll be Superstar – a contest with 400 DJs. Cash prizes on the lines of `5-10 lakhs and Harley Davidsons could be the spoils of the winner. Karan Singh said, “We have dates and venues in mind but they haven’t been finalised yet. We do plan to execute both festivals by March 2012.” “We’re also looking to open a club in Mumbai,” said Shailendra Singh, adding, “We haven’t finalised the location yet. We’re in the market to buy a place for Sunburn The Club, but we need a skyline and open spaces to keep in with the character of the brand.” Billed as one of the best music festivals in the world by CNN, Sunburn is carrying on its shoulders not just the dreams of the organisers, but also those of thousands of young Indians who’ve wanted a mega dance event to call their own. n
AFTER HOURS A column in which CEOs, political figures and other busy professionals reveal how they relax and spend their spare time
He wants his stint as Mayor of Panaji to be remembered as a period of clean, green and efficient administration. YATIN PAREKH on his commitment to Goa and juggling family life
‘My
Mission is to Restore
Panaji’s Lost Glory’
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Pics by Edric George
A
Goenkar in every sense of the term, Yatin Parekh’s mission as Mayor is to ensure that Panaji is restored to its lost glory and develops in the right way. He is devoted to the job, has a passion for travelling and treasures the moments he shares with his family. He takes some time off with Viva Goa On CCP’s green initiative during Ganesh Chaturthi The response to the nirmalaya pots, which were set up to collect the remnants of items used during Ganesh pujas in Panaji, was very encouraging. It appeared that people made good use of the nirmalayas. To begin with, we will place the pots at Mahalaxami Temple and in the precincts of the other city temples to offer another service to Panjimites. On his most difficult decision as mayor I have taken a conscious decision to stop issuing commercial construction licenses until the government, through the PDA, reviews parking by-laws and ensure infrastructure support. This decision comes in the wake of severe parking problems faced in Panaji. On dumping waste from CCP market in Patto Plaza I am taking all possible steps to ensure cleanliness in the CCP market precincts. As I visit the market for my home shopping, I am aware of the problem. Therefore, I am taking a personal interest in improving on cleanliness in the market. As far as the anaerobic digestor plant is concerned, it is not in operation at the moment. Therefore, there isn’t any environmental threat due to its functioning. However, the site at Patto is being used by the CCP for manual composting, which is conducted in a proper manner by making composting pits. In spite of this, I have received complaints that the activity is generating a foul smell in the area.
Yatin and Lata Parekh with children Tanvi and Karan
I am examining the situation and will soon come up with a solution. On what he likes about Goa and what he would like to change Goa is God’s most beautiful creation and its warm people have added more charm to it. There is lot of scope for improvement of public administration, and I am trying my best to meet the expectations that people have pinned on me. On unwinding after office hours My family and friends mean a lot and I try to spend a few hours with them whenever time permits. Otherwise, I am a businessman, so a lot of my time in is spent engaged in my business activities too. On quality time away from work My time away from work is very precious and I try to share these moments with my family, friends and voters. I love to travel and visit new places. Whenever possible, I take tours and trips, a fresh change from routine work. I take occasional holidays with my family. I have travelled widely to the Far East, the Middle East and some European countries. Every country has its own charm.
On balancing work and family I am very fortunate to have a very understanding life partner Lata who has been a great source of strength and inspiration to me. I am lucky to have a good home maker. I have two children, Karan and Tanvi who are God’s blessings to me. On giving back to society Every citizen should give back to society after they have benefitted from it. I strongly believe in this and in my own way, I have lent help and support to many needy people and families. Apart from that, I patronise several social and cultural activities. On his philosophy of life You should not ask what the nation should do for you but what you can do for the nation. If every citizen goes by this philosophy, I believe ours will become a better society to live in. On his message to young Goans Goa is a land of opportunities. Venture into any profession by assessing your talent and skills. I believe that if you give a hundred per cent commitment to your profession with passion, life will reward you. n OCTOBER 2011 17
FOCUS
SHARADA MANDIR
rated No 1
School in Goa by Education World Sharada Mandir School scored the highest in Goa in a survey conducted by Education World-C fore Survey of Schools 2011
S
harada Mandir School has been ranked as the No 1 Day School in the state by Education World-C fore Survey of Schools 2011 while Don Bosco High School, Panaji came in second. The Miramar-based Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE) school which was also rated 20th in the Western Zone and 87th in the country, received the award at a ceremony held at The LaLit New, New Delhi last month. The award looked at academic 18
OCTOBER 2011
reputation, co-curricular education, sports education, faculty competence, individual attention to students, value for money, leadership/ management Sharmila Umesh, quality, principal, parental secondary school involvement, infrastructure provision, quality of alumni/ students, teacher welfare and development, discipline and life skills education, disabled friendliness and community service. According to Dattaraj V Salgaocar, chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees, and also managing director of V M Salgaocar Group, “Our vision is to make Sharada Mandir School as good as the best in India where the holistic Pics by Edric George
development of all students is of prime importance.” Sharada Mandir was founded in 1966 by eminent citizens – advocate Rui Gomes Pereira, Dr Miguel D’Costa, engineer Vasant Pilgaonkar, Alvaro Pinto Furtado, Felizardo Wiseman Pinto, Nirmal Pai and Vasant S Bharne with a vision for different education. According to Dr S K Mhamai, former director of Archives and Archaeology, a little known
but to improve themselves. The award strengthens our resolve to get better.” Oscar Gonsalves, administrator, believes that Sharada Mandir always strives for the best. “Sharada Mandir has a host of facilities to offer,” he says. “But we are unhappy to be pegged at 87th at the all India level. “ Sharada Mandir has a playground and indoor facilities for sports, two libraries, a bookstore, three science laboratories, two computer laboratories, an auditorium, toy libraries, a canteen and audio visual rooms and staff computer rooms for teachers. Three counsellors and two special educators help to take care of the special needs of the students; and the well-equipped First Aid Centre has a nurse in attendance for both students and staff. Students are also actively involved in several clubs, including the Journalism Club, Sports Club, Heritage Club, Art Club and DNA Club, which is a venture of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India among others.
Oscar Gonsalves, administrator
fact was that Adv Pereira, a descendant of the Mhamai family, was instrumental in acquiring the land at Miramar on lease for the construction of Sharada Mandir alias Mahamai Kamat Shishu Vihar. The school
was set up to fulfill the long felt need for quality education in Panaji from the elementary to the secondary level. It was the first school in Goa affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination. The institution is made up of four separate sections: Elementary, Junior and Secondary, with a total number of 1967 students this academic year. Sharmila Umesh, principal, Secondary School says, “We teach our students to not compete with another student,
About the Survey EducationWorld, a human development magazine, introduced the annual India’s Most Respected Schools survey in 2007. A mountain of effort, time, money and cerebration is invested in the compilation and analysis of the survey. The process begins in May with the editors of the publication aided by correspondents and associates compiling a master list of 400 well-known day, traditional/legacy boarding and new genre international primary-secondary schools countrywide. This master list is forwarded to the Delhi-based Centre for Forecasting and Research Pvt Ltd, a market research firm which has developed field data collection expertise and produces business school and collegiate league tables for several national publications
OCTOBER 2011 19
including the Hindustan Times, Mint and Outlook, among others. To conduct this year’s survey, after refining the master list, over 100 field researchers fanned out across 16 cities and education hubs soliciting the opinions of 2,044 fee-paying SECA (socioeconomic category A based upon education and occupation) parents, teachers, principals and independent educationists, who constituted the sample respondents base, about schools in their region. Respondents were asked to rate schools on a scale of 1-100 across the 13 parameters of holistic education excellence listed earlier. According to Dilip Thakore, editor, EducationWorld, “This year’s league tables of India’s most respected day, boarding and international schools indicate a distinct shift in the mood of the informed public in favour of alternate-style education. All schools offering broad-based education with special focus on environmental education and spiritual development have risen in public esteem.” Although it surveys only a few known schools in India, the aim of the EducationWorld-C fore Survey of India’s Most Respected Schools is to encourage healthy competition and aspiration between educational institutions. n
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Eunice D’Sa, principal, junior school
LEGAL BRIEF A regular column on legal affairs and philosophy
Towards a
GREATER
GLORY
ATMARAM NADKARNI is a senior advocate and former Advocate General of Goa
Corruption deadens the soul and pollutes both heart and mind
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Source: www.outlookindia.com
T
he aim of every individual is to attain happiness and God is nothing but bliss personified. The very essence of bliss is love, which is intimate power and the highest element. Many works make no distinction between God and the saints. We have had five Jagat Gurus in India: (i) the original Jagat Guru Shankaracharya who postulated the philosophy of non-dualism (advaita). The title was then conferred on Jagat Guru Nimbarkacharya who propounded the theory of dualism-non-dualism i.e. dvaita-dvaita philosophy. Thereafter there was Jagat Guru Ramanujacharya who propounded the philosophy of non-dualism in a qualified way called the vaishisthtadvaita and after him, Jagat Guru Madhvacharya who came out with the philosophy of dualism (dvaita). The fifth and only living Jagat Guru is Kripalu Maharaj, the title conferred on him on January 14, 1957 by Kashi Vidvat Parishad at Varanasi. This was a congregation of about 500 outstanding scholars of India, each a master of the scriptures which was the subject matter of his life study and research. The philosophy of these masters is unique in this sense: apart from it being
intelligible and interesting, it enlightens both the head as well as the heart. A genuine disciple approaches a spiritual master for securing enlightenment and/or self-realisation and in the process may attain it. I have attended many discourses and also met many saints and people with amazing powers. I have met saints living in
the Himalayas, some of whom have complete mastery over the Universe and its elements. I have also come across those saints and enlightened beings with access to other dimensions beyond this Universe. At many such discourses and at places where saints normally camp out, I have seen several politicians visiting
them. Some of these politicians are genuine while others are corrupt. An incident was narrated to me by an enlightened saint who would never entertain corrupt politicians or any person with a dubious character. He lived in the forest, away from the crowd and was uninterested in meeting or making disciples, giving discourses or collecting money. Though he never took any money, he would propagate that one must donate for a genuine cause and one should have a feeling of gratitude towards God. However, some ardent devotees managed to persuade him to give a public discourse. After the discourse, a genuine businessman turned up and complained to the saint that a politician was acting like a bloodhound, collecting huge amounts of money, amassing wealth and taking a commission for every contract with the government. The saint explained to him the law of karma and that giving bribes was also a crime. A couple of days later, he was visited by the same politician who informed him that he was ready to donate for any cause he may recommend. The saint advised him that any kind of donation, regardless of the source is a good thing. The politician was not impressed with this philosophy as according to him, he had worked very hard to get elected, and the money earned through corruption was also his hard earned money. The saint was shocked by this philosophy. He fell into a meditative state seeking an answer to this approach in life. On the one hand, the politician had worked hard to become a minister and to occupy the post he held. It is also true that you become a politician or a minister in order to serve the people and their cause. In matters of politics, people who occupy such posts are supposed to serve the public. The saint had found a unique politician whose explanation for his ill-gotten wealth was that even if the money was sourced out of corruption, it cannot be said that that it was not hard earned. The saint experienced the happiness of getting an obvious answer. Sage Naroda, a well-known Muni in mythology, said, “These literatures are a different creation, transcendental words directed towards bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilisation.”
