A fest to commemorate Goan exodus

KOCHI: At the temple festival at Srinivasa Kovil, commemorating the exodus of Goans to the South through the sea route during the Portuguese colonization centuries ago, the Kudumbis of Kerala will stage the horrors of the voyage through a ritualistic enactment called 'Lifting of the boats.'
A documentary on the ritual was recently launched in Goa under the aegis of Kanaka N Swamy, who researched the festival and its history.
"I made the documentary as the festival in memory of the arduous journey from Goa to Kerala during the Portuguese colonization triggered my interest. Goans hardly had any knowledge about such a remarkable festival in Tripunithura," Swamy said.
The documentary brings out the historical and cultural roots that run between the coastal states of Goa and Kerala.
During the ritual, decorated boats are carried by the youth who sway and roll them to symbolize the rough sea voyage the community went through during their exodus. The ritual is enacted accompanied by thonya melam, a percussion using Goan musical instruments. It earlier used to conclude with the boats being immersed in the temple pond.
"However, the forced capsizing of the boats are avoided to safety and security concerns of the people participating in the ritual, as once a person had drowned in the pond while trying to forcefully drown the boat," said L Subramaniam, member of Kudumbi community and executive member, Kerala History Association.
The costumes and rituals are representative of the cultural diffusion between the Goan and Keralite Kudumbis, which amount to less than 300 families in the area.
This year's procession which will begin from the Statue Square at Tripunithura on Wednesday at 10am will end at the Srinivasa Kovil pond at around 1 pm.