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Goan Catholics
Goiche Katholik

File:Goan Catholics.jpg Cardinal Oswald Gracias • Remo Fernandes • Leander Paes • Ileana D'Cruz • Eunice De Souza • Lorna
Regions with significant populations
→Goa	~363,870
→Bombay	~100,000
Languages
Konkani
Religion
Christianity (Roman Catholicism)
Related ethnic groups
Konkani people, Mangalorean Catholics, Indo-Aryans

Goan Catholics (Konkani: Goiche Katholik) - are Roman Catholics from the former Portuguese colony of Goa, a region on the west coast of India. They are Konkani people and speak the Konkani language. Almost all Catholics in Goa are converts to the religion, and the society is marked by a caste-system. The total population of the community is estimated to be around 2 million.

Most of the ancestors of Goan Catholics, were Saraswat Brahmins, who had migrated to Goa via Magadha in Gangetic India from Aryavarta, mainly due to the withering of the River Saraswati. Their culture is a blend of Portugese and Indian cultures. After the Portuguese arrived Goa in 1510, they adopted the Portuguese culture but retained their Hindu caste system and few other customs and traditions. The Goa Inquisition and the Portugese-Maratha wars were the most disconsolate memories in their history, which drove many Goan Catholics to the neibhouring regions of Mangalore, Karwar in Karnataka and Sawantwadi in Maharashtra.

Their architecture and music encompass some of the notable contributions to India and the world. Their Cashew Feni and contributions to Konkani literature are well known.

Today, the Goan Catholic diaspora is scattered across the globe, with emigrant communities in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf and the Anglosphere. The Goan Catholic identity has been broadened in recent times to include emigrants of Goan Catholic descent, since around half of the community resides outside Goa.

Ethnic identity

The Roman Catholics from the Southern Konkan region, and their descendents are generally known as Goan Catholics. The Southern Konkan region is also referred to as the Gomantak or simply Goa, and falls on the western coast of India. At present it consists of the North Goa and South Goa districts in the state of Goa. Almost all of the present Goan Catholic community trace their origins entirely to the Saraswat Brahmins who migrated to the Konkan via Magadha in Gangetic India from Aryavarta, in the north-western part of the Indian sub-continent due to the drying out of the Saraswati river, while the rest of them have mixed Aryan-Maratha heritage. Hence, they are also known as Saraswati's children. The Saraswats brought with them a simplified version of Sanskrit, known as Brahmani, which was the root of modern day Konkani. As years passed by Konkani grew and flourished in Goa. Hence, slowly even the locals of Goa were assimilated into the Konkani stock. Thus, their ethnic identity is confined to the Konkani culture and language.

Today they form 26.7% of the the total population of Goa. They are known by many names over the ages, in Konkani they are known as Goiche Katholik which literally translates as Goan Catholics. They simply call themselves as Goenkars which literally reads as Goans. Before the advent of Protestantism in Goa, they were also referred as Goan Christians, however its current use to represent the Goan Catholics alone has been depreciated after Goan Protestants and other Non-Catholic Christians started increasing in Goa in the 19th and 20th century.

History

Main article: History of Goan Catholics

According to some Hindu legends, Parashurama flung his axe into the sea and commanded the Sea God to recede up to the point where his axe landed. The new piece of land thus recovered came to be known as Konkan meaning "piece of earth" or "corner of earth" (Kona(corner) + kana(piece)). The Southern Konkan was called Govarashtra.

According to the legends of the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin community, they were settled along the banks of the Saraswati river. When the river suddenly went dry, Parshurama created the new land (Konkan) on the coast and ordered them to migrate there. The Saraswat Brahmins settled in three islands in the estuary of the Zuari and Mandovi rivers. The Sarswats settled in three different groups which lent the name to the land based on the number of families settled there:Twelve(Barah) families in Bardesh(modern Bardez); Thirty(Tees) families in Tiswadi; and sixty six(Sashasta) families in Sashti(modern Salcette). These three islands formed the ancient Gomantak.