The Isopanishad clearly states that everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only that which is necessary for oneself and not things that belong to others. The politician in this instance was not just a materialist, but a corrupt person to the core. His intelligence had been perverted by the actions of his deceptive senses. His heart, mind and the object of his perception had been polluted by the power of speech and a lethal combination of money and arrogance. In the cosmic manifestation, the immediate consequences may or may not be visible to the witness and observer; but the circumstances and events soon start casting their shadow. The politician’s idea of hard work was nothing short of facile self-deception. For him perhaps ignorance is bliss. Life is an interval between birth and death; and can take a full circle in another direction depending on the cycle of karma. I do not know if Viva Goa readers recall my articles in the first two issues where I had clearly forewarned that the year 2012 will not only mean ascension of Earth, but corruption will
be eliminated to a great extent. The 2G spectrum and the CWG scams are surfacing daily. Illegal mining cases in Karnataka and Goa are now very hotly debated issues. Do remember, mother nature has its own power of an unparalleled kind which cannot be controlled by anyone once she decides to intervene. n
`IT WAS NICE OF YOU TO COME ALL THIS WAY BUT MOST PEOPLE JUST VISIT MY WEBSITE´ OCTOBER 2011 23
HEALTH
A regular column on healthy living
6Ways
DR MUDIT KHANNA MS Orthopaedics, MRCS, MCh Orthopaedics, is a consultant on Advanced Joint Replacement Surgery at NUSI Wockhardt Hospital, Goa
to Ruin Your Knees
Whether you’re a seasoned athlete, a weekend warrior or totally laidback when it comes to exercise, knowing how to protect your knees from damage can mean the difference between a fulfilling lifestyle and long-term, strained mobility
K
nee problems can affect anyone. Because they’re the main hinge between the ground and the rest of your body, the knees serve as your ‘wheels’ that get you around and allow you to be active. Life can really go downhill when you damage your knees. Bound by an intricate system of ligaments, tendons, cartilage and muscle, the knee is highly prone to injury. It’s a complex hinge where the femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin bone), fibula (next to tibia) and kneecap all come together. It’s hard to find the right balance between mobility and stability; the knee needs to move back and forth, twist a little, and pivot too. Its ligaments can tear, tendons can swell up, osteoarthritis can take hold and even everyday wear and tear can ruin a perfectly good set of knees. Here are six pitfalls you can avoid to save your knees.
1
Ignoring knee pain An occasional ache here and there is common. But knowing when you can and can’t ignore pain is the key. Metzl’s rule of thumb: When the pain limits your ability to do what you normally do, you need to have it checked out.
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OCTOBER 2011
Source: www.padelnostrum.com
If your body is sending you signals, you need to listen to them. If they persist, you need to have it checked out.
2
Being overweight Every pound of body weight yields five pounds of force on the knee, so even ten extra pounds can put a considerable load on those joints. Being overweight also increases your chances of osteoarthritis in the knee, a common and often disabling form of arthritis that wears away the knee’s cushiony cartilage. Excess pounds also cause existing arthritis to worsen faster. According to a study, two out of three obese adults suffer from knee osteoarthritis at some time in their life. Although diet and exercise are critical for weight loss, it’s a double-edged sword. If your knees hurt, it’s harder to lose weight through exercise. Go for activities that are easy on the knee. For example, opt for a stationary bike over running on the treadmill, and walk on a flat surface instead of hilly turf. If you’re a diehard treadmill fan, then go for longer sessions of walking punched with brief intervals of brisk walking or running every three to five minutes.
and turn puts greater strain on their ligaments. However, all athletes can be trained to “rewire” themselves and thus lower risks of knee injury through neuromuscular training involving supervised practice to improve agility, leg strength and jump-landing techniques for better knee-joint stability. These specialised techniques are effective in reducing risks of knee injury by almost 50 per cent, according to a 2010 review of seven neuromuscular training studies.
5
Overdoing it You make gains in fitness when you work hard and then allow your body to recover. You can’t do a hard workout every day. A sudden increase in intensity or duration of exercise can cause overuse injuries from repetitive strain. Tendonitis and kneecap pain are common symptoms in the knee. Pushing too hard is also related to overtraining syndrome, a physiological and psychological condition among athletes in which they exceed their ability to
perform and recover from physical exertion, often leading to injury or lowered performance. Be sure to include stretching exercises before and after working out. And follow hard training days with easy ones so your body can recover.
6
Overlooking other muscles around the knees Weak muscles and lack of flexibility are primary causes of knee injuries. When the muscles around the kneecap, hip and pelvis are strong, it keeps the knee stable and balanced, providing support by absorbing some of the stress exerted on the joint. It is important to build up the quadriceps and hamstring muscles, as well as properly strengthen the body’s core muscles, including the obloquies; lower back muscles and upper thigh. I am sure that we don’t want to have knee problems when we are 40 or 50 because we are not giving our body the kind of attention it needs right now. n
3
Not following through with rehab and rest The rest and rehabilitation period after a knee injury is critical to avoiding future pain or re-injury. Depending on the type of damage and treatment, recovery could last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months. During the rehab period, you need someone to help you tell the difference between something that just hurts and something that’s going to do you harm.
4
Neglecting your ACL One of the most commonly injured ligaments in the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), is responsible for about 150,000 injuries every year. More traditional high-risk sports include soccer, basketball, football and volleyball. Women in particular have a two-to-eight times higher risk for ACL tears compared to men, mainly because the way women naturally jump, land 26
OCTOBER 2011
‘You’ll always have trouble with your knees Mr Smith, unless you learn not to hop!’
FIRST LADY Featuring eminent women of Goa
‘I Can Live
On My Own Terms in
Goa’ Working in the field of child and family mental health has been her life. DR NANDITA DE SOUZA, head of Sethu – a Panaji-based charitable trust for child development and family guidance – on why she has the best job in the world and on living on her own terms in Goa
S
he believes one can discover so much from how children approach life and learning, and on being part of a child’s development. A developmental and behavioural pediatrician, Dr Nandita de Souza received the inaugural Navhind Times-Viva Goa Goan Achievers Award for Social Empowerment 2010, has a special interest in autism and parenting. She also teaches English at her local government primary school. On the home front she enjoys collecting recipes rather than putting them to the test and is a somewhat erratic gardener. But Goa is where her heart lies – the poder’s horn, the green fields and fawn beaches have her hooked. Pic by Edric George
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OCTOBER 2011
Viva Goa catches up with Dr de Souza
What does a typical day entail? What I like about my work is that it changes from day to day. It never gets boring! The downside of this is that I have to be really well organised to be able to multi-task effectively. I work full time at Sethu and am available at the centre in Altinho on most days. I divide my time between the clinic, and training, teaching and administrative activities. A ‘normal’ workday would entail working with children at the centre, writing up case reports, project proposals, training other professionals, parents or students and completing the numerous ‘unfinished symphonies’ that create all that noise on my desk! I also teach English at my local government primary school two mornings a week. I long for a day where there is nothing to do and all the time to do it! How did you get into social work? And why child-centric NGOs in particular? I do not consider my work as ‘social work’. Neither am I a trained social worker, nor do I make any sacrifices for the greater good of mankind. I do my work for one reason only – and that is because I enjoy it. I don’t mean to boast, but I think that I have the best job in the world. Working with children is an honour and I am completely hooked. You can learn so much from how children approach life and learning – I have great respect for what they tell me, either in words or deed. With the little I do for children, the rewards are bountiful. They forgive all my mistakes and always give me a second chance. Sethu also works towards family counselling. Have there been any recurring problems that you’ll have encountered in the past few years? Families are such complex social systems. There is no such thing as a standard, normal family. In working with families, one has to facilitate a process of effective communication. Most problems occur because of improper limit setting (too much, too little, too harsh) and poor communications. We try to correct this by helping parents to manage their own anger, listen to their children, recognise their feelings and discipline them firmly but respectfully.
Many parents want to be perfect parents with perfect children. In fact, ‘perfect parenting’ is one of the most counter-productive goals and creates so much resentment, self doubt and stress. Being a ‘good enough’ parent is a more practical, healthy and effective approach. When there is a family in trouble, one of my first tasks is to find out the positive factors that can be built upon. Every family is doing at least one thing right. The next step is to define what needs to be changed. Teaching family members to express their feelings without hurting others and to respond to others’ feelings is a part of the process. What do you love most about Goa and where do you see it heading? Goa is home and here is where my heart lies. I love that I can live life on my own terms in Goa. I do not have to think or behave in a particular way to impress people or achieve my dreams. I love it that I can go for a movie in my shorts and rubber chappals and no one will bat an eyelid. That I can drive home after a party at two in the morning all by myself. That every day I can see green fields and dappled sunlight on a river, hear the poder’s horn, and meet people from all over India and the world. Where is Goa headed? It is fortunate that civil society has a voice here and we have fairly good access to our politicians. Since Goa is a small state with a high literacy rate and per capita income we can definitely have sensible, sustainable development.
Tell us something about your personal interests beyond work? I love to read and always do so before going to sleep at night. Recently I have learnt to swim and rush off to the pool whenever I can. My other interests occupy me in erratic fashion – you will see me in the garden every day for a week and then not at all for a couple of months! My disasters in the culinary arena have not killed my enthusiasm entirely, though I am more excited about collecting recipes rather than trying them out. Do you think women suffer gender bias, even in progressive Goa? Of course! Goa’s falling sex ratio is a shame considering how good our other health and economic indicators are. In terms of safety, health and education, the situation may be better for women in Goa but I believe that a boy child preference is very much prevalent and this is a serious concern. n
Dr Nandita with son Dhruv and husband Luis
OCTOBER 2011 31
PHOTO ESSAY
The
Feast of the
Conch Shell
A celebration of Anant Chaturdashi
Pics by Edric George
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I
t’s a day set aside in the year to venerate a natural rarity – the inverse spiral conch, which opens to the right and not the left as normal. On Anant Chaturdashi (ten days after Ganesh Chaturthi), the landmark Mhamai Kamat house in Panaji worships the sacred shell, which is adorned with gold and gems, and places it at the feet of a silver idol of Lord Krishna, to which people from all across the state irrespective of religion come to pay homage. It is unclear when the festival was first celebrated, but according to tradition it arose out of an act by some slaves in bondage in the family. The servants had killed a snake, which resulted in the deaths of newborn male members. In order to appease Sesha or the snake, the Mhamai family
OCTOBER 2011 33
PHOTO ESSAY
began celebrating Anant Chaturdashi. Various tales are told of the origin of the conch – one in which a member of the Mhamai household requested for the shell from the captain of a merchant vessel, who was using it as a paper weight, oblivious to its worth. Known as the Casa dos Camotims Mhamais during the Portuguese era, the ancient Hindu aristocratic house has 23 rooms and two razangans or internal courtyards, and occupies a place of pride in the history of Panaji. Whatever the tale, the Kongyachem Fest attracts hundreds of visitors, who cram the Mhamai Kamat household to venerate the Goddess Mhamai and the holy conch before being served the samaradhana or community dinner. n
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VIVA GOANS A regular column featuring eminent Goans living outside Goa
When Your
Profession
is Your Passion… Ronny Sequeira with his Harley-Davidson
RONNY SEQUEIRA provides an insight into photography, his love for bikes… and holidays in Thivim
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rowing up in Jamshedpur in Bihar, Ronald Sequeira, better known as Ronny, discovered that his life lay in making people look good in pictures. Having started off taking pictures of his pet Alsatian at age 10, he now boasts of a portfolio that includes ad shoots for Pepsi, Airtel, ICICI, Lays, Blackberrys and Nokia. And that’s not all. From magazine shoots with L’Officiel, FHM and Time N Style to portraits of the rich and famous including automobile designer Dilip Chhabria, politician Praful Patel, 36
OCTOBER 2011
ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, model Nina Manuel, fashion designer Shane Peacock, actor Nandita Das, percussionist Sivamani and Italian hairstylist Rosanno Ferretti, Ronny has experimented and tinkered with different styles. VIVA GOA focuses on him What are your earliest and fondest memories of Goa? Mom is from Parra and dad from Thivim. We still have our ancestral home in Thivim and some of my fondest memories from childhood were our vacations during the summer holidays with lots of cousins going fishing, eating mangoes, cashews and sannas. In fact, in the last couple of years we have been coming to Goa nearly three to four times a year.
