Goa
Pex 2014, District Level Philatelic exhibition was held at the Maquinez
Palace, ESG Complex, Campal, Panaji from 18th to 21st December 2014.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Shri Surendra Furtado, Mayor of Panaji
in presence of Shri Pundalik Naik, President of Goa Konkani Academy who
was the guest of honour of the function and Shri Charles Lobo,
Postmaster General, Goa Postal Region and Ms. Archana Gopinath, Senior
Superintendent of Post Office, Goa Division.
On
the inaugural day a Special Cover on the feast of Sao Joao was released
jointly by the guests on dais. (Special Cover approval no. MH/38/2014)
Sao
Joao is one of the famous Christian feasts in the state of Goa and is
dedicated to St. John the Baptist which is celebrated on 24th June every
year. This occasion marks the celebration by the local youth in the
villages of Goa who jumps into wells to retrieve gifts thrown in by
villagers. The festivals takes place at the beginning of Monsoon season
in Goa and people of all ages jumping into wells, streams and ponds. Sao
Joao festival also has a close connection to water and keeping the
wells clean. The special cover features a family from Siolim donning the
floral headgear of Sao Joao. ‘Copels’ worn during Sao Jao festival is a
unique feature of Sao Jao festival in Goa, The cancellation reads the
words "Viva Sao Joao".
On
19th December 2014 a Special Cover on Goan Tiatr (Also known as Konkani
Theatre) was released. The cover was released by Shri Charles Lobo,
Postmaster General, Goa