Pre-Portuguese era

Ruins of Fort Aguada in north Goa; one of the defences that the Portuguese built during their reign.

Goa's known history stretches back to the 3rd century BC, when it formed part of the Mauryan Empire. It was later ruled by the Satavahanas of Kolhapur, around 2000 years ago it was passed on to the Chalukya Dynasty, who controlled it between 580 to 750. Over the next few centuries Goa was successively ruled by the Silharas, the Kadambas and the Chalukyas of Kalyani, rulers of Deccan India. The Kadambas, a local Hindu dynasty based at Chandrapura, (present day Chandor - Salcette), laid an indelible mark on the course of Goa's pre-colonial history and culture.

In 1312, Goa came under the governance of the Delhi Sultanate. However, the kingdom's grip on the region was weak, and by 1370 they were forced to surrender it to Harihara I of the Vijayanagara empire. The Vijayanagara monarchs held on to the territory until 1469, when it was appropriated by the Bahmani sultans of Gulbarga. After that dynasty crumbled, the area fell to the hands of the Adil Shahis of Bijapur who made Velha Goa their auxiliary capital.

Goa was ruled by the Muslims for about 60 years before they were removed by Harihara I, of Vijayanagar Empire. For about 100 years, Goa's ports were important for ships carrying Arabian horses for the Vijayanagar Cavalry. Around 1510, the Portuguese arrived.

Portuguese era

In 1498 Vasco da Gama, the first European to set foot in India, arrived in what is today called Old Goa via Kerala. A few years later in 1510, the Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque,with the help of Timaya, a Hindu privateer, who claimed he was born in Goa but fled because of the ruling Muslims, defeated the ruling Adil Shahi. In revenge for an earlier failed attempt in to capture Goa, de Albuquerque ordered the massacre of all Muslims in the conquered area. The Portuguese initially came to India to expand their spice trade but on conquering Adil Shahi sultanate and by order of the King of Portugal they established a settlement in Goa that was to last 450 years.

The first areas to be conquered by the Portuguese were the districts or talukas of Ilhas, Bardez and Salcete. These areas grouped together were known as Velhas Conquistas or Old Conquests and each taluka consisted of a number of villages communities. It was in these districts that the Portuguese undertook their most zealous efforts to convert the local pagans to Christianity and where the majority of Goa’s Catholic community is to be found. Hindu temples were destroyed and replaced by Catholic churches. Some years later Portugal expanded their conquests in Goa to include ten more talukas and these grouped together were known as Novas Conquitas or New Conquests. However, at the time of the conquest of the Novas Conquitas the fervor of the Inquisition in Goa had waned and the Portuguese, although they continued their missionary work, their attempts at conversion had subsided. Many Hindu Goans that fled earlier returned to their villages and reestablished their temples making the Novas Conquitas the area with the greatest concentration of Hindus.

In 1543 the colonizers initiated what became known as The Goa Inquisition whereby a great many of the local population were converted to Catholicism. The Inquisition lasted from approximately 1543 to 1812, reshaping the socio-cultural landscape of the new colony. To escape the Inquisition and harassment, thousands fled the state, settling down in the neighbouring regions of Mangalore, Karwar in Karnataka and Sawantwadi in Maharashtra, which were outside of Portuguese control. Portuguese rule of Goa was not entirely uninterrupted. The Dutch attacked Goa twice, in 1603 and 1640. In 1664, Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire, attacked Kudal, a town north of Goa, and began his campaign for Goa. In 1668, he captured five towns in North Goa and ordered renovation of Saptkotishwar temple at the present site during one of his campaigns to oust the Portuguese. But even after repetitive attempts, he was not able to win Goa from the Portuguese. After Shivaji's death on 3 April, 1680, his son Sambhaji ascended to the throne. In 1685, Chatrapti Sambhaji captured capital Panaji and penetrated his Maratha army peacefully in entire Central and North Goa but could not retain Goa and again moved to the Deccan plateau to handle the situation arisen due to sudden attack of Mughal.