What advice would you give to an aspiring photographer? For someone to prepare for this profession, first and foremost, they should have the passion. Secondly, read a lot whether it’s through books or through the internet. And lastly shoot, shoot and shoot! It also helps to assist a seasoned professional from whom one can learn a lot of the tricks of the trade. Are there any changes you would like to see in your profession? Not much, really, because the profession is booming in India and there will be a lot more growth in the next few years. Loads of foreign magazines have come into India and that’s the best platform for starting out photographers. Though, I would like to see photography as an art become more widespread.
was a more organic process. That thrill and excitement is over, though even with digital when one has got ‘that shot’ there is a certain amount of fulfilment. Tell us more about your childhood in Bihar. My childhood in Bihar was actually in Jamshedpur which is unlike most parts of Bihar. It was a very cosmopolitan upbringing and my interest in photography actually started because of a hobby centre in our colony which promoted various hobbies – one of them being photography. How do you unwind after work? Currently it’s my one-and-a-half year old brat Aidan who is enough of a ‘time pass’ as soon as I come home! How important is quality time away from work? It is very important especially when one has done back-to-back shoots and generally it involves a nice, relaxed Sunday when I end up doing my usual chores – bathing the dog, washing the bike, and maybe cooking a nice lunch.
Are there any interesting or out-of-the-box projects you are looking forward to? We just completed one recently with John Abraham for Castrol. The concept was simple but brilliant – Come Fly With John. The concept was to build a bike with wings indicating that this is a bike that can actually fly! The end result is a dark grungy background and hard edge lighting that came out fantastic. Elaborate on the switch from film to digital. Which do you prefer? The switch happened about five years ago when we went from shooting medium format film to medium format digital. I would still prefer film but today there’s not really a choice. Clients want to see the end product on the computer and be satisfied that they have ‘got’ the shot. Shooting film
Tell us more about your passion for bikes? Growing up as a child in Jamshedpur we had a lot of Parsi neighbors who had some beautiful British bikes. Seeing those BSAs, Triumphs and Nortons got me interested in bikes, so while in college I had an RX100 (which I still keep). Later I went through a couple of
Royal Enfields and currently I am riding a Harley-Davidson, a bike I always wanted. I enjoy riding because I am basically an outdoor person and the sense of adventure and freedom which one gets on a bike is quite unmatched. How do you strike a balance between work, pressure and family? It’s not that difficult to balance these as generally our shoots are more ‘project based’. It’s rare that I do back-to-back shoots. This means there’s enough time to dedicate to family and other activities before the next project comes up. Your wife is a stylist. Do you prefer having her with you on shoots? No. We both are very headstrong in our points-of-view and usually end up arguing a lot. In the initial years we did shoot a lot together but later decided that for peace in the home we better keep our professional lives separate. Do you believe in giving back to society? Yes, though as of now I have not started anything towards that end. We have done odd shoots for a few NGOs like Akanksha. Maybe someday 10-15 years from now I might like to impart my knowledge through some sort of a school where youngsters can come and share my knowledge and experience. Is there a ‘philosophy’ in your life that you would like to share with our readers? Live life in the now and to the fullest. n
Ronny and wife Pratima with children Alaina and Aidan
OCTOBER 2011 37
Your photography icon… Mario Testino
RAPID FIRE
Your style of photography is… Minimalistic Dealing with children and animals… Tests your patience but it can be very fruitful. Celebrity tantrums… are part of the profession but we don’t see it that often. Preparing yourself before a shoot
with celebrities... If I have not shot with that celebrity before, I read about the person or generally ask people who know him or her, so if they have any interest in particular I can chat about that and break the ice. Your first photoshoot was… with model and dear friend Bikram Saluja at a friend’s farmhouse at Talegaon. We got some nice images from that shoot, one of which is still part of my current portfolio. Favourite Goan dish… Chicken xacuti Three things you must do when in Goa… 1) Visit my godmother 2) Choris pao 3) Kings Beer
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ARTIST REVIEW
From to
FOOTBALL
Paint and Brush
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
Pic by Edric George
Leaving behind a successful career as captain of the Indian football team, YOLANDA SOUSA KAMMERMEIER has played fair with the world of art and become one of Goa’s leading painters
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F
make a personal statement. It may not always be a social topic, in fact it is rarely so. But I don’t paint dreams. I live in the real world.” Deeply influenced by the history and culture of the region, she has poured her knowledge onto the canvas, tempered with technical finesse. The desire to express herself sparked in her the drive to develop an unusual technique that is reminiscent of ceramic paintings. High gloss with subtle relief that reflect a curious light from the surroundings add a sense of mystery to her work and entices the viewer to establish a closer relationship with the paintings. Yolanda has had several successful shows in and outside the Indian subcontinent. Listed here are few of her noted solo shows abroad: ‘Destined Destiny’ at Galeria Gora in Montreal, Canada; ‘Hanse Art Fair – 2010’ at Bremen, Germany and ‘Journey Beyond Time’ at the WAG Gallery at Berlin. She has also participated in several group shows including the ‘International Art Exhibition’ in Busan, South Korea; ‘Women Artists on Amrita Sher-Gil’ in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and Moscow, Russia; ‘Women on Women’, an international festival of art in Bangalore; ‘Roots & Shoots’, Corks Gallery in London, UK; ‘Portugal Through the Eyes of Artists in Goa’ at the Portuguese Consulate, Goa and ‘Artists at Home and Abroad’, Broadway Gallery in New York. Yolanda has a large number of her works in private and institutional collections in the country as well with some prominent collectors. She was recently honoured with an award for Creative Excellence at the camp organised by the Artist Colony of
Hajduboszormenv in Hungary. Yolanda, the star captain of the Indian side in the late 70s and early 80s, was once heralded as the ‘Madonna of Goan Football’. She seems to have come closer to claiming that title in the field of art as well. She could indeed be called ‘the Pele of Goan art’. n
‘
Y Yolanda probes the depths of her subjects to establish authenticity. Having seen the best of both worlds, from crime-free to a Goa eroded by corruption, Her angst-ridden heart employs art as a medium to undo contemporary wrongs
‘
ootball’s loss has been the art world’s gain. Yolanda Sousa Kammermeier’s name is familiar to many diehard football fans of the late 70s as much as it is to as many art connoisseurs today. Putting aside football for the call of brush and paint was a very difficult decision for this one-time captain of the Indian football team. Many goals later, Yolanda shifted gears and steered towards painting. Armed with a degree in fine arts from the Goa College of Art, Yolanda, inspired by her mother, entered the maidan of creative arts and has never looked back since. Soon after graduation, she began to work for a state-run design institute as a designer. All along, she never lost sight of her main goal. A creative person with loads of talent and enough confidence in her abilities, Yolanda quit the cozy job she had at the design centre to take up art full time. Partnering with her husband Rudolph Ludwig Kammemeier, she established the now famous art gallery ‘Art Chambers’ in Calangute in the mid 90s. This gallery offers a platform to the young and the established to display their work to an eclectic mix of art lovers from diverse nationalities. Simplicity, honesty and an intrinsic affable nature prods her to lend a helping hand to many aspiring newcomers. True to her colourful self, Yolanda paints captivating pictures that replicate a ceramic surface yet seem soft and tangible. Memories are frozen on canvas and viewers are invited to a nostalgic trip. This is vividly evident in the series with images of her childhood that includes ancestors, the church, and her old Goan home. With exhibitions titled Faces and Phases, Saudades, or Mundial, based on football, Yolanda probes the depths of her subjects to establish authenticity. All her work is imbued with a love of Goa. Having seen the best of both worlds, from crime-free to a Goa eroded by corruption, Yolanda’s angst-riddled heart employs art as a medium to undo contemporary wrongs. Memories she has welded to herself guard her from getting sullied by the quagmire of synthetic emotions. “The canvas to me is a friend with whom I am totally free,” says Yolanda. “I share my very special moments with my canvas. My paintings almost always
OCTOBER 2011 41
GUEST COLUMN
SWAPNIL NAIK is Director of Tourism, Government of Goa
The director elaborates on Goa’s initiative in the UN World Tourism Day – Links Between Cultures Through Tourism theme
I
t was 200 years ago that the word ‘tourism’ was first used, but the rich and mighty had been travelling long before that – to see great works of art, learn new languages, experience new cultures and taste different cuisines. More recently, improvements in technology have allowed many more people to travel at far less the cost and time than in the early days. On World Tourism Day, we celebrate the journeys of all travellers seeking new places and exploring new cultures. It is only fair then to celebrate the link that travel and tourism provides to people from different, diverse cultures interacting with each other. The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) sets aside September 27 every year to “foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value”. With this year’s theme – Linking Cultures, the UNWTO hopes that travel and tourism will aid the tolerance, respect and mutual understanding required to create a more peaceful world. This year’s host is Egypt, where a high-level think tank is debating the optimisation of interactions between tourists and host communities, tourism 42
OCTOBER 2011
Bringing THE
Source: www.mycausewater.com
World Tourism
as a force for peace and its role in soft diplomacy at Aswan. Goa, too, is taking part in the celebrations. The Department of Tourism is holding a number of events in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Tourism, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), Archaeological Survey of India, Goa Tourism Development Corporation and others. Goa is known the world over for its beaches, so what better programme to hold than a beach cleaning drive involving nongovernment organisations, the TTAG and college students. In a bid to involve more youth, it is hoped that the inter-collegiate elocution competition will help them understand the value of tourism and how it helps them link with other youngsters globally. Around 250 children with special needs were also taken on a boat cruise to commemorate the day. The importance of tourism in Goa is not unknown. Ever since the 60s, we have been hosting a steadily increasing stream of visitors. Today one-third of the state’s population is directly or indirectly dependent on tourism. The influx has brought in `950-1200 crores as revenue to Goa. We also earn from foreign exchange as the state caters to nearly 100 per cent of all charter traffic that comes to India. Around 26.5 lakh tourists arrived in the state last year, of which 22 lakh were domestic and about 4.5 lakh were foreign. This is a record, as is the number of charter flights that
Closer Through
landed here – 900 flights carrying about 1.73 lakh people. Another notable factor has been that Goa has now started receiving tourists from countries like Iran, Poland, France, Kazakhastan and for types of tourism like MICE, leisure, weddings, etc. Last year’s charter flights came in from 12 countries. But we won’t stop here. The Department has plans for the future. A high-power task force on Tourism has been set up under the Chief Minister, consisting of the Minister for Tourism, the Leader of Opposition, the Tourism stakeholders, Goa Union of Journalists and NGO representatives. The aim is to discuss and decide a set of priorities for tourism over the next 10 years, based on which a tourism master plan will be prepared. We aim to build a very strong organisation which will also simplify procedures for tourism-related projects. If all goes well, Goa will soon see its very own golf course. Msrs Leading Hotels Private Limited has been identified to partner with the Government to build the state’s first golf course at Tiracol. We have also floated Expressions of Interest in other tourism-related projects such as marinas, convention centres, cable cars, helicopter and amphibian aircraft tourism. Let us hope that the lessons we learn today have a lasting impact on our policies and our visitors have the time of their lives learning about our culture even as we learn about theirs. n
INTERIORS/ EXTERIORS
An alumnus of the Goa College of Architecture, Arch SIDDHA D SARDESSAI casts an expert eye on distinctive and contemporary houses of Goa
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OCTOBER 2011
A Perfect Balance H Art and architecture meet and blend perfectly in DR SUBODH and DR SAVITA KERKAR’S house in Saligao
omes have faces and souls; they possess something indefinable born out of an idea or a feeling…” We begin the conversation with these random thoughts of Subodh Kerkar, an artist of repute as I fine-tune myself to understand his design philosophy, dedication and passion when visualising his own house. Designed in collaboration with architect Dean D’Cruz, the house truly infuses art into architecture and one is amazed at the flexibility of it, accommodating both within its pristine settings. Kerkar recalls the brain storming sessions he would have with D’Cruz on the conceptualisation of this project. Crazy and innovative ideas had been thrashed out including techniques like The living room
Pics by Edric George
OCTOBER 2011 47
‘
‘
A large canvas painted by his late father Chandrakanth Kerkar accentuates the plain white wall in the living room
