Waiting for midnight all dressed up in the
best party clothes, with matching accessories. A glass of wine in my hand and
high heeled shoes on my feet! Would my parents believe that I was celebrating
the birth of God at a place of Worship? This is the exact scene on Christmas Eve
right here in Goa!!
Being a south Indian, from Bangalore, and more over a
Hindu, our concept of celebrating festivals included a whole lot of rituals,
from traditional attire, holy flowers to devotional bhajans! It definitely did
not include, wine, toasting and music! Instead of touching the feet of my
elders, I was to hug and kiss their cheeks!
I was at my best friend’s place in Goa to spend Christmas
and New Year with her family, Christians and locals of Goa! This is the time I
realized that places are truly defined by culture! India, known for its
diverse culture and harmony amongst these differences was exactly what I
experienced during my holiday! Yes, Goa is a land of immense
beauty and innumerable places worthy of visit; however what I found most
appealing was the cultural values and differences which I would definitely like
to highlight.
One of them is the Beach Culture that nowadays
without doubt defines Goa! Goa’s beaches are the
only ones where even a hydrophobic can enjoy just by getting involved with the
innumerable shacks, hippy stalls and flea markets! But is that all Goa has to offer? No! In
contrast to the prevalent traditionalism in the rest of India, flamboyance marks
the character of Goans. They are friendly; full of life people and nothings
seems to dampen their spirits. The holiday spirit of Goa reflects in their
attitude. I can recall a day when it rained the entire day and just as I was
beginning to think that it was a day ruined, a Rain Dance was organised with no
prior preparations! As I said, nothing can dampen your spirit in Goa, especially if you’re
with Goans!!
The people of Goa have the essence of
music in their culture. In almost every family you would find a pianist or a
guitarist. Even the wine shop owner hums a tune while he serves you a drink!
Don’t mistake me; all Goans are not drunkards even though you would find a
liquor store more conveniently than a medical store!
It would be worth
mentioning about the mouthwatering cuisines of Goa! Goa is known for the sea
food for obvious reasons, but to a pure Vegetarian like me, it hardly made a
difference! Was it my challenge or my determination that in the paradise of
fish, crabs and prawns, I did manage to find, potatoes, curd and salads to keep
my tummy from growling! I did taste the squids and oysters with a little
hesitation, but I did not venture into any more of an adventure in a land of
unknown culture!!!