Modern era

Sé Cathedral of Santa Catarina, Goa Velha

In 1787, inspired by the French Revolution, several Goan priests, unhappy with the process of promotion within the church and other discriminatory practices of the Portuguese, organized an unsuccessful revolt against the Portuguese. Known as The Pinto Revolt, it was the first open revolt against the Portuguese from within Goa. Britain gained control of Goa twice, the first time in 1797 – 1798 and for the second time from 1802 – 1813. In 1843 the capital was moved to Panjim and by the mid 18th century the area under occupation expanded to Goa’s present day limits. By this time the Portuguese Empire had begun its decline and further resistance to their continued occupation in Goa started gaining momentum. After the rest of India gained independence in 1947 Portugal refused to relinquish control of Goa. On December 12th, 1961 India moved in with troops and after a fight that lasted twenty-six hours Portugal surrendered Goa. On May 30th, 1987 Goa was elevated as India’s 25th state.

Catholicism became firmly entrenched in Goa largely as a result of the conversion policies adopted by the Portuguese and the application of the principle cajus regio, illius religio. In 1534, Pope Paul III, at the request of Dom Joao III, then king of Portugal promulgated his Bull Reputanmus which established the Diocese of Goa, which is considered to be an important landmark in the community's history. Henceforth Goa became the seat of great ecclesiastical power and became widely known as the 'Rome of the Orient'. Roman Catholic missions in Goa played an important role in education, health, and social welfare and built the Xavier Centre of Historical Research, Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK), and other institutions and churches. The Portugese had built various churches like the Se Cathedral and Basilica of Bom Jesus. Dr Froilano de Mello (1877-1955) did remarkable work for improving the health of the malaria-endemic city of Old Goa by mapping the entire area so as to discover the source of malaria. John Francis Ludger Gracias (1888-1969), among the first Goans to migrate to Kenya, and played a major role in the establishment of the Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours. He was awarded with an MBE by King Edward VIII -- one of the few honours bestowed by King Edward in his short reign. Brilliant Goan civil engineer Bismark Dias is remembered for designing the town of Vasco da Gama. By 1960, Goan Catholics accounted for 2,24,617(36%) of the total population in Goa. In the 1970s, coastal communication increased between Bombay and Goa, which facilitated the entry of Goan Catholics to Bombay. During the later 19th century, they started migrating to other parts of India, especially Bombay and Delhi. In 1961, the Archdiocese of Bombay estimated that there were around 100,000 Goan Catholics in Bombay, of which 90,000 were in urban Bombay, and 10,000 in rural Bombay.

Geographical Distribution

File:Goan Catholic Distribution.jpg

Goan Catholic distribution in India

According to the 2001 census, the population in Goa was 1,347,668, out of which 27 percent adhered to Christianity. So the Goan Catholic population in Goa is estimated to be approxiametly 363,870.

Many Goan Catholics live in Bombay and Delhi, and they have a small presence in other Indian cities. They are found in large numbers in the Indian states of Goa and Maharashtra. Their presence in other states is minuscule.

Many Goan Catholics also live anroad , some of them are NRI's or they are the official citizens of that nation with some people born in that nation itself. Many live in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. Many have migrated to the Anglospheric world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, while some have settled in Portugal and East Africa mainly in Kenya. Many Goan Catholics are also found in Karachi, Pakistan. These Goan Catholics are those who fled Goa during Portuguese rule during the mid nineteen hundreds and refer themselves as Karachi-Goans.There are also many Goans who reside in Melbourne, Australia. These Goans in Melbourne are popularly known as Melgoans.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Goan Catholics

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Goan Catholics

An traditional Portuguese-influenced Goan Catholic house.

