Goa Society and Culture :
Goa is a melting pot of South Asia. Its culture has been
shaped by the diverse influences it attracted over the
centuries, and the many traditions of the neighbouring
states.
But don't for a moment think that life here is all fun and
games, that it's all about susegad - a local word used to
describe the uniquely relaxed and laid-back attitude. On the
contrary, people here are industrious, politically active
and enterprising.
Different parts of Goa were under the Portuguese for varying
lengths of time: its central core was colonised for nearly
450 years and its outlying 'New Conquest' areas for around
173 to 215 years. Influences have also been strong from the
neighbouring kingdoms of the past, and the large post
Independence Indian states that surround Goa, Maharashtra
and Karnataka. Peter Nazareth, a noted expatriate writer of
Goan origin, sums it up very nicely: "Goans are cultural
brokers, mediating between cultures."
Unlike the British, the Portuguese placed excessive emphasis
on missionary activity. This explains how Goa's population
is, even now, a little over one-quarter Catholic. Quite
contrary to the stereotype, the Catholic population is not a
majority in Goa, although it is a fairly major minority,
with both visibility and an active role in local life. And
though their numbers have fallen from 38 percent of the
population in 1960 to 26.6 percent in 2001, they remain a
vibrant and influential presence.
Till the 1850s, Catholics were the predominant community in
Goa. But the demographics changed over the decades with the
migration of a large number of Catholics from the state and
the arrival of other religious communities after the
liberation of Goa from the Portuguese.
Today, around 65 percent of Goa's population is Hindu, while
five percent is Muslim. One of the prominent, if small Hindu
communities is the well-known Saraswat Brahmin community.
They are said to trace their origin back to the sage
Saraswat who lived on the banks of the river Saraswati, near
Thaneswar (now in Haryana). Legend has it that the Saraswats
were brought into the Konkan by Parashuram, to settle in Goa
or Gomanchal, as it was then called.
Interestingly, some Goans observe both Hindu and Christian
rituals, and intercommunity marriages are on the rise.
Caste is another reality in Goan society. People of India:
Goa Volume XXI (Anthropological Survey of India) lists as
many as 34 different castes and communities coexisting in
Goa. Goans are mainly rice-eaters (85 percent), and
non-vegetarian. Only two Brahmin communities, the Chitpavan
and the Karhade, are pure vegetarian. The Saraswat Brahmins
eat fish, chicken and mutton.
Nothing reflects the vibrancy of Goa's life as effectively
as its daily newspapers. These create larger-than-life
images for politicians, and also highlight the many concerns
of the resident Goan. And Goa would not be Goa without the
combative, effusive spirit of its people and their robust
folk-drama tiatr (derived from the Portuguese word tiatro,
for theatre) where acts are interspersed by songs.
