The fishermen communities living in the coastal areas of Goa, have celebrated the festival of the Narali Pournima to herald the fishing season, by worshipping and offering the coconut to the sea god, Varun at Chopde jetty.
Though, the government of Goa allowed the fishing from the July 31, after the formal ban on the activity, the fishermen communities from various coastal villages make it a point to resume their fishing activities, on the auspicious occasion of the full moon day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar Shravan, when the rough sea begins to calm, so that they can take their boats for fishing.
Traditionally, in Goa, the onset of the monsoon, is believed to be the breeding season of the fishes and that is why, fishermen voluntarily decide not to venture into the sea and rivers for fishing. However, from the full moon day of the Shravan, with the receding of the monsoon rains, the sea becomes calm, and by worshipping and offering the coconut to the sea god, the fishermen start the fishing season.
At Chapora jetty in Caisua of Anjuna, at the confluence of the Colval river with the Arabian sea, the fisheries minister Nilkanth Halarnkar, made the offering of the coconut, by performing the puja of the sea god in the presence of the fishermen from the vicinity.
Kamlakant Redkar, 68 years of age from Caisua, said, "This is considered as the auspicious day to embark on the fishing activities through the boats, after taking the rest for almost two months. In the past,we used to earn our livelihood through fishing and were getting the bumper catch of the fishes. However, today various factors have affected the fishing activities and the yield."
The Chapora jetty, is one of the important fishing jetty in Bardez, where the fishing communities from different areas have been residing. By invoking, the folk deity Betal of Chopde, who is considered as the lord of the twenty four ports of the region and also to the god Sidhdeshwar, who reside in the natural cave at the foot hill of the historic Chapora fort, the fishermen starts the season of fishing.
During Portuguese rule, the fishermen who were converted to the Christianity in Goa, in the month of August, observe the feast of St. Lawrence in Sinquirim, when the sandbars at the mouth of the Mandovi river clear. The priest blessed the reopening of the navigable channel to herald the fishing season.
The revenue village of Anjuna, with the area of 1300.40 ha., situated on.the west coast of India, today known all over the world as the famous tourist destination characterised by the natural beauty and architectural grandeur.
However, in the seventh century,when the Umayyad Caliphate was ruling, the sea trade flourished and in the tenth century,the Abbasid Caliphate, established trading contacts with the Rashtrakutas which helped in the constitution of the merchants guild known as the Hanjaman in the Konkan and the Kanara coasts. These guilds,set up settlements near the port cities During, the rule of the Kadamba's Jayakedhi 1, ruling over Gopakapattanam, the Muslim Saddam was the chief of the port.
Anjuna, etymologically related with the Hanjaman, means merchant guilds. Since, it had the important settlement of the merchants, who were using the natural harbour situated on the bank of the river Chapora (Colval).
The Chapora name is actually related with Shahapur, as the place was known during the Adilshahi rule, when the fort was built at the strategic location on the confluence of the river with the Arabian sea. The great maratha ruler Sambhaji Maharaj conquered it, while on the campaign of Bardez, from the Portuguese in 1683. The Mughal also made attempts to build the fort in Chapora, when their fleet was in Chapora river, but the plan did not materialize due to hurdles posed by the Portuguese. Since 1857, at the foot of the hillock the custom house alongwith the office of the captain of port of Chapora,were functioning.
Anjuna put Goa on the map of global tourism, when hippies from the European countries began thronging to it, in the late 1960 and today is known for the popular Wednesday flea market. Caisua, now a hamlet of Anjuna, gained the name Kaisuva, as it is the breeding place for the sea turtles, and is changing rapidly. Vagator, an internationally acclaimed beach, in the hoary past was known for the tiger and through the combination of the Vagh (tiger) and tir (shore), the hamlet became popular as Vagator, since it was frequently visited by the tigers.
A quarter century ago, Anjuna had 3.68 ha. recorded as the forest, but today increasing cement-concrete structures already posed threats to the eco-cultural heritage inherited by the village from the ages.
Increasing rave parties, performances of the Western music by musicians from various parts of the world, and the number of restaurants catering tourists has totally transformed Anjuna from the village of the beautiful beaches into a crowded tourist destination lacking any sustainable model.
The festival of the Narali Pournima, which is celebrated every year, showcases the facets of the rich and varied history of bygone days.
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