The architecture of Goan Catholics is a delightful combination of Indian, Mughal and Portuguese styles. Most of their houses have the bust of Jesus Christ at the entrance. Gateways are consisted of elaborately carved compound walls on either side of the gate posts. Central staircases leading to verandahs and balconies upstairs are a unique feature of the architecture of only found in Goa. The ancient houses walls were made of mud and then later of laterite stone; they were usually plastered then painted. Very few buildings are coloured exactly alike and solid colours are used for front facades; interiors are usually in paler colours/white with solid color highlights. Almost all of their houses have a false ceiling of wood. Country tiles used as a corbel are a feature peculiar to Goa. The effect achieved is aesthetically pleasing, giving the roof projection a solid, moulded appearance. The roofing is mainly of red coloured Mangalore tiles. Their flooring consist of humble burnt earth plastered over with cow dung and hay, or with elaborate patterns made with tiles imported from Europe. The windows are usually curved inwards that are glazed with glass or oyster shells. These large ornamental windows with stucco mouldings open onto verandahs. A central courtyard is yet another feature of Goan architecture. The homes are mainly surrounded by fruit trees. The Pig toilet are a typically feature of olden homes.

Cuisine

Main article: Goan Catholic cuisine

Rice and Fish curry, the staple food of the Goan Catholics.

The Goan Catholic cuisine is influenced by native Goan, Portuguese, South Indian, and even British. Coconut and curry leaves are common ingredients to most curries, so are ginger, garlic, chili peppers and chili. Fish curry and rice is the staple food of the community. Popular pork dishes include Chorizo, Vindaloo and Sorpotel. The Soluntule kodi, a fish curry made with coconut juice, is a traditional curry served during many ceremonies. The Podecho are dry rice flakes usually accompanied with jaggery. They are considered to be a variant of dosa, a South Indian dish. Popular chicken dishes include Canja de galinha and Chicken Vindaloo. Their vegetarian cuisine is similar to the Malvani cuisine. Khatkhate, an exotic Goan vegetable stew, is a popular dish which contains at least five vegetables, fresh coconut, and special Goan spices that add to the aroma. Pattoe, a dish of saffron leaves stuffed with rice, dal, jaggery, and coconut is also popular. The Kuswad refers to sweet delicacies prepared during Christmas and includes Bebinca, Kulkuls, Perad and Neuries. The most popular alcoholic beverage in Goa is feni ; Cashew feni is made from the fermentation of the fruit of the cashew tree, while coconut feni is made from the sap of toddy palms. Since Goa is a coastal region, fish forms the staple diet of most Goan Catholics.

Names and surnames

Main article: Goan Catholics names and surnames

Bilingual names, having variants in both Konkani and English, like Pedru (Peter) and Mâri (Mary) are common among Goan Catholics. Another popular naming convention uses English names, like Kevin, Kenneth and Sanferd, that have no Konkani variants. European names such as Savio, Mario and Andrea are popular and so are Indian names like Sandeep, Rahul and Anita. Portuguese surnames like Rodrigues and Carvalho, are used abundantly among Goan Catholics due to the former Portuguese colonationization of Goa. Some Goan Catholics still have records of their original Goud Saraswat Brahmin surnames such as Prabhu, Kamat, Pai, and Shenoy.

Goan Catholic variant	English variant	Meaning	Sex
Lazar	Lazarus	God has helped	Male
Lusi	Lucy	Light	Female
Mâri	Mary	Beloved	Female
Mingel	Michael	Who is like God?	Male
Motes	Matthew	Gift from God	Male
Mornel	Magdalen	Tower	Female
Salvador	Salvador	Saviour	Male
Zâbel	Elizabeth	My God is my oath	Female
Source: English-konkani Dictionary