‘ferrocement’ that could have been used on this project. Kerkar has a predilection for ocean themes in his creations and he wanted to have this connection for his home project too. An oceanic form began to evolve and finally D’Cruz came up with the ‘waves’ form for the roof that would replicate this aspect of the ocean. Working on a project with an artist and that too for his own house can be a challenge. But this collaboration shows how equal prominence has been given to both, showcasing the best of both worlds. The line between art and design has blurred. One look at the site and you are sure to fall in love with it. The works of art are scattered through all the areas of the residence, from the living space and bedrooms, right up to the gardens. The façade of the house has grills done in Kerkar’s style – cutwork metal resembling the waves is perfectly set in the background of the green fields creating an architectural language that speaks volumes on novelty and uniqueness. These grills, while tempering the sunlight, guarantee greater comfort and create a texture with light, while at the same time allowing for free ventilation within. The interior of the house is split over two levels and is as simple and elegant as the exterior. The magnificent floor to ceiling windows frame the lush green view of the fields. Soothing whites on the walls, a vast expanse of polished Kotah flooring along with the artworks complete the sophisticated look. 48
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The pleasing double-height living cum dining area opens up to the surroundings through the clear glass windows. Encashing on the height, Kerkar has created hanging lights that are conceptualised as clouds. He says, “This allows a feeling of openness during the day, and at night lights flood out to illuminate the house.” Apart from the natural touch that comes from the outdoor surroundings, the walls have been painted in bright white to accentuate the beauty of the wealth of paintings that have been displayed. A large canvas painted by his late father Chandrakanth Kerkar accentuates the plain white wall in the living room. The stair railing and the little ventilators in the walls have been done with metal cutwork in similar patterns that replicate the waves. Sculptures and artefacts from his own creations have been displayed in the house. Also, a lot of the furniture has been especially designed by the owner as well. Whatever the reason, it is the simplicity in the look that scores. As Savita Kerkar explains, “After working all day one really does not want to return to a home which appears to be a glitzy art gallery.” The openness, timelessness and seamlessness of the home give it an almost meditative aura. The clutter-free space lends a sense of calm and a break from the chaotic environment and for the visitor, a warm welcome. The lower level has the formal living, the informal living, dining, kitchen and
The cutwork metal grills resemble waves
a guest room. The upper level houses the three bedrooms. There is an interesting installation on the walls downstairs of the various entities that man worships today. Gandhiji, Ambedkar and even Satya Saibaba find their place among the gods of different religions. There is also an interesting operation
Savita and Subodh Kerkar with son Siddharth
‘
The line between art and design has blurred. One look at the site and you are sure to fall in love with it. Works of art are scattered through all areas of the residence – from the living space and bedrooms, right up to the gardens
‘
The use of floor-to-ceiling windows frames lush views of the fields outside
50
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theatre lamp in the formal living room, a reminder of Subodh’s previous profession. Fascinating pieces of furniture add a touch of sophistication to the peaceful canvas. A terracotta and glass centre table sits amongst the cane sofa set in the informal living space. Another table done with oyster shells and glass takes its place in the formal living room. This space also houses sofa sets influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. The children, Sharada and Siddharth have introduced their works of art into the house. And not to be left far behind, Savita too has created a hanging chandelier made of saree borders. The house is a perfect amalgamation of art and architecture and the Kerkar-D’Cruz combine have conceptualised a simple and straight-line décor keeping in mind the house had to adapt to different environs. The ‘waves’ form of the house also symbolises the matching of wavelengths of the two to create a wonderful piece of art, or should I say architecture. n
The lights conceptualise clouds hanging from the sky above
HOSPITALITY A column which reviews the best hotels in Goa
SINEAD McMANUS has lived and worked in Goa for the last six years. Her job entails travelling extensively around India, promoting the country to the British/American Travel Trade and to the independent traveller
– the
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ome
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– the
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To Roof
At Home in your ‘Living Room’ Amble through the heart of Vagator and you are bound to stumble upon THE LIVING ROOM by Seasons Hotels. Its cosy allure promises an experience that makes one feel right at home 52
OCTOBER 2011
‘
Every moment you spend in The Living Room is just like time spent at the home of your dearest friend, a place where you are always welcome
‘
O
pened in March 2011, The Living Room by Seasons Hotels is a state-of-the-art contemporary boutique resort, celebrating a gypsy and Bohemian way of living. Located in Vagator, north Goa, you will find it is just a short walk from Vagator Beach. The Seasons Group owner Sanjay Khullar has been providing progressive hospitality and catering services in the country for the past 18 years as well as in Dubai. The Living Room introduces everyday objects to the space and brings in a casual opulence common to more private living spaces. The hotel has 27 rooms over three stories and two categories to choose
from, each provide a stunning view of the neighbourhood. On offer are nine cosy Study Rooms and 18 Master Rooms which are more spacious. But both categories provide all the comforts and modern amenities designed to make you feel right at home. After settling in on a sunny Sunday, a leisurely afternoon awaited us! We enjoyed ourselves by the pool side taking the occasional dip to cool down. The pool is of a good size with a gentle waterfall that keeps the water fresh. There is also a baby pool and a Jacuzzi attached to allow both adults and children a bit of extra play area. Surrounding the swimming pool is an airy patio terrace offering deep and comfortable sun loungers as well as a shady seating area if required to escape from the searing sun.
After a couple of hours we retreated in doors to enjoy lunch. ‘All Day Dining’, the authentic multi-cuisine restaurant offers rich flavours and textures with carefully selected farm-fresh ingredients with unusual cooking styles. They bring out the flavours in the home grown vegetables, succulent meats and delectable seafood created by their skilled chefs. The menu holds a fine selection of Mediterranean, Oriental and North Indian cuisine – our taste buds were in for a really special treat! We washed it all down with a few of the house signature cocktails in the comfort of the lively lounge bar. To quote the chef, “Every dish that my team and I put on the table expresses who we are and what we stand for.” Set to open by the end of this month is the stylish open-air Indo-Arabic experience, Salaam, which promises an evening of culinary delights with a live seafood counter, Arabic grills and North West Frontiers dishes. The traditional mezze platter promises to be one of the highlights. With her team, Maria Cabral overlooks operations and ensures that your stay at the hotel is a delight. Her mission is to provide guests with the best of local and international cuisines with a firm commitment towards service excellence, attention to detail and most of all an unforgettable experience. She says, “The Living Room is essentially your space, an expression of your personality. So, when you stay with us, remember you are at home.” The Living Room by Seasons Hotels is the perfect setting for fun, to chill out, and for honeymooners who want to make the most out of their time in Goa. n
Sanjay Khullar Managing director OCTOBER 2011 53
PHOTO ESSAY
in focus
}
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Stunning in white against an overcast sky at Miramar Beach, global humanitarian and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation was in Goa last month as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations. During Anandotsav 2011 at a meditation programme on the beach, the guru touched upon how his exercise promotes a tranquil and stress-free mind. While in Goa, he stayed at Park Hyatt in Cansaulim, where he was hosted by owner Sunita Suri and her son Kushal. Edric George captures Sri Sri’s two-day visit to the state in pictures‌
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A L
AO L RT
F
IVING
OCTOBER 2011 55
FEATURE
Dr Martin D’Costa, head of ‘Dance Illusions’
Setting the Floor on 56
Fire
OCTOBER 2011
The Goa DanceSport Association has proved to the country that the state takes its dancing spirit seriously. Winning the 5th All-India DanceSport championship and more recently two gold medals for jive and salsa at the 3rd Open Maharashtra DanceSport Championship in September, the association is ready to set the floor on fire. VIVA GOA steps in tune with the dance world in Goa By JANICE RODRIGUES
Pics by Edric George
I
f you thought dance was just about shaking a leg or two, think again when the DanceSport Associations the world over come to the fore. With passion and precision these dancers take dance to another realm of skill and dedication. Be it the measured movements of the waltz or the dramatic paso doble, these ballroom exponents lead the way. With DanceSport Associations set up worldwide under the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF), India has 16 states under the radar of the All-India DanceSport Association. Goa, although being the smallest state, has produced a team of dancers who have captivated hearts at various competitions held across the length and breadth of the country. Bagging the title of the best DanceSport Association in the country and winning two gold medals for the jive and salsa at the 3rd Open Maharashtra DanceSport Championship in September, the Goa DanceSport association is on a roll. Sunny Talaudiker and Shineade Vaz in jive and Sparsha Deshpande and Amit Rajput in masters salsa all won the gold. “Dance to us is not a mere social activity, it is a sport in which we can excel and compete with teams from other states,” says Dr Martin D’Costa who heads the Goa team at the All-India DanceSport Competition. Having set up his dance school ‘Dance Illusions’ about four years ago, Dr Martin is driven by a passion for perfection and has tried to bring that out in the members of his team. “Since there are a number of dance schools affiliated with the association, we have to choose the best and we did so for the all-India level competitions,” Martin explains. Goa’s love for dance can be seen in the various classes that are being held in different parts of the state. Martin himself conducts classes throughout the week in Vasco, Panaji and Margao, which has the largest number of students. “Ballroom dances can be divided into two categories – the Latin including zumba, samba, cha cha, jive and paso doble and the standard dances comprising the waltz, foxtrot, the Viennese waltz, quickstep and tango,” says Dr Martin. Popular
among these have been the salsa and jive although a craze for zumba has also taken off. “Although there has been a demand for various other dances styles, I prefer sticking to the standard dances. If I do some other dance, I won’t be able to do full justice to my speciality,” says Dr Martin, whose favourite is the foxtrot, “which is also the toughest” he adds. “My wife and I started learning from videos, but without a proper instructor we had no choice but to go to Bangkok and Singapore to learn the dances properly,” says Martin, who with his wife Flossy, has gained mastery over the standard dances, and kept updating their skills with various improvisations. He adds, “We were really fortunate to have learnt dance out there. The teaching styles are so different compared to Indian standards.” When attending their first class, they were told to warm up and do
stretching exercises. Apart from this, they were able to learn some of the finer points. “There is so much between two steps, all of which cannot be taught at one go. We have to keep attending more classes,” explains Martin. Learning is a continuous process and if you are a part of a competitive scene like DanceSport, it is a prime requisite. Says Martin, “I am a doctor in the Sajeevani Hospital in Vasco, but every free minute goes into thinking about dance. It is so engrossing that you don’t even realise when it becomes a part of you.” For people like Dr Martin and Flossy, music is their elixir which keeps their dance alive. “For competitions, we cannot do choreography. You are given any song and are expected to dance to the beat, let the music fill your soul and just move to the rhythm,” says the dancer physician before he whisks away a partner and swirls across the dance floor. n OCTOBER 2011 57
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Source: www.jaagore.com
Advocacy group Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) has been lobbying for stronger implementation of laws for the differently abled to improve their inclusion in the mainstream society. DRAG president Avelino de Sa retraces its history By EMYLOU D’SOUZA
Enabling the
Disabled 58
OCTOBER 2011
I
t’s not just wheelchairs and crutches. Many differently abled persons have the desire to work and build happy and successful lives. Cleto Godinho is one such case. An employee of Corporation Bank, Utorda, South Goa, Godinho has been denied promotions on several occasions, despite clearing tests and being well-qualified for the position. His crutches don’t hinder his indomitable spirit; it puts his mettle to the test. “My higher-ups were more concerned about my disability rather than my ability. I want to move up the ladder and be considered for promotions. The attitude is wrong and we have to fight for employment opportunities for handicapped people,” says Godinho, a founder member of DRAG. A meeting of the minds for some, a desperate cry for justice for others, DRAG, which completes eight years this month, embodies unity for the specially-abled community in the state. After a prolonged battle since 2003, certain provisions under the Disability Act still remain only on
