\\*\\ konkani क्रिसमस विशेस \\*\\

ॐ
नाताळाचो शुभिच्छा ।
कोंकणीन्तु बरयता आनी तुम्मी सरवांक हांव नातालाचों सुभिच्छा दित्ता ।
देवू तुमका बरें कोरों।
आम्चीगेलांन्तुं आम्मी उल्लेयलॅरी आन॒नी बरय्लॅरी आम्मी कोंकणीक चड वाडोचाक जात्ता ।
जय हिंद ।

Francis Xavier - Mixed Blessings....

Francis Xavier was a missionary who came to Goa. He was unhappy that the local populace were not christians as he thought this was the only correct way to salvation.

He did not know the language of the people and perhaps truly believed he was doing good. His letters have sadly shown how he hated the customs of the Local Hindus. Idol worship was not his cup of tea whereas for Hindus it was quite normal to have a sagun (With form) aspect of the Paramatman (Supreme Soul=God) along with a Nirgun (Without attributes) paramatman for worship.
Hindus do not see Idol worship as negative in any way. Muslims use symbols, they go round the kabba, kiss the quran, Christians have statues, crosses, and elaborate icons as symbols of the almighty yet they are vehemently iconoclasts in principle.
Francis Xavier did some good charitable work for the Local people but his attitude towards Hindus and Hinduism was sad.
These very converts made idols of Francis xavier (Above right) which were worshipped just as Hindus do their Idols (Above Centre).
Catholics and their churches in Goa venerate Francis Xavier as a saint(Above left).
Hinduism thrives in Goa today and Hindus form the majority. The Goan christians practice a christian faithfar removed from the faith practiced in the dark ages when Hindus were banished and Hindu temples were knocked down as part of the christian state policy.
Hindus and christians overwhelmingly live in peace and take part in each others worship and feasts. Perhaps if Francis Xavier lived today and could speak our tongue he may have relished reading the Bhagvat Gita and its philosophy. Idol worship would not seem so abominable to him.
But those were dark days and he did think he was doing the right thing...
Are we, today, enlightened enough to understand the misadventures of the past and move on as friends??? I hope so!

Great Konkani Book - Konkani MahaBharat Adi Parv- Krishnadas Shama

These were the days when the portuguese had landed on the sacred shores of the Konkan Kashi or Goa. They were keen to caputire the land for the King of Portugal and capture the souls for their God. Many so called saints and priests came from portuguese shores to convert the Hindus to the new faith of Christianity. To convert Hindus they had to first understand their language and their mythology and literature. It was in their interest to do so.

The Portuguese Jesuits set about writing down the literature of the Konkani Hindus. This book is a modern transliteration by Dr P Naik of the Thomas Stevens Konkani Kendra in Goa. Krishnadas Shama was a konkani saraswat brahmin from Kushasthali, saxti(Salcette), Goa who was well versed with Konkani Hindu folklore. He was proficient in Konkani, Marathi and Sanskrit and perhaps even Kannada. He gave an oration of the Mahabharat Adi Parv in Chaste Saraswat Konkani and this was written down by the Jesuits in Roman script. This happened just before the Hindu Holocaust in Goa in the middle of the 16th century.

The transliterated konkani mahabharat was filed away in the libraries in portugal when some Goans discovered them. Dr Naik, himself a jesuit priest transliterated this in the common devnagri script used by many Konkanis today and the TSKK published the same.

The preface thanks the jesuit priests who saved this piece of literature! Shouldnt they be blamed for the almost complete annhilation of the Hindu Konkani culture, temples, literature from Goa??? Wouldn't this be a living tradition if it were not for the portuguese and Jesuits iconoclasts who destroyed all the Goan temples in the province of Saxti (salcette).

There also a mention of Konkani being only an oral language before the Jesuits began to write it in the roman script . Unfortunately the then konkani literature, temples and culture was almost completely annhilated in the 1540s to 1560s to make sure that the Hindu religion never recovers and all the people were forcibly converted to catholicism.

However the mentioned book is a beautiful read for all the lovers of Konkani and makes one comprehend and lament the insurrmountable loss , the Konkani literature, culture and religion has has to suffer under the portuguese and jesuits.

Hindus and Catholics live peacefully in Goa today with a great deal of understanding. We have learnt our lessons from the past (At least we hope so).

Hindus form a majority in Goa today. Hindu temples are booming. Beautiful churches have also been built (some unfortunately on the graves of previous temples). These portuguese religious fanatics who wanted Goa to be cleansed of the Hindu faith are unfortunately not here to see that the Hindus have built a temple in Lisbon.

Do read the book.

Solavya Shekdantle Konknni Mhabharat Adi Parv

Published by the TSKK

Goa- 1990

By a kind donation of Rs 20,000 by the Kuwait Konkani Kendra.

Konkani Books

Some good Konkani Books in Konkani

Konkani Chalval- Paulo Moraes

Konkani Sanstha

2003

St Aloysius College

Mangalore

575003

Printers-Brilliant printers pvt ltd. Bangalore

This One by Paulo Moraes is about the History of Konkani , its usage and its ups and downs; Its very very good.

Mahakavi Kalidas Vicharit Raghuvansh Maha Kavyam- Konkani Bhavanuvad

P Vaman Prabhu

March 1997

Codeword Process and Printers

Falnir, Mangalore

Phone 428218;421418

The Raghuvansh Katha in Konkani is perhaps only for the academics. P Vaman Prabhu tries a lot to makes the verses rhyme and perhaps the 'fun' is missing.

Nevertheless A good attempt.

Hey Its no bad thing to have in your konkani library you konkani fanatics :)

Devaki Krishna ; Madonna and child

Konkani people do not see much difference between Gods and religions. This is all very academic to them. It is their faith which makes them see the Devaki Krishna in Madonna and Christ.

Dev Borem Korum
May God Bless

Ivory carving of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - Goa (AD-1850)

Ivory Plaque - Garden of Eden- Goa- 1850- Liverpool City Museum-England

Goan Konkani artists were adept over millenia in the use of ivory, wood and stone in carving Hindu figures and Hindu mythical lore . After their coversion they continued to carve their new christian mythical lore incorporating their skill. Note the perfectly carved Indian Elephant in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve are carved by Goans in this Ivory plaque currently in the Liverpool City Museum.
Also note the presence of the tortoise and the mongoose all features of an Indian Jungle. The apple trees also look more like mango trees.