Language and literature

Main articles: Literature of Goan Catholics and Konkani language

File:A Description in Konkani.jpg

Cover of the book A Description in Konkani by Matthew Almeida

Goan Catholics have strong feelings towards the Konkani language. This love and affection for their language can be seen when most of the Goans united and fought for Konkani as their mother tongue. They speak a dialect of Konkani, known as Goan Konkani, which the Ethnologue identifies as the Goanese dialect. Like most Konkani dialects, the Goan dialect is a unique identifier of the community. Many Portuguese words have entered in the Goan lexicon due to the influence of the Portuguese. This is also true for the Goan Hindus. With the Kannada Kadambas ruling Goa and its close proximity to Maharashtra a lot of Kannada and Marathi words have been incorporated. The community with its trade links with the Arabs and Persians have also incorporated many Arabic and Persian words into their vocabulary. Devanagari script is the offical script for Goan Konkani, although the Roman script is quite popular among Goan Catholics. Today Goan Catholics have all strata of the society conversing in English and in fact taking pride in the same. Goan Catholics do have the elite people who do continue speaking Portuguese. Goan Catholics have another set of people who are pursuing this language just for the love for it.

The first book in Konkani and any Indian language was Dovtrina Christam em Lingoa Bramana Canarim (Christian Doctrines in the Canarese Brahmin Language), published by the English Jesuit Thomas Stephens in 1622 in Goa.

The origin of literature dates back to 1563 when the first Konkani grammar was published in by a Fr.Andre Vaz, Goan priest at St. Paulo College at Old Goa.In 1989, Fr.Matthew S.J., published a linguistic grammar book named A Description in Konkani, explaining the phonology, morphology and syntax of the Konkani language of Goa and its surrounding districts. Popular forms of their literature include, the TSKK Konkani Basic Course by Matthew Almeida, S.J. (1991), is a course book for beginners to learn Konkani. Fr.Moreno de Souza published a book, Tisvaddecheo Igorzo,(1994) that gives a panoramic view of the churches of Tiswadi or Ilhas. The TSKK Linguistic Glossary: English-Konkani and Konkani-English dictionary by Matthew Almeida, S.J. and Pratap Naik, S.J.,(1994) are some examples of their literature. The Sonvsarak Jezu Diat by Vasco do Rego, S.J.(1995), contains sermons preached by St.Francis Xavier at Basilica of Bom Jesus. Other forms of their literature include Lambert Mascarenhas' Sorrowing Lies My Land and Fernando de Noronha's Nostalgic Memories of the Past.

Traditions and festivals

File:Carnival of Goa.jpg

Goa Carnival

Although the Catholics in Goa have been deeply influenced by the Western culture, they have retained their Hindu caste system and a few customs common to both Christians and Hindus particularly regarding marriage. Due to the Portuguese rule, they have adopted both Indian and Western traditions. The Ross (anointing) ceremony, conducted one or two days before a wedding, involves the parents' blessing of the bride and groom, who are anointed with coconut milk. Later, it is followed by the traditional Catholic wedding mass and finally the wedding. The tradition Of Ovi (wedding songs) which are sung by women during a the wedding is a unique tradition among Goan Catholics.The tradition of the burning of the old man happens every year on the 31st of December. Village boys make an old man by stuffing old clothes with hay and set up roadblocks to ask people for monetary help for their ailing old man. The old man is then customarily burnt at midnight and the money collected is used for a new year party.