paper. DRAG was, however, instrumental in getting two wheelchair accessible mini-buses for the severely orthopedic disabled procured by the Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) Limited last month. “As per a High Court petition, the KTC is supposed to supply five buses by March 2006. However, low-floor buses were not feasible due to the potholed roads in Goa,” states Avelino de Sa, president and co-founder of DRAG. He adds, “We are trying to force the government to get the private sector to come out with these buses. Whether it’s two or five, the number will not be able to support the state’s disabled population.” Goa has 15,749 disabled persons according to the 2001 Census, out of which 8,889 are male and 6,860 female. However, taking into account the disabilities that weren’t accounted for, like mental illness, autism, slow learners and the learning disabled, DRAG expects the figure to have risen to approximately 40,000. In 2005, two law students from Salgaocar College of Law filed a petition in the High Court submitting that accessibility provisions under the Disability Act were not being implemented. As a result, today several public places have ramps, buildings like the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) have installed lifts, building bye-laws have been amended and the KTC has launched special buses. According to de Sa, it has been ten years since the state executive committee for the disabled has sat down to a meeting – meetings which are supposed to take place every three months. “If policies aren’t formulated, how do you expect there to be any welfare for the disabled in the state? Also, the Social Welfare Department has its hands full as it looks after the needs of the disabled, scheduled castes, other
backward classes, children of freedom fighters, senior citizens and war widows. So where is the time to handle the welfare of the disabled?” Despite such roadblocks, DRAG was responsible for enabling larger numbers to benefit from the state. This was done by raising the limit for the disabled from `25,000 to `1,20,000 per annum to avail of benefits from the state government. (The limit has since risen to `1,50,000). ‘Aspirations’, a bi-monthly newsletter in both English and Konkani, was recently launched by the organisation. It aims to reach out to disabled persons who don’t have access to the internet and keep the community abreast of developments in the field of disability, not only in Goa but also across the country and abroad. It is a powerful medium through which the employment cell of the association will also be highlighted. “Give the disabled a chance, “We need to raise our voice and otherwise we are preventing another support a cause even if it doesn’t affect genius from contributing to society,” us,” says Victor Fernandes, a financial says de Sa. “There were many great advisor and co-founder of DRAG. people who were disabled – “We need unity,” affirms Taha Thomas Edison, Helen Keller, Stevie Haaziq, a member of the organisation Wonder, Sir Stephen Hawking, and voice trainer at the National Beethoven and even St Ignatius Association for the Blind (NAB) in of Loyola who has given us Santa Cruz. He adds, “There is a gap St Francis Xavier.” DRAG is the voice of disabled people, between the disabled and the abled which needs to be bridged.” n fighting for special incentives for them. Among the issues taken up by it is For further information visit the State Disaster Management Policy www.disabilitygoa.org which has no provisions for them, shops to be allotted in panchayats and municipalities to the disabled ty into Ability and conducting sensitisation urning Disabili T programmes in schools buses ort in Kadamba sp and colleges. an tr ee Fr l
and ferries
assistance for l Financial ent to disabled persons self-employm trepreneurs s to private en ve ti n ce In l disabled to employ the m on `500 per annu l Grant of er stationer y books and oth ed to month provid l `3,000 perkers who have a industrial wor red child mentally impai OCTOBER 2011 59
HOMING IN A regular column by foreigners who have made Goa their home
Hunting Down
theHunter
John Hicks, once with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in the British army, has dedicated his life in Goa to the welfare of animals
J
ohn Hicks spent five years in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in the British Army as a specialist dog trainer. He left to get involved in animal welfare after seeing a fox killed barbarically in a foxhunt and after visiting a slaughter house. While still in the army, he became a strict vegetarian. In 1975, he became chairman of the Hunt Saboteurs Association and founded Animal Activists. He has organised dozens of sit-ins at Harrods Fur Department, culminating in the closure of Swear and Wells, then the biggest chain of
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fur shops in the UK. In 1976, he and his wife Jo went on hunger strike and stopped the use of hundreds of Beagles for a smoking experiment. He has worked for Compassion in World Farming and became a director of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection and the League Against Cruel Sports where he exposed the cruelty in deer hunting and became the first person to win a High Court injunction against a hunt in the UK. He has been beaten up and hospitalised on many occasions while exposing animal cruelty and had to receive special police protection in both the UK and Malta because of threats to his life. He founded International Animal Rescue in the UK in 1989 and moved to Camurlim, Goa to set up a branch in 1998. John has been recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India as one of the country’s leading primate experts and his ambition is to establish a world-class primate rescue, rehabilitation and study centre in Goa. He says, “Monkeys are my all-consuming passion and I hate the way they are so badly treated. We do not give them credit for their intelligence. I have a natural affinity with them and can handle monkeys others cannot get near. My wife tells everyone I’m a throwback. In other words I have not evolved! She is probably right!” He has many top celebrity friends like Paul and Linda McCartney, but his priority is the International Animal Rescue team in Goa. When he first came here on a short holiday, he and his wife were appalled by all the dead and dying puppies and kittens on the
beaches and in the markets. They were determined to do something about it. With their limited resources, it was a daunting task. But with the help of some committed Goan staff, they have managed to accomplish a good deal. Says John, “Of all the work we do, the sterilisation of cats and dogs is the most constructive as it reduces the population which in turn reduces suffering. People should be responsible and have their pets sterilised and never encourage the breeding of dogs by buying pedigree animals. It should be illegal to breed dogs when there are thousands of homeless dogs in desperate need of homes.” He adds, “Because our resources are so limited in comparison to the task we face, we have to rely on volunteers and the new visa rules have badly affected the number of people prepared to help. I find it outrageous that I have lived in Goa for 12 years and contributed so much to society, but now I am refused a five-year Resident’s Visa which I was told I would always have if I built a house and made my home here. This means I have no security and I‘m not even permitted to sell my property so I can leave the country. This attitude badly damages India’s image abroad.” But John still feels he has been very lucky in life and has always spent a substantial part of his income helping both people and animals. He says, “My pet saying is money is only as good as the good you can do with it. Until we all develop respect for each others’ rights, life will simply become worse the more overcrowded the world becomes. “I do what I do because I know it to be right, not because I believe I can buy a place in heaven.” n
Pic by Edric George
OCTOBER 2011 63
GOAN CUISINE
Diwali Delights & Others
A monthly column offering the best of Goan food and drink
Wishing you a very Happy Diwali and a prosperous New Year. Goans celebrate Diwali with homemade sweets, savoury delicacies and various kinds of ‘fou’ (beaten rice) – ‘batat fou’, ‘doodhatle fou’ and ‘godshe fou’
( Batat Fou ( Beaten Rice with Potatoes
Ingredients Chef Deepa Mhambre Awchat originally from Mapusa, is the co-founder of ‘Culture Curry’, ‘Goa Portuguesa’ and ‘Diva Maharashtracha’, Mumbai’s popular, award-winning restaurants. The latter two are winners of the Times Food Guide Award 2011. She is also the author of ‘The Goa Portuguesa Cookbook’ deepaawchat@ goaportuguesa.com
Serves
6
Beaten rice (fou) 3 cups / 250 gms Finely chopped onion 1 medium Green chillies, slit 2 Boiled & peeled potato 1 medium Boiled green peas ¼ cup / 50 gms Grated coconut ½ cup / 60 gms Sugar 1 tbsp Salt to taste Mustard seeds ¼ tsp Curry leaves 4 Coriander leaves 2 tbsp Refined oil 6 tbsp
Method
1
Wash beaten rice and squeeze out W excess water; mix in sugar and salt to it and keep aside for five minutes. Cut the potato into ½ inch cubes and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan; add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When seeds begin to splutter, add finely chopped onion and green chillies; sauté until onion changes colour.
2
(
Mol de Peixe Fish in Spicy Curry
(
Ingredients Pomfrets 2 medium / 600 gms Cumin seeds 1 tsp Mustard seeds 1 tsp Dried red chillies 6 Garlic 10 cloves Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Vinegar 1/4 cup Oil 3 tbsp Onion, finely chopped 1 large Salt to taste 28 64
NOTE rmeric h of tu be c n i p A r can powde r colour. fo added
OCTOBER 2011
3 4 5 6
Add potato pieces and gr green peas to it; sauté well for two minutes. Add beaten rice to it and toss until it mixes well. Add grated coconut and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
Method
1 2
Cut each pomfret horizontally into two-inch thick slices. Grind together the cumin and mustard seeds, red chillies, garlic, turmeric powder salt and vinegar to a fine paste. Coat the fish with the ground paste and marinate for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and sauté until brown. Add the fish with the marinade, half a cup of water and cook until the water evaporates and the fish is cooked. Serve hot.
3 4 5 6
( Goa Sausage Chilly Fry( Ingredients Goa sausages Butter Onions, finely chopped Capsicums, cut into ½-inch thick slices Tomato, finely chopped Chilli powder Tomato purée Sugar Vinegar Salt to taste
500 gms 2 tbsp 2 medium 3 large 1 large 1 tsp 2 tbsp ½ tsp 2 tbsp
NOTE ife of sh The elf-l s ladoos raghavada ur is up to fo days only
Ladoos ( Raghavadas ( with Milk Ingredients Method
1 2
Slit the sausages vertically vertically, remove the skins and discard. Cook the sausage meat in four cups of water and set aside. Heat the butter in a pan and sauté the onions until they change colour; add the capsicums and sauté for two minutes. Then add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the sausage meat, chilli powder powder, tomato purée, sugar, vinegar and salt to taste. Sauté for five minutes until dry and water evaporates. Remove from heat and serve hot with pão.
3 4
Fine semolina (rava) Grated coconut Sugar Cardamom powder Raisins Pure ghee (melted) Milk Water
doos
5 la Makes 1
3/4 cups / 130 gms 1/2 cup / 55 gms 1½ cups / 375 gms 1 tsp 1 tbsp 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 3/4 cup
Method
1 2 3
Heat ghee and roast semolina to light brown and keep aside. Add grated coconut to the same pan and roast until golden brown. Add milk and roasted semolina to it; cook till milk evaporates. Keep aside. Heat pan and add sugar and water to it; make sugar syrup of one thread consistency. Add semolina and coconut mixture, add cardamom powder and keep stirring it on slow flame until contents start leaving the sides. Allow it to cool a little. Shape the mixture into ladoos and decorate each one with a raisin.
4
65 OCTOBER 2011 29
BIZ NOTES
Mercedes-Benz India launches new C and S Class cars
T
Goa Institute of Management inaugurates new facilities at its Sanquelim campus
O
ne of India’s premier B-schools, Goa Institute of Management (GIM) recently inaugurated the final phase of its facilities – amphitheatre, administrative and faculty accommodation blocks and a fully-equipped 60-seater classroom hall at its new campus in Sanquelim. Three buildings: amphitheatre, administrative and the faculty accommodation blocks, donated by Sesa Goa Limited, were inaugurated by P K Mukherjee, managing director, Sesa Goa Limited in the presence of the Board of GIM and speaker Pratapsingh Rane. “Maintaining our tradition of reaching out to the community in supporting development in education, sport, healthcare and more, Sesa Goa is privileged to be associated with this premier management institute,” said Mukherjee. In addition a 60-seater hall in memory of the late David Menezes of the Cosme Matias Menezes Group (CMM), founder trustee of GIM, was inaugurated by his wife Cecilia Menezes, consul of The Federal Republic of Germany in Goa. A visibly emotional Menezes said, “GIM is a cherished dream of many Goans including my late husband David. It’s wonderful to see that that dream has materialised into this beautiful, world- class management institute.” 66
OCTOBER 2011
“Thanks to the collective effort of so many like-minded people, today GIM boasts of excellent infrastructure and ranks among the best B-schools in the country,” said Pratapsingh Rane, member on the Board of Directors, GIM. On the occasion, Peter D’Lima, director of Goa Institute of Management said, “GIM offers a wholesome environment where one can learn, nurture and grow into industry leaders. The campus is an all encompassing educational facility that encourages students to start out on the right foot to be innovative and socially conscious business professionals.” The newly inaugurated administrative offices of GIM house the faculty meeting room that doubles up as a board room. The amphitheatre is an open-air facility which can accommodate over 700 people where students can conduct extra-curricular activities. The faculty accommodation block consists of 24 one and two bedroom flats for resident faculty. Sesa Goa has also offered mine rejects to help build a football ground and a wide selection of plants from its nursery which have gone into landscaping and beautifying of the campus. GIM entered a new phase in its legacy its new state-of-the-art campus which is located on a sprawling 50 acre plot surrounded by the idyllic foothills of the Western Ghats.
wo new cars were launched by Mercedes-Benz India through their authorised dealership in Goa Counto Automobiles. The C 20g0BE Avantgarde and roadster SLK 350 BlueEFFICIENCY were unveiled formally at the O Hotel in Candolim. The C 200BE features a panoramic sunroof, redesigned bumper, LED taillights and new ally wheels, and is equipped with a four-cylinder petrol engine and seven-speed automatic transmission for reduced fuel consumption. The Agility Package is also part of the C 200BE experience with selective damping system that involves functions like Presafe, Neck Pro, Adaptive Brake with ABS and ASR, brake drying and hill start assist, thermatic cruise control, fog lamps and rain sensors. With the introduction of the world’s first Magic Sky Control, the SLK 350 transforms into a roadster into a coupe at the touch of a button. The vehicle has achieved five starts in the Euro NCAP Crash Rating and has a host of assistance systems such as Attention Assist and a parking guidance system called Parktronic. Managing director of Counto Automobiles Aakash Khaunte said, “Both the new C 200BE Ava and SLK 350 BE will set new benchmarks in design, quality and luxury in their respective segments. This latest generation C-Class, with its complete redesigns of the external and internal along with the first ever panoramic sunroof in this segment, will offer the highest level of remarkable driving experience to the Indian consumer.”
