World Goa Day Special
August 20, 2003

World-wide Goans set to celebrate World Goa Day From Navhind Times Posted on Goanet - August 12, 2003 by Joaquim Fernandes Suffused in a mix of love and nostalgia, Goans across the globe are gearing up to celebrate World Goa Day on August 20. The date marks the inclusion of Konkani in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution by both houses of Parliament in 1992. While talk of the event in Goa seems muted, a virtual fever is building up in cyberspace among the Goan communities now thriving in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Spain, Kenya, Tanzania and some countries of the Middle East.......

Full text at: http://www.goacom.com/news/news2003/aug/msg00045.html

Message from Goa Day founder, Rene Barreto Writing in the official website [www.goaday.com] of World Goa Day, London-based Mr Rene Barreto, convenor of the event, says, on Goa day this year, thousands of Goans will once again remind themselves of the need to work to preserve our culture, music, history, language, cuisine, and art for our children, the non-Goan community, and for posterity.? For Names of organizers of World Goa Day see .... http://www.goaday.com/org.php

Music for Goa Day "Proud to be Goan"
Words and Music by Basilio Magno from Spain.
Click here to download MP3 file
http://www.goasudharop.org/goaday/proudgoa.mp3

Where is Goa Map of Goa (Click on the image to enlarge) Source : http://www.bombayproperty.com/goamap.html

Facts on Goa:
Goa, a former Portuguese territory, for more than 450 years is often described as 'The Rome of the East'. It has over the past decades, become the dream holiday destination, for many a foreign tourist. More than 40 years after the departure of the Portuguese, Goa is perhaps the most westernized of all the states in Modern India. The majority of Goans are very bohemian. Easy going in nature, enjoying a typical 'tropical lifestyle'; including the 'siesta', which is usually from 1pm to 4pm, the hottest part of the day. Music, dance, drama, food and feni, are a few of the things most Goans are passionate about. For more information click Here

Recipes for Goa Day
Sweet Sannas & Sorpotel
Main Course : Chicken Cafreal, Mackerel Reichado & Veg Pulao
Side dish of Salad : Yoghurt Salad
Dessert: : Caramel Custard

More about World Goa Day --- link to http://www.goaday.com

Newsline Canada

Blackout in Ontario- Canada Bungles
OTTAWA - No power in crucial government offices. Conflicting, erroneous statements by top officials. Telephone information lines crashing. It wasn't a promising performance for a national emergency system weathering its first major test since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. How bad was it? Aides to Prime Minister Jean Chretien wrote an initial statement by hand, using candlelight to see what they were doing, because his Ottawa office didn't have an emergency generator.
See: http://www.goacom.com/news/news2003/aug/msg00066.html

Blackout of 2003 - Reasons:A failure to contain problems with three transmission lines in northern Ohio

WASHINGTON Aug. 17 -
A failure to contain problems with three transmission lines in northern Ohio just south of Cleveland was the likely trigger of the nation's biggest power blackout, a leading investigator says. Alarm systems that might have alerted engineers to the failed lines were broken, according to FirstEnergy Corp., the Akron, Ohio-based utility that officials said owned at least two of the three lines.
see: http://www.goacom.com/news/news2003/aug/msg00067.html

Indian (Goan) priests in demand for Catholic missions in the West
A quiet process of reverse evangelisation is on, as more and more Indian priests of Goan origin are heading abroad to fill up a vacuum left by declining vocations in the West. http://www.goacom.com/news/news2003/aug/msg00065.html

News Clips from Goa
by Joel D'Souza & Fred Noronha

FIRST CHARTERED TRAIN
The chartered flights landing in the State, carrying tourists from foreign countries, is not new to Goa and Goans, but a chartered train that arrived at Margao on August 18 was something new, which attracted everyone’s attention particularly of those in the tourism industry. The train with 12 bogies arrived with 850 people on board at Margao this afternoon from Rajkot in Gujarat, opening a new chapter in the tourism field. This is for the first time in the history of tourism in the State, that a full train was chartered to carry tourists.

JAUNDICE, MALARIA INVADE THE STATE
While 135 cases of jaundice have been reported from the capital city in the past fortnight, 120 cases of malaria have also been detected in the State. The sudden spurt in jaundice has resulted from severe contamination of drinking water supplied by the PWD due to a leakage in sewerage pipe line.

GOA'S COLOURFUL FESTIVAL GANESH CHATURTHI ON 31ST AUGUST Among all of Goa's festivals, the Ganesh Chaturthi, popularly know as Chovoth, is the day on which Lord Ganesh was born. From the religious point of view or otherwise, it is definitely one of the rarest festivals. The Chathurthi arrives around harvest time when the Goan granary gets replenished for the year and the rural mass is in a joyous mood to enjoy. A whole lot of rare traditions too are associated with it. Here one Hindu God who has been praised in dance, music and song. The female folk visit the houses in small troups to dance the fugddi, a vibrant traditional dance. Later in the evening the menfolk come around to sing the aarti along with the ghumttam (traditional Goan drums), cymbals and harmonium.