In addition to the common Christian festivals like Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter, the community celebrates many other festivals which have both religious and historical significance. Christmas is celebrated uniquely in Goa, with children going house to house singing Christmas carols and collecting money for the Christmas party. The Zagor (nocturnal vigil in Konkani), which is mainly celebrated in the Siolim village of the Bardez taluk of Goa is actually a dance-drama that starts out with a processions of Hindus and Christians from their villages, which converges onto the zagor site with exuberant singing and dancing from either side. Monti Fest is one of the major festivals, mainly celebrated in Chinchinim, Goa on 8 September, which celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Another important festival is the San Jao fest (Feast of St.John the Baptist) which is Goa's moonsoon festival along with the feast of St. Peter. San Jao is celebrated by the men of Goa by jumping into the well. The Procession of Saints is an annual religious procession led from the St.Andrews Church, Goa Velha. The procession, held on the first Sunday of the New Year of the Gregorian calendar. Other important festivals include of Mae de Deus Church at Saligao , Feast of Passion of Christ at Siridao, Feast of Holy Cross at Panarim (Aldona), Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Feast of the Holy Spirit Church, at Margao, Bondera at Divar, Sangodd at Cumbharjua. The Goa Carnival is one of the best festival of Goan Catholics in Goa. The Carnival in Goa is a 4 days festival of color, song and music, providing a healthy entertainment for all, young and old.

Historical Society

File:Goa house.jpg

A Traditional Pre-Portugese influenced Goan Catholic house

In Goa, mass conversions were carried out by Portuguese missionaries from the 16th century onwards. The Goan Catholics retained their caste practices. The continued maintenance of the caste system among the Christians in Goa is attributed to the nature of mass conversions of entire villages, as a result of which existing social stratification was not affected. The Portuguese colonists, even during the Goa Inquisition, did not do anything to change the caste system. Thus, the original Hindu Brahmins in Goa now became Christian "Bamon's" and the Kshatriya became Christian noblemen called "Chardos". The Christian clergy became almost exclusively Bamonn. Vaishya who converted to Christianity became "Gauddo's", and Shudras became "Sudir's". Finally, the Dalit or "Untouchables" who converted to Christianity became "Maharas" and "Chamars".

However, the relations between the upper castes and lower castes among the Goan Catholic community continues to remain strained in some parts of Goa. For instance, in November 23, 1999, the upper caste Gaonkar Christians hailing from the Chardo caste in Cuncolim protested against the attempts by the local parish priest Soccoro Mendes to devolve administrative functions to lay worshippers from the lower castes. This occured after Mendes appointed two members from the backward castes into the Pastoral Council in January. Following this, he received numerous threats against his life and had to be put under police protection. The Chardos demanded that only their caste be given positions on the Pastoral Council of Goa's Catholic Church, based on the claim that the land on which the Church stands originally belonged to their caste. They further threatened reconversion to Hinduism, should the lower caste members not be withdrawn from the council.

Dance Forms and Theatre

The Dekhnni is the traditional dance of Goan Catholics, who were converted to Christianity from Hinduism during the Portugal rule. They were the ones to compose this traditional dance form of Goa. The dance also involves singing by people. It usually begins with a beautiful lady starting the dance and is joined later by other dancers gradually. The music of this dance is a lovely combination of rhythm and melody of both western and Indian genre. The Corridinho is a form of Portuguese dance is another dance performed by the community. It is danced with the pairs always embraced, forming a circle, girls inside and the boys outside the circle. By rotating the circle the pairs evolve side by side. Performed by the Kshatriyas of Chandor, the Mussal Dance is performed as a celebration of Victory. It was first performed to celebrate the victory of Harihar, the Hindu King of Vijaynagar, after he defeated the Cholas in the early 14th century. The dance is so called because it is danced with Mussals (pestles). The dance constitutes 4 couplets while the main dance uses twenty-two couplets. Though the Kshatriyas finally converted to Christianity, yet they have preserved this cultural heritage.

The Konkani language theatre play known as the tiart is quite popular among this community. It derives its name from the Portuguese word 'Teatro' and they are mainly melodramas about family and domestic life. Each lyricist will offer his own explanation for life's varied problems, often coloured by individual prejudices. Although there are quite a few 'Tiartist' who produce plays with political satire. Notable, is William de Curtorim. It has at least 2 to 3 releases per month and one can find the tiart being performed all the year round in Goa. Popular tiatrist who have become household names include Prince Jacob, Alfred Rose, Tony King, Kid Boxer, Souza Boy, M.Boyer, Emiliano D'cruz, Rosario Rodrigues and J. B. Rod.