GTDC promotes travel at shows in Spain and Italy
G
oa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) held promotional events in Madrid, Spain and in Rome, Italy. The primary purpose of these road shows was to give an opportunity to the travel trade in Spain and Italy to ‘Discover Goa’ as a premium tourist destination. The guests included members from the travel and trade industry. The hall’s décor highlighted Goa through pictures of beaches, churches and temples, cuisine, heritage, etc. There was a power point presentation on Goa which elaborated all the aspects, including its rich cultural heritage and the state’s impact on the global market. Goan singer Veeam Braganza entertained the guests with upbeat tunes.
GTDC’s deputy GM Sachin Gore, MD Melvin Vaz, chairman Shyam Satardekar and an official from the Indian Embassy in Italy Rajeshkumar Agnihotri at the event
Tara Jewellers launches new collection and Diwali offers
I
n the run-up to the festive season, Tara Jewellers – the retail arm of Tara Jewels Ltd – has brought out a new collection of diamond jewellery and special offers. Its new collection, right in time for Dussera, Dhanteras and Diwali, offers customers a selection of earrings, necklaces, pendants, navratna rings and tanmaniyas inspired by geometric and floral motifs. The retailer has also introduced its pre-booking offer for Dussera and Dhanteras. Executive director of Tara Jewels Vikram Raizada
said, “Jewellery and Indian festivals go hand-in-hand, and the customer looks to invest in something that has the luxury factor and design, but yet value-for-money.” For each item, Tara Jewellers promises a certification by Independent Gemological Laboratories (IGL) or Gem Scan Laboratories (GSL), a 100 per cent buy-back guarantee, hallmarked gold and services such as immediate and free repair, free jewellery cleaning ad special customisation. Last year, the company added 26 retail stores in India. Since 2006, it has been the second largest studded jewellery exporter from the country. Tara Jewellers caters to retailers across the US, 16 countries in Europe including the UK, Germany and Italy, Australia, China, Japan, South Africa and Canada.
LG Festive season offers
L
G is bringing in this festive season with some attractive offers on a range of their products. From television sets to washing machines and air conditioners, every electronic item has a happy surprise for its customer. For every purchased LG full HD TV, there are assured prices. Customers are assured prizes and bumper prizes like Blu Ray players, LCD TVs and android mobiles with the purchase of every home theatre system, also available are combo offers on CTV and DVD players. On the purchase of every 6.5 kg and above top load washing machine, the customer will get a steam iron free. A treo set will be given away with every 30litre and above convection microwave oven. Customers purchasing a select direct cool refrigerator will also receive a three-piece container kit. Also getting rid of your old refrigerators will never be easier with the attractive exchange offers on all frost free and side by side refrigerators. Save money on the purchase of any spilt air conditioners by availing of the cash back offers. Customers can avail the offer at all the LG Shoppes at Panaji, Margao, Vasco, Ponda and all other outlets. The offer lasts till the end of October. OCTOBER 2011 67
BIZ NOTES
MPT holds trade meet World Save A
Girl Child day celebrated
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ormugao Port Trust (MPT) chairman P Mara Pandiyan, IAS, urged more companies to make use of the various facilities offered and avail of personalised services at the trade meet organised by MPT at Vivanta by Taj – Panaji. He also laid to rest concerns from the industry regarding redressing grievances and mining irregularities. He stated that MPT contributes to about 35 per cent of the state GDP and handles nearly 40 per cent of the iron ore exported from the country and has proposed the trade of only legal ore. “We are not going to permit any ore from companies other than those authorised by the director of mines and geology. If any irregularities are brought to our notice at any point, we will not mind detaining the vessel,” Pandiyan said. MPT also stated that it is looking at diversifying operations to include other industries including pharmaceuticals. “Many pharma companies operate in Goa and their turnover is roughly around `5,000 crore per year in exports. As of now they operate from JNPT and others and we can help them minimise
distance and expenditure, while boosting business,” Pandiyan said. Deputy chairman Biplav Kumar, stated that the port has incorporated many state-of-the-art tools and equipment including SAP, port committee system, electronic data interchange system and freight operational interchange system to help with the smooth operation of trade. He also suggested that the port was looking at better rail and road connectivity. “We are switching to a bigger railway yard to increase the capacity from the current 5-6 trains per day to 15-20 or more trains per day.” The trade meet, which was also addressed by additional commissioner of Customs-Goa Manish Mohan, vice chairman EDC Ltd Nitin Kunkolienkar, President Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry Manguirish Pai Raikar and president of the Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Arun Naik. MPT traffic manager N Vaiyapuri gave a presentation while Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer of MPT S P Shirwadkar, proposed the vote of thanks.
aculo Group of companies organised an event to educate and spread the awareness about saving the girl child. The initiative is a part of the social responsibility programme of the company. The event held at the atrium of the Caculo Mall with Dr Divya V Rane as the chief guest, while other renowned and prominent guest speakers included social worker Dr Pramod Salgaocar, HOD Gynaecology in GMC Dr Savita Chandra, advocate Poonam Bharne and president of the All-India Women’s Conference – Goa Branch Seema Pednekar. This event was supported by Lokmat and NGO Child Rights of Goa. Meghna and Shefali Caculo were also present. The initiative was taken to curb the menace of pre-birth sex determination and female foeticide, inspite of being an offence under the IPC.
Vrundavan-Shalby joint merger to ‘promote better healthcare in Goa’
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r Digmabar Naik of Vrundavan Hospital & Research Centre and Dr Vikram Shah of Shalby Hospitals from Gujarat have joined hands in a business merger. The new Vrundavan-Shalby will work in forwarding the mission of the 68
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two healthcare firms. This merger promises to offer quality health care to all sections of society, from India and beyond. The Vrundavan Hospital and Research Centre, Mapusa, has a capacity of 115 beds at present, and with the merger, the Vrundavan-Shalby Hospitals will increase capacities to 215 beds at the first stage. The new departments to be added will include various surgery department joint replacement, dental, hair transplant and cosmetic, cardiac
and cancer cells. “Shalby as a hospital mirrors my way of working; the visions and values are the same, therefore the comfort level to form a joint venture for greater financial strength,” said Dr Naik about the merger. Dr Shah highlighted the fact that the merger would help Shalby’s aim of providing healthcare to a larger number of people. ”Shalby Hospitals are expanding their healthcare service wing in Goa to care and cure as many people as we can,” he said.
BIZ NOTES NUSI Wockhardt Hospital turns one
Anil and Sonam Kapoor to endorse EMGEE Group’s real estate projects.
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USI Wockhardt Hospital completed one year in Goa on September 22. In a move to make everybody a part of the success, centre head Arvind Bhagania, along with the administration team visited all the in-patients and wished them a speedy recovery. Following this, the hospital’s doctors and associates, were hosted to a party in the evening. The entire team was thanked for being a significant part of the growth of the hospital. Bhagania welcomed the chief guest and administrator of NUSI A Gopalakrishnan, internal consultants and doctors from south Goa and the Associates who graced the occasion. “When we look back on what has been accomplished in our first year with each of you contributing to make the dream a reality, we are indeed very proud. Let us join together to celebrate and make this day a memorable one,” said Bhagania. Wockhardt Hospital has announced the launch of Wockhardt Institute of Aesthetics, the first-of-its-kind in the country providing a comprehensive tertiary care centre dedicated towards providing best services in invasive and non-invasive aesthetics. Wockhardt Hospitals, with over 40 years of experience in the health care sector in India, is the preferred destination for global cosmetic surgery holidays. The group has special cosmetic surgery pricing at NUSI Wockhardt Hospital, Goa, for international customers.
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elebrity father-daughter duo, Anil and Sonam Kapoor are brand ambassadors for global real estate developer Emgee Group. Building properties for the past 40 years across the country, the Emgee Group, is now steadily setting foot into the global markets with properties in Spain and eastern Europe, making the Kapoors a natural choice considering their international appeal. On this association, Anil Kapoor said, “Being a celebrity I have a moral responsibility to what I represent and would support a company or brand only when I believe in it completely. Their central philosophy encompassing passion, quality, integrity and transparency forms the pillar of my family too and thus my daughter Sonam and I are delighted to partner
in their progress”. Founder and CMD of EMGEE Group, Mudhit Gupta added, “The foundation of EMGEE Group is built on the principles of quality, delivery, integrity, eco-friendliness and innovation. We strive to offer unrivaled lifestyle living at exotic locations in India and Europe. Anil and Sonam Kapoor are a perfect fit as brand ambassadors as they epitomise family values.” EMGEE Group’s philosophy is conservation of energy and ethical ecology. The group focuses on initiating projects of rain-water harvesting in India which have been acclaimed with a Platinum Certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the non-profit organisation The United States Green Building Council.
Chintamanis Jewellers wins Retail Promotion of the Year Award
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design, retail and marketing and are hintamanis Jewellers has been major contributors to the growth of honoured with the ‘Retail India’s jewellery economy”. Promotion of the Year Award by Retail Management Group at a ceremony in Mumbai. Director Chintamani Kaigaonkar received the award from Rupesh Tambi of K L Tambi and Kamal Kothari of the Super Gems Group, before addressing the audience at the awards ceremony. The Retail Jeweller India Awards aims to honour those who Chintamani Kaigaonkar receives the award from “demonstrate enormous Rupesh Tambi and Kamal Kothari creativity in fields of
BIZ NOTES
Shah Rukh Khan with Gitanjali Group CMD Mehul Choksi
Interiors Exteriors expo in December
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Shah Rukh named new brand ambassador for Gitanjali
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eweller Gitanjali Group has signed on Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma as its brand ambassador. This is the first time the group has roped in a public face to endorse their products. This new association highlights the group’s value of ‘Trust Forever’. Chairman and managing director Mehul Choksi said, ‘’Trust is one thing that cannot be bought; it has to be won through a continuous quest for perfection, a commitment to quality and a never ending passion to stay at the top. These are values we share with Shah Rukh who is also a symbol of loyalty and romance.” The Badshah actor stated he was happy to be a part of the association, adding, “Winning people’s hearts is never easy, and the Gitanjali Group has done it very successfully. I am very happy to be associated with the Group which has created so many of the leading jewellery brands in India and carved for itself a niche in the hearts of people.” Gitanjali Jewels, the flagship retail store of the 46-year-old group, is a multi-brand lifestye jewellery chain retailing diamond and gold craft. It is a “one shop destination” for branded jewellery and was one of the first jewellers to offer consumers hallmarked gold and certified diamonds. 72
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Headquartered in Mumbai, Gitanjali Group is considered the world’s largest branded jewellery retailer, with more than 3,500 points of sale and more than 50 per cent market share of the overall organised jewellery market in India. This Diwali, Gitanjai has a special festive offer on diamond and gold jewellery. The exclusive showroom in Goa is located at Alfran Plaza near Don Bosco High School, M G Road, Panaji.
