SJKWA celebrates Konkani Divas and Monti Feast at Mira Road
Konkani Divas and Monti Feast Celebrated at Mira Road by St Joseph’s Konkani Welfare Association
Mumbai: Konkani Manyatha Divas was celebrated by St Joseph’s Konkani Welfare Association®, Mira Road on September 8 at the Community Hall of St Joseph’s Church. The Programme started with a welcome dance. Hilda Serrao, Member of the Association offered “Paanpode Udaak”. Digo Rodrigues, President of the Association welcomed the gathering. Fr Melwyn D’Cunha (Spiritual Director of the association and Parish Priest of St Joseph’s Church), Fr Joseph Martis (Rector of St Joseph,s Seminary, Mangalore) Lawrence Coelho ( Editor of Konkani Weekly ‘Divo’), Sr Serena (Superior, Holy Cross Sisters, Mira Road), Sr Superior of Ankur, Mira Road along with Digo Rodrigues, Sofia D’Sa, Lawrence Mathias, John Crasta, Arun Noronha inaugurated the function by a unique way i.e. by symbolic harvesting the new crop. Two minutes silence was observed for all those Konkani writers, actors and all who worked for it. Lawrence Coelho was felicitated on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Lawrence Coelho expressed his gratitude towards Konkani people of Mira road. Fr Joseph Martis said he is very happy to know about St Joseph Konkani Welfare Association and praised St Joseph’s Konkani Welfare Association for the good work it is doing in the field of Konkani. He asked the gathering to teach the culture and values of Konkani to our children. Fr Melwyn emphasized that Konkani should be like our shadow, wherever we go, our language should follow us.
Merit holders (children of Association members) in SSC and HSC were honoured. Prizes were distributed to the winners of Talent Competition held on August 21.
Members of the association and their children entertained the crowd with jokes and songs. During the occasion, small kits ‘Rooma Badyak’, ‘Clinic 420’ and ‘Bill Problem’ were enacted.
The second part of the Programme was ‘Noven Jevan’ programme in a traditional way. Before the ‘Noven Sevnche’, Fr Joseph Martis conducted the prayer in a traditional way. Thereafter Noven was distributed to all.
President of the Association, Digo Rodrigues, invited all to the Dinner in a traditional way ‘Jevnak Udak’. Vegetarian ‘Jevan’ (Dinner) was on the banana leaf and Laudate was sung by the members of St Joseph’s Konkani Welfare Association. Sofia D’Sa, Secretary of St Joseph’s Konkani Welfare Association, Mira Road delivered the vote of thanks. Arun Noronha compered the program beautifully.
News by Canute Menezes, Shirva