Songs and Music

As a result of 450 years of colonialization by the Portuguese, Goan music has evolved to a form that is quite a bit different from traditional Indian music. Remo Fernandes has immensly contributed to Bollywood and has succeeded in bringing a uniqe blend of Indo-Western Pop. The contributors to Goan music are the Canadian-Goan band Goa Amigos, which has recently represented Goa at the largest South Asian festival in North America. Goan popular music is generally sung in the Konkani language. Songs of the Jazz artistes like Chris Perry are immortalized by singer Lorna, that remain all time favorites. The popular Konkani folksong Hanv Saiba Poltoddi Vetam (I am going across the river) was composed by Anna Jacques more than four hundred years ago! An international ad campaign by Nike for the 2007 Cricket World Cup featured a Konkani song Rav Patrao Rav (Wait Boss Wait) as the background theme. It was based on the tune of an older song Bebdo (Drunkard), composed by Chris Perry and sung by Lorna. The new lyrics written by Agnello Dias (who worked in the ad agency that made the ad), recomposed by Ram Sampat and sung by Ella Castellino. The well known Konkani hymn Riglo Jezu Molliant (Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemene) was written by Joachim Miranda, a Goan Catholic priest, during the 18th century, when he was held captive by Tippu Sultan, on his Mangalore mission. In the olden days, the ghumat was a popular musical instrument played especially during weddings. The instrument has the form of an earthen pot but is open at both sides. One end is covered with the skin of some wild animal, and the other is left open.

Goa is almost synonymous with trance music and one can see many trance parties taking place on the beaches of Goa. This transition took place somewhere around 1960 - 70 when many hippies came to Goa and made it a hot tourist destination for the like minded. Since they enjoyed trance music, they introduced the same over there too. Goa Trance band Juno Reactor had their music featured in many Hollywood movies like Mortal Kombat, The Matrix and even Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The community is also much influenced by western classical music and listens to the likes of Bob Marley, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, etc. The current generation listens to rock and hip hop music religiously.

The most widespread kind of folk music in Goa was the mando, a kind of dance music that evolved out of wedding music, specifically the Ovi (traditional wedding songs). Mando is meant for dancing, and, in contrast to the Ovi, uses a chorus. It probably evolved after the 1830s, when ballroom dance was introduced to the area.

Zolmancho Dis (Happy Birthday song)

Dis tujea zolmacho, dis vhodde khoxecho
Today's your birthday, a day of great happiness.

Happy Birthday mhunnon ugdas kortaum tuzo
I remember you a lot, as its your birthday.

Sounsar chear disancho, hasson khellon sarcho
The world is of a few days, lets dance, laugh and sing.

— Mando taken from Traditional Mandos article by Sanferd Rodrigues,

Organizations

The campus of the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK), a research institute working on issues related to the Konkani language, located at Panjim in Goa

Many organizations cater to the community in Goa like the Goa Konkani Akademi (GKA) founded by the Government of Goa to promote Konkani language, literature and culture and the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK), founded in 1989 and ran by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) is a popular research institute based in the Goan capital Panjim, which works on issues related to the Konkani language, literature, culture and education.The Dalgado Konkani Academy is another popular Konkani organization based in Panjim.

Goenkaranchi Ekvot is a registered organisation of Goans residing in Delhi and the adjoining states, that aim is of promoting the social and cultural advancement of Goans irrespective of their religion, caste, creed and community, as well as to arrange activities related to thepromotion of Goan culture and tradition. The International Centre, Goa is an organization that has been established on the lines of the India International Centre, New Delhi, which hosts cultural events. On December 22, 1959 the Associação de Futebol de Goa (Football association of Goa) was formed, which continues to administer the game in the state under the new name, Goa Football Association.