The bhatt (Hindu priest) initiates the religious ceremonies through a puja on the first day, and after the puja the floodgates of fun, fireworks and festivity are opened. It would end only on the following day at sundown when the Ganesh images are taken for immersion at a special well in the village, at the river bank or seashore. The man of the house takes the idol on his head, his family follows with oil lamps and agarbathis. The incessant bursting of crackers is a typical feature of the Chovoth. Ganapati Bap'pa moria, Pudchea vorxi lovkor ia!

PLANNING TEAM COMING
Members of the Planning Commission will arrive in Goa on 22 August 2003 and conduct a review meeting on financial planning and management in that State.

ROLE OF MINING FIRMS IN ENVIRONMENT DESTRUCTION
The role played by mining companies in Goa in the extraction of mineral ore causing damage and hardship to agriculturists coupled with the wanton destruction of environment in the remote areas featured at length at a seminar on ‘Women and Mining’ in New Delhi. A group of women , who attended the seminar from the remove villages in Sanguem and Quepem constituency, where mining is at its peak, detailed the destruction caused by mining companies.

FIGUEIREDO’S BIRTH CENTENARY
The Kala Academy is organizing the birth centenary celebration of Maestro Antonio de Figueiredo on 19 and 20 August at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir at 6.00 pm. Maestro Antonio de Figueiredo was India’s very first maestro in Western classical music, having got himself trained in Lisbon, Paris and other European cities. After making his mark in Europe, he decided to come down to Goa and start India’s first Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra Sinfonica de Goa as well as a comprehensive musical school, Academia de Musica. He was born in Loutulim in Goa on 20 August 1903.

HELP GOVT MAKE GOA A MODEL STATE
The Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, has sought people's co-operation of the government efforts to transform Goa into a 'model' state in the country, while delivering his address after unfurling the national tricolour outside the State Secretariat.

NO BAN ON SOFT DRINKS SANS TESTS
"All soft drinks are bad for health and do not form a part of good and healthy living," opined Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday. However, he clarified that the government would consider effecting a ban on sale of softdrinks in the State provided the result of tests from samples of various aerated drinks collected by the Good and Drugs Administration prove to be harmful for human consumption. He also stated that government could stop the sale of such products in canteens/departments run by the State.

PAPAYA-SHAPED GANESH
With hardly a fortnight left for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, a Ganesh-shaped papaya, which was produced at the farm of a Margao resident, is attracting crowds.

PWD ENGINEERS SUSPENDED
Three PWD engineers have been placed under suspension in connection with the alleged deterioration of roads in Kundaim Industrial Estate after these were repaired during summer.

People Places and Things

Announcements

New Goan Seniors Group for Brampton Area - September 10, 2003
The inaugural meeting planned in April 2003 and postponed due to the SARS episode in the Toronto Area, will now take place on Wednesday September 10, from 6-9 p.m.
The venue is 22. Knightsbridge Community & Senior Citizens' Centre (905) 874-2862 1-A Knightsbridge Rd. S/E Corner by Bramalea City Centre.
See Map at
http://www.city.brampton.on.ca/parks&rec/facilitiesmap.tml?rnav=15#7
Click on circle #22
The purpose of the meeting is to form a steering group of active participants to plan and lead the group.
The faciliities are limited. Those wishing to attend please leave a message giving name(s) and phone number at 905 451 2527 or send an e-mail message to before Sunday September 7, 2003. Admission is free! Light refreshments will be provided.

Mark your Calendar for the New Year
Goa Government Plans Overseas Goan Meet the second week of January 2004.
The venue will be the Kala Academy. Click for details

75th Anniversary of Dr. Ribeiro Goan School
All Tickets Sold
To have your ticket request
added to the priority list
please contact:
Arthur Braganza 416-620-1553
E-mail: ancy.

Obituary

D'SOUZA, Apollo (Paul) _ Peacefully passed away on August 8, 2003 at the Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga, Ontario. Will be greatly missed by his wife Flora, his parents Monica and the late Peter Vincent D'Souza. Brother to Norbert, Joaquim, Father Theo, Philomena, Cajie and Theresa.

D'SOUZA, Julie Bridget _ 1938-2003 Peacefully at York Central Hospital, Toronto, on Wednesday, August 13th, 2003. Dearly beloved wife of Hilario. Loving mother of Savio and his wife Trycia, and Sabbas and his wife Katherine. Cherished grandmother of Alycia. Julie will be sadly missed by all of her family and many dear friends.

Events