Shiva Loves Banana's
So the 16th February is a big day in these parts - the day we all celebrate how great Shiva is...or something like that. No one seemed to be able to explain WHY I should get up at 6 in the morning to see dawn over the beach, but I wasn't complaining - something to do isn't it!
Nela and I clambered over the edge of the cliff to get to Rajbag beach (the one with the 5 star resort on it and not much else) just as dawn was breaking over the scene before us. We thought no one else would be silly enough to be up at this hour, however, as we crested the top and saw the beach beyond, we had a great surprise. On Rajbag, a temporary market place had been set up selling all types of toys and trinkets as well as offertory gifts, incense, chai and banana's. The place was already heaving with people. On the shore there had been a temporary temple erected with woven banana leaf walls as well as a kind of archway to the sea. As we squatted on the sand with our glasses of tea, gradually more and more people arrived. As 8.30 arrived, there were about 500 people crowding around the makeshift temple, and lined up looking out to sea. Some small children were already in the sea, but with the Indian healthy respect for the ocean, everyone was being very tentative. As dawn broke, there was a large commotion at the top of the beach - a brass band and a small procession of priests holding a model deity above their heads. They processed around the beach and finally came to land in the temple under the arch. There was then much shouting (I think it was a prayer) and then the deity and the archway was lead to the shore. At this very moment, all hell broke loose - like a tidal wave, hundreds of people on the shore started to throw banana's into the sea - and hundreds more - mostly young men clad in only brown pants, and some children - whizzed into the sea in order to retrieve said banana's. It became a massive throwing contest - lots of people ended up throwing banana's AT the swimmers rather than just into the sea!! Very funny! We felt very privileged to witness another of India's unique customs!
Within about half an hour of banana throwing and chanting and singing, the crowds started to subside, so we meandered back to our house for breakfast.
The rest of our recent days have been consisting of hanging out at Patnem and on Palolem beaches just biding time till we head off to Hydrabad on Thursday. We are both a little crotchety because we are getting bored, so roll on Thursday and another 2 day long train!
Nela and I clambered over the edge of the cliff to get to Rajbag beach (the one with the 5 star resort on it and not much else) just as dawn was breaking over the scene before us. We thought no one else would be silly enough to be up at this hour, however, as we crested the top and saw the beach beyond, we had a great surprise. On Rajbag, a temporary market place had been set up selling all types of toys and trinkets as well as offertory gifts, incense, chai and banana's. The place was already heaving with people. On the shore there had been a temporary temple erected with woven banana leaf walls as well as a kind of archway to the sea. As we squatted on the sand with our glasses of tea, gradually more and more people arrived. As 8.30 arrived, there were about 500 people crowding around the makeshift temple, and lined up looking out to sea. Some small children were already in the sea, but with the Indian healthy respect for the ocean, everyone was being very tentative. As dawn broke, there was a large commotion at the top of the beach - a brass band and a small procession of priests holding a model deity above their heads. They processed around the beach and finally came to land in the temple under the arch. There was then much shouting (I think it was a prayer) and then the deity and the archway was lead to the shore. At this very moment, all hell broke loose - like a tidal wave, hundreds of people on the shore started to throw banana's into the sea - and hundreds more - mostly young men clad in only brown pants, and some children - whizzed into the sea in order to retrieve said banana's. It became a massive throwing contest - lots of people ended up throwing banana's AT the swimmers rather than just into the sea!! Very funny! We felt very privileged to witness another of India's unique customs!
Within about half an hour of banana throwing and chanting and singing, the crowds started to subside, so we meandered back to our house for breakfast.
The rest of our recent days have been consisting of hanging out at Patnem and on Palolem beaches just biding time till we head off to Hydrabad on Thursday. We are both a little crotchety because we are getting bored, so roll on Thursday and another 2 day long train!
posted by Abster at 6:02 am
1 Comments:
Hanging out on Goan beaches...how very dull...how immensley sorry I feel for you! I'd sooooo much rather be in an office in the rain in Swansea!
(Do I get the sarcasm prize?)
x x
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