The Goans in Kuwait formed the Kuwait Konknni Kendr organization to help protect and promote Goan culture.. The Goan Overseas Association (G.O.A.) in Toronto is a strong integrated cultural organization that seeks to preserve the Goan identity and develop a wider appreciation of Goan culture locally throughout the GTA and worldwide.. The Goans of America (G.O.A.) was formed in 1970, is an organization dedicated to unifying the Goan community in the Southern California area and now there are over 300 families participating in the organization.. Goans who emigrated from Tanzania in great number to greener pastures, formed an organization named as Tanzanite Goans.

Notable Goan Catholics

Notable Goan Catholics	Achievements
Eunice De Souza	A contemporary Indian English language poet and novelist.
Ileana D'Cruz	A Goan Catholic working in the Telugu film industry.
Ivan Dias	Prefect of Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Rome.
Oswald Gracias	Cardinal, Archbishop of Mumbai, India.
Leander Paes	International tennis player.
Bruno Coutinho	Indian Footballer.
Evarist Pinto	Archbishop of Karachi, Pakistan.
Lorna	Singer from Goa, known as Goa's nightingale.
Remo Fernandes	Prominent Goan pop star and Bollywood, playback singer.

See also

• Roman Catholic Brahmin
• Roman Catholicism in Goa
• Mangalorean Catholics
• East Indian Catholics
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa e Damão
• Konkani
• Goa

References

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• Ayyappapanicker, K. (1997). Medieval Indian Literature: An Anthology. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 8126003650. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
• Baptista, Elsie Wilhelmina (1967). The East Indians: Catholic Community of Bombay, Salsette and Bassein. Bombay East Indian Association.
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• Da-Fonseca, Jose Nicolau (1994). Historical and Archaeological Sketch of the City of Goa. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 8120602072. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
• Paul R. Magocsi (1999). Encyclopedia of Canada's peoples. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0802029388. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Sarina Singh (2005). India. Lonely Planet Publications. ISBN 1740596943. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Almeida, Matthew (1989). A Description in Konkani. Thomas Stephens Konkkni Kendr. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
• Saradesāya, Manohararāya (2000). A History of Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 8172016646. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
• Gupta, Anirudha (1991). Minorities on India's West Coast: History & Society. Kalinga Publications. ISBN 8185163227. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
• Micheal Naylor Pearson (2003). The Indian Ocean. Routledge. ISBN 0415214890. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
• Maffei, Angelus Francis Xavier (2001). English-konkani Dictionary. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 8120606264. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
• Naimpalli, Sadanand (2005). Theory and Practice of Tabla. Popular Prakashan. ISBN 8179911497. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
• Paul Harding (2003). Lonely Planet: Goa (3rd edition ed.). Lonely Planet Publications. ISBN 1740591399. Retrieved 2008-09-17. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Raj, Selva J. (2002). Popular Christianity in India: Riting Between the Lines. SUNY Press. ISBN 9780791455197. Retrieved 2008-08-28. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Sen, Surendra Nath (1993). Studies in Indian History:Historical Records at Goa. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 8120607732. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
• Hunter, William Wilson (2005). The Indian Empire: Its People, History, and Products. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 8120615816. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
• Walbridge, Linda S. (2003). The Christians of Pakistan: The Passion of Bishop John Joseph. Routledge. ISBN 0700716564. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
• Sakshena, R.N. (2003). Goa: In the main stream. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 8170170052. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
• Sen, Colleen Taylor (2004). Food Culture in India. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0313324875. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
• Vaz, Dr.J.Clement (2007). Goans All Over the World are Doing Great Things. Fredrick Noronha. Retrieved 2008-08-24.

External links

• Catholic Goan Network
• Giga-Catholic website
• The Archdiocese of Goa and Daman website
• Konkani News, Goa.com
• Goans on the International Sporting Stage
• Great Men of Goa