NRB-Norbert’s Fitness Studio now in Vasco
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RG Group managing director Narayan Bandekar inaugurated a gym in Vasco in collaboration with Norbert’s Fitness Studio in Vasco so residents “could benefit health wise”. This is the third gym for fitness instructor Norbert D’Souza, who also caters to clients from Panaji and Porvorim. The joint venture project, NRB-Norbert’s Fitness
oa’s biggest exhibition on art, furniture, interior design, building and construction products, the Interiors & Exteriors exhibition will be held from December 9 to 12 at Panaji. The exhibition, which is supported by Indian Institute of Architects, Goa chapter, and Indian Institute of Interior Designers, Goa, promises the best in architecture, including roofing and flooring, kitchen accessories, electrical appliances, sanitary fittings, and banks and financial institutions. This year the event hopes to provide holistic solutions to living, with special focus on ‘lighting in architecture’. This exhibition will also provide a platform for personal interaction between firms and clients. With visitor lists including architects, interior designers, engineers real estate developers, hoteliers and design consultants, heads of departments of the Goan administration and other eminent citizens of Goa, the exhibition is a platform for home-building companies to get their views and wares across to the people of Goa. Participating companies advertise and promote sales of their products, encourage on-spot sales, understand local market needs, create brand awareness and test markets for the launch of new products. Studio “promises to deliver universally approved and tested weight loss, weight gain, body toning and muscle building programmes that can be availed of by people of both genders and all ages”. Also present at the inauguration were Manda Bandekar and sons Amit and Nitin, as well as nutritionist Sheryl Afonso e D’Souza.
BIZ NOTES Free gold and silver coins part of Orra’s Diwali offers
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n the run up to Diwali, diamond jewellery retail chain ORRA – The Diamond Destination is handing out free gold coins and silver coins on certain purchases. Customers buying diamond jewellery worth `10,000 or more will get a free gold coin, while those whose bill surmounts `5000 can take away a silver coin gratis. CEO Vijay Jain said, “Diwali is the most auspicious occasion to buy jewellery and we give the customers all the reasons to splurge
this season. Apart from our exquisitely crafted latest collections, there is a free gold coin offer on every purchase. Our attempt is Orra CEO Vijay Jain to spread goodwill and joy that is impossible to hide.” Orra’s latest collection Aquila has been designed by its five global centres and includes rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces and bangles among other items. The firm promises that the Aquila collection has been able to create the look of a one-carat solitaire with just 26 cents diamond clusters. Orra has also launched its latest spiritual collection called Swayambhoo Nav Omkar, inspired by the positive forces of Om and the Navratna gems. The retailer also has a buy back policy on all jewellery including gold coins and bars. Orra retails in Goa at Mascarenhas Building, M G Road, Panaji.
EDC organises business meet
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conomic Development Corporation Limited (EDC) organised a business meet for entrepreneurs, developers, professionals and businessmen at Verna. The meet highlighted various schemes implemented by the corporation and also served to solicit views of stakeholders for its effective functioning. Chairman and MLA Agnelo Fernandes said, “EDC and entrepreneurs can work hand-in-hand for economic growth in the state. The demand raised by entrepreneurs to reduce the time regarding disbursement of loans to applicants will be considered by the institution.” Managing director W V Ramana Murthy said that such business meets help to disseminate information and popularise EDC’s schemes. He urged entrepreneurs to approach EDC officials to avail the benefit of schemes implemented by the corporation. EDC Ltd is primarily a financial institution established by the government of Goa to promote industrial investment within the state.
Coastal Honda launches compact car Brio in Goa
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onda’s compact car Brio was launched at dealership Coastal Honda by Caculo Group chairman and managing director Manoj Caculo in the presence of Suraj Caculo and general manager Oscar Fernandes. The car was developed after Honda’s market survey revealed driving needs and lifestyles across India. Its name means ‘energetic’ or ‘cheerful’ and is meant to embody the best of Honda’s technologies for fun and agile driving, fuel-efficiency, spaciousness and safety. The firm designed the car to
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maximise the space available for people and minimise the space required for mechanical components. It has a turning radius of just 4.5 metres to aid driving in congested city traffic. The car also incorporates Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering body and G-Force Control Technology. Available in four variants – EMT, SMT, S(O)MT and VMT – the Brio has a colour range of energetic blue, rally red, urban titanium, alabaster silver, taffeta white and crystal black pearl. The car is available on display at Honda’s outlets in Suraj Caculo, Coastal Honda CMD Manoj Caculo and Panaji and Verna. GM Oscar Fernandes at the launch of the Brio
Mercedes gives Goa Blue EFFICIENCY
HAPPENINGS
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he C 200BE Avantgarde and SLK 350 BlueEFFICIENCY rolled in for a glitzy introduction to Goa at the O Hotel in Candolim. Counto Automobiles, authorised dealership for Mercedes-Benz India, presented the two new cars in style and gave guests a chance to feel the vehicles and rev the engines. Chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation Shyam Satardekar, choreographer Marc Robinson and Tito’s honcho David de Souza made their presence felt, while Goan band Forefront belted out tracks befitting the occasion. Car lovers hob-nobbed and exchanged observations about the two new cars. MD of Counto Automobiles Aakash Khaunte ensured his guests had a great time and played the perfect host.
Shyam Satardekar
Shantaram Kantak
Prasad & Kamakshi Kamat
Lucia & Emerico Afonso
Anand & Sheetal Palan
Sairaj & Viraj Dhond
Vidyadhar Naik & Ashwin Sirsat
Balaji Siva & Nilesh Lawande
Rohit & Nandita Salgaocar
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Marc Robinson & David de Souza
Aakash & Anil Counto
Shammi Bharne
Preeti & Rajesh Shet
Gautam & Seema Amonkar
Shivraj Tarcar & Madhav Swar
Marushka Rebelo & Rohan Coelho
Vivek Naik
Amey Kudchadkar
Shakeel Manerkar
Sneha Singh
Pics by Edric George
Dr Mahendra & Dr Anupama Kudchadkar
Neha & Yogiraj Kamat
Farzana Khan
Mahesh & Medha Pai
Sudhin Naik
Sai Prakash & Bhawana Raikar
Atul Jadav
Sylvester Gomes & Jeji Mathew
Pradeep Naik
Pradeep Joshi
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HAPPENINGS
A Taste of Reds and Whites at Goa Marriott Resort & Spa
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he Goa Marriott Resort & Spa celebrated high society and cultured palates with an evening of wine tasting, where the two most complimentary consumables met in style. Five different Spanish wines were launched at the resort, served with cheese and other small bites. Spanish vintner Marc Parello made a presentation of the wines on offer, explaining the gastronomic differences, and the food they could be enjoyed with. To satiate appetites after the appetizers of wine, cheese and snacks, a delicious spread of Spanish dishes were served. Goa Marriott Resort & Spa general manager Pavithran Nambiar and his wife Anna made everyone comfortable at the formal evening, graced by co-owner Shivanand Salgaocar. Shivanand & Ranjana Salgaocar
Gauri Karkal, Cynthia Chowgule, Jeeva Bhatt, Vinni Keni & Nivedita Dempo
Vinni Timblo & Melanie Chowgule
Gaurav Wattal
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Premal Javeri
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Jogesh & Aashna Khatwani
Dale Menezes & Aakash Timblo
Anna & Pavithran Nambiar
Marc Parello
Victoria & Jagdish Chowgule
Mariola & Joe Mathias
Anuradha Visvanathan & Shannon
Radhika Timblo
Vivek Braganza
Sonia & Shyam Haridas
Pics by Edric George & Andrew Pegado
Marriott Wine Festival
Francisco & Raquel Mayoral
Christina Veigas, Ramnath Raikar & Shruthi Pandit
Mausmi Wattal & Delilah
Meilssa Colaco
Melinda & Ajay Mendes
Nigel Cabral & Prasad Keni
Brinda Bajaj
Paul & Manisha Chaddha
Samir Bhatt
Murad Ali Khan
Suhan Karkal
Odette Mascarenhas
Latha Rodrigues
International luxury brand Mont Blanc Store now in Goa
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ont Blanc inaugurated their first store in the state at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, Panaji. The German manufacturer will now retail their coveted products off the counter from their very own store set up by Goa dealer A&M Collection, an Altaf Mavany venture. Exquisite writing instruments, desinger bags and elegant luxury watches line the shelves of the shop, which received a warm welcome from guests. This global brand, with over 85 years of standing has been brought to India by Entrack International Trading, a company mentored by former test cricketer Dilip Doshi.
Fatima Veljee & Naveen Ladak
Asha Arondekar
Sweta Sethia
Amin Ladak & Chottu Veljee
Asif Mavany & Katia
Industrialist John Mendes inaugurates the Mont Blanc store in the presence of Cicleta & Altaf Mavany
Khairoo Mavany & Asheen Laljee
Sam & Judy Cardozo
Altaf Mavany
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VIVA GOA DIARY
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Dempo Group announces Goodwill Ambassadors for Sports
ith an aim to enhance sporting excellence by promoting exceptional Goan youngsters in their pursuits, the Dempo Group of Companies has announced two new ambassadors while renewing contracts with its current ambassadors as part of the Dempo Goodwill Ambassadors Scheme for 2011-12. The annual spend under the scheme disbursement amounts to `50 lakhs. Akanksha Hemant Salunkhe, 12, is India’s top ranked Girls U-13 player in squash and Anurag Arvind Mhamal, 16, is Goa’s chess ace. The new Goodwill Ambassadors will receive `8 lakh each. Dempo Group of Companies also announced the renewal of the annual contract of lawn tennis player Natasha Palha from Agasaim, and swimmer Talasha Satish Prabhu from Panaji. Palha’s contract has been renewed for `20 lakh, while Prabhu’s is raised to `11.5 lakh. Chairman Shrinivas Dempo also announced special assistance to two young Goan sportspersons on the occassion.
The new Dempo Goodwill Ambassadors with Dempo Group CMD Shrinivas Dempo after the announcement
Shaikh Irfan Dastagir, 16, an athlete and silver medalist for India, was announced one-time assistance of `2 lakh. And Sybyl Fernandes, 15, a Karate champion who is the only girl from Goa to earn a black belt, received `50,000 as reimbursement cost to go to Japan for her achievement. Speaking on the occasion Dempo said, “Sports is a very promising sector in the future. It is not just mentally satifactory but monetarily paying as well. The Dempo Goodwill Ambassadors Scheme is held in high passion.
Performance is the ultimate benchmark when selecting our ambassadors in addition to a detailed processing.” Also present at the function were senior director Vishwasrao Dempo; the committee’s convenor, B T Boke, senior general manager (Human Resources) at the Dempo Group; two external members of the Sports Committee, eminent Goan sportsman and Arjuna awardee Brahmanand Shankhwalkar and orthopaedist and sports medicine authority Dr Shekhar Shirwaikar.
Highland’s Devadas Naik wins Global HR Congress Asian Leadership Award
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oted Goan entrepreneur Devadas Y Naik, chairman and managing director of Highland Group, was honoured with the Global HR Congress Asian Leadership Award for Leadership and Inspiration at a ceremony in Dubai. This is Naik’s fourth award and follows the Asia Pacific HRM Congress Exemplary Leader Award in Bangalore early last month. The latest award aimed to highlight, recognise and reward the ability of leaders in the Asian corporate world to steer their enterprises through turbulent times, applying business modules to manage and keep their operations running. The awards facilitate interaction in the Asian business community 80
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and provides an environment for corporate leaders to share their experiences, providing valuable insight on aspects of business. Another objective of this event is to facilitate the development of future business leaders. Naik was earlier honoured with the CNBC Awaaz, CRISIL & CREDAI award for Best Holiday Home category in April, for his unique, successful business strategy followed in Highland Holiday Homes Pvt Ltd. The second win, was the Exemplary Leadership Award in the 2nd Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards 2011 held in Suntec, Singapore in July.
Devadas Naik receives the award for leadership at the Taj Palace Hotel, Dubai
Five Nritya Sankul students perform arangetram at Ravindra Bhavan
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ive students from Bharatnatyam dance academy, Nritya Sankul, performed their arangetram or debut dance performance, under the tutelage of their guru and acclaimed dancer Sachika Almeida, at Ravindra Bhavan in Margao. Mrinal Shinde, 16, Gauri Rao, 13, Uttara Anglo, 19, Aashlesha Anglo, 15 and Aishwarya Murthy, 14, put together a performance for the audience, consisting of relatives, friends, teachers and guests. The dancers had seven performances, which they executed with grace – shlokam allaripu, jatiswaran, varnam, two padams in different ragas, thillana and kurathi. The dancers were guided by a vadya vridam or orchestra consisting of Sachika Almeida on the nattuvangam (cymbals), Shridhar
Chari on vocals, S Shankarnarayan on the mridangam (percussion) and B Anantharaman on the violin. Chief guest Kedar Dhume, editor and publisher Viva Goa magazine, said, “The secret to success is hard work. This has been said over and over again, but this mantra has also been proven a number of times. Today we do not simply congratulate the students who have performed their arangetram here, but praise them for taking up a part of self-expression that is also worship. “Dance is an art through which the performer and the dance become one, evoking the oneness of God and creation. Our young dancers can now understand their connection with spirituality, after the hard work they
have put in and the joy they feel of accomplishing their arangetram.” Guest of honour Dr Ana Neena George, professor at GVM College Ponda, added, “Dance breaks down the distinction of body and soul. After having seen a spellbound performance by five lovely dancers, I am transfixed. The ease, suppleness and precision with which they performed reveal a very secret ingredient – rigorous, devoted rehearsals. I congratulate you all.” Founder of Nritya Sankul Sachika Almeida said she and the school was deeply committed to the ancient art form of Bharatnatyam. This is the fourth batch of students who have successfully completed their basic course and rang-praveshvam examination.
Innerwheel Club of Mapusa honours four teachers for contribution to education and art
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he Inner Wheel Club of Mapusa paid a tribute to teachers of various fields of education and art by felicitating four teachers who had contributed widely to imparting knowledge among the youth. The four teachers felicitated were Mohan Khavnekar for rangoli, Jacome Saldanha for commercial education in society, Dayanand Patil for swimming and Vanita Samant for music. The four teachers were felicitated by chief guest, Executive Director of Navhind Times Pallavi Dempo, who said that such felicitations encourage talents of people who are silently working to the spread of knowledge and appreciated the various works taken up by the Inner Wheel Club of Mapusa. President of the club Sujata
Revankar welcomed the gathering and joint secretary Sangeeta gave the vote of thanks. The project manager for the event was Shruti Mayekar. The first club in India was formed in Ahmedabad in 1955, and the Inner Wheel Club of Mapusa is part of District 317. The focus areas for the organisation for 2011-12 are reaching out to clubs, reaching out to the
community and enhancing the public image of Inner Wheel. The theme for the year is ‘Think Ahead – Aim High’.
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VIVA GOA Salgaocar College of Law receives DIARY Institutional Excellence Award
Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice Deepak Mishra presents the Institutional Excellence Award 2011 for V M Salgaocar College of Law to Shivanand V Salgaocar
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M Salgaocar College of Law received the Institutional Excellence Award 2011 which was conferred by The Society of Indian Law Firms at the Law Teacher’s Award Function last month. The award and citation were presented to Shivanand V Salgaocar, managing director of VM Salgaocar and Co Ltd and president of the Governing Council of the college, by Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice Deepak Mishra. A panel of experts and senior lawyers under the chairmanship
of Retd Justice J S Verma, former Chief Justice of India was constituted to identify institutions having excellent track record and community service schemes for this prestigious award. Also present were senior most Judge of the Supreme Court of India Justice Altamas Kabir, Minister for Law and Justice Salman Khursheed, Prof NR Madhava Menon, advocate Lalit Bhasin, directors and vice chancellors of various law universities in India and members of the law faculty of various universities, who were participants at the Annual Law Symposium on Judicial Accountability. The award recognised the pivotal role played by V M Salgaocar College of Law in imparting quality legal education in Goa. The citation mentioned the system adopted by the college of having permanent legal aid cells in remote and poorer areas of the state and the students’ involvement has given the college a unique distinction both nationally and internationally. This award will enable the students who pass out from this Institution to secure placement with well known law firms and senior advocates of the Supreme Court and High Courts. The Society of Indian Law Firms is an all-India organisation with a membership of reputed law firms in India and the Menon Institute of Legal Advocacy and Training.
Dr Dhume releases book for students of medicine
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r Ramesh Anant Dhume has released a book on medical science titled, ‘Principles of Physiology for Students of Medical College’. The book was released by the president of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee and chairman of Xri Kamaxidevi Homeopathic Medical College Subash Shirodkar at Kala Academy, in the presence of Dr Vishwanath Dhume, former dean of Goa Medical College. The book, according to the chief guest Shirodkar was not only restricted to the students of medicine but would also prove helpful to a layman to understand the body and take proper care of it. Dr Ramesh Dhume who worked on this 400-page book for the past two-and-ahalf years said that, he aimed at simplifying the information 82
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provided in the other books on physiology, attempting to document his 50-year medical experience through its 16 chapters and the various illustrations. The author’s sons Dr Rajesh and Dr Manguirish Dhume were also present.
Junior Chamber Outstanding Senior Citizen Award for Bharati B Heble
VIVA GOA DIARY
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harati Borkar Heble was conferred the Junior Chamber International Outstanding Senior Citizen Award 2011 by Manohar Parrikar, Leader of the Opposition and Panjim MLA with a shawl, shrifal and a memento. Heble who is a retired primary school teacher, was felicitated in recognition of her services in the field of education and community service. She is currently the corporate commissioner of Panaji, Ward 13, servicing parts of St Inez and Campal and is the daughter of Goa’s legendary poet Bakibab
Borkar. The felicitation function was organised by JCI, St Inez, in association with Shree Mahalaxmi Saunsthan Committee and Bhartiya Sanskrutik Mandal. CCP corporators, Shekhar Degvekar and Shubha Dhond, artist Naguesh Rao Sardessai, president of JCI St Inez Uma Sakhardande and organising member Manoj Karapurkar were also present on the occasion. Responding to the felicitation, Heble thanked the JCI for the recognition, adding, “This award is a motivation for me to work harder for the
Leader of the opposition Manohar Parrikar drapes a shawl around Bharati Heble after present her the award
welfare and betterment of the city and its citizens.”
Tribute to vocalist Dr Gangubai Hangal held
The musical presentation led by Pandit Mani Prasad in honour of Dr Gangubai Hangal
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n evening of classical music dedicated to the memory of classical music doyen Dr Gangubai Hangal was held at the Museum Hall in Patto, Panaji. The event, ‘Swaranjali’, organised by Geet Sakun, led by Shankuntala Bharne, drew the attendance of music lovers from across the state. The event also hosted a lecture 84
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given by Vaman Kale-Sangli on the theme ‘Memories of Masters’. He spoke about the memories he had of the maestros of music and people who excelled in their own field. He spoke about legendary singer Bharat Ratna Lata Mangueshkar with fond memories and threw light on how the famous singer Allahdia Khan spoke of hearing god singing in the voice of
a girl, when he heard her for the first time. He also spoke about contributions of Kishori Amonkar, Hari Prasad Chaurasya, Noor Jahan and Sunil Gawaskar in their respective fields of excellence. The musical presentation was enthralling with Pandit Mani Prasad from Delhi who belted out the vocals, while Subhash Fatarpekar accompanied with the harmonium and Dayanand Kandolkar and Tulshidas Navelkar at the tabla. A solo harmonium performance by Dattaraj Surlakar was also presented. Dr Gangubai Hangal (1913-2009) sang in the khyal genre and belonged to the Kirana gharana. The singer was born in Dharwad to Chikkurao Nadiger and Ambabai, a vocalist of Carnatic music. She began training formally aged 13 in Hindustani classical music. Having studied at the music school of Krishna Acharya, she later learnt from Dattopant Desai and respected guru Sawai Gandharva. Dr Hangal was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1996 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2002.
Indian Navy celebrates 61st Navy Week in Vasco
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Commodore Lalit K Agarwalla, Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai and Commander M C Joshi addressing the media
he Indian Navy is celebrating the 61st Navy Week in Goa this month around the theme ‘Safe Seas and Secure Coast for a Strong Nation’ with quizzes, concerts, festivities and the Navy Ball. The celebrations are being held at the Goa Naval Area Ground in Vasco, which will be transformed into a festive area with more than 50 colourful stalls, an amusement park, a children’s zone and food courts. Popular Goan bands Forefront and Syndicate, Rajasthan-based folk musicians
Rajasthan Roots and Goan folk and fusion dances will also be part of the festivities. Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area & Flag Officer Naval Aviation, said, “It is our way of celebrating our people and reaching out to the communities we live in. Through the various activities we are keen to assist the common man in understanding and appreciate the Indian Navy better.” The conclusion of the celebrations is the Navy Ball and crowning of the Navy Queen.
Service Excellence honour for Crown Goa
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he Crown Goa, a five-star hotel in Panaji was awarded The Service Excellence Award for Most Affordable Luxury Hotel at a ceremony held at Holiday Inn, Mumbai. Rajesh Dempo, managing director of Vision Enterprises which owns the hotel, received the award from renowned author Chetan Bhagat. The award was initiated by the Brands Academy, a brand consultancy firm based in Delhi. Dempo was accompanied by Mayuresh Nageshkar resident manager, and Lt Col (Retd) K F D’Lima, general managercorporate affairs. The Crown Goa has expanded its infrastructure with an exclusive lounge and gaming zone run by SOL Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
Social activist Sudha Amonkar releases two books
T
eacher, writer, social activist and Sahitya Puraskar winner Sudha Amonkar, released two of her books, ‘Jeenechi Lhara’ in Konkani and ‘Utkath Muktagandh’ in Marathi. The books of essays were released by eminent author Damodar Mauzo and famous litterateur Mahabaleshwar Sail in the presence of eminent educationist Prof M S Kamat and Suresh Amonkar at the Goa Chamber of Commerce Hall, Panjim.
Suresh Amonkar said the release of the books on the same day has allowed the languages of Konkani and Marathi to come together in a beautiful confluence. Mauzo stated that there is a need for good literature to come to the fore, “People who are into art and literature shouldn’t work for money, they should concentrate on good work first and the money will then follow.” OCTOBER 2011 85
VIVA GOA SPOTLIGHT
Focusing on Goan achievers
He uses the holidays to stay in and write. ‘Inhuman’, 15-year-old Vivek Nayak’s debut novel published by Broadway Publishing House, was two-and-a-half years in the making and is only the first part of a planned sci-fi trilogy trilogy. The ninth standard prodigy of Sharada Mandir School from Alto-Santa Cruz opens up with Viva Goa Your inspiration behind ‘Inhuman’… I was mostly inspired by the fantasy genre. When I was younger, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Percy Jackson’. and sci-fi Hollywood movies inspired me. Isaac Asimov, H G Wells and the more recent ‘Artemis Fowl’ series by Eoin Colfer have also been strong influences. On conducting research for the book… Most of it was light research and could easily be done on google or searching a visual dictionary. I didn’t pay too much extra attention to minute scientific details. On maintaining a balance between writing and high school... I keep it extremely simple, typing out the book whenever there are holidays and concentrating on schoolwork otherwise. It has worked out well so far and having written the first book as a base, I can write the sequel faster and hopefully, much better. Your classmates’ reaction to the novel… Until a couple of months ago, none of my classmates knew about it even after it was published. Now they do, and the major reaction is that of awe. There would be at least one classmate in the corridor, incredulously asking, “You wrote a book?” On the publishing process… ‘Inhuman’ was published through Broadway Book Centre and it was easier than expected. The publisher agreed immediately and sent the draft for editing. Later, after approximately four to six months, the book was published. The challenges while writing ‘Inhuman’ and the sequels… I could not keep writing the book at one stretch. I would have to leave the story mid-plot and some of the best ideas would be long forgotten by the next holidays. Sometimes, I would forget the entire sub-plot, after which I started maintaining a journal. Also, my own ideas kept changing as I grew older and this led to varying tones in the book. In some ways, it made the book better. Your favourite sci-fi author/movie… Author: Eoin Colfer; Movie: ‘Wall-E’.
Pic by Edric George
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Writing as a profession… At the moment, I don’t see writing as a profession. Even though it can be quite fun, it takes a lot of time and I find writing continuously for months together a very dreary option. However, if I do get a good story idea, I will carry on writing. I am also interested in computer technology (particularly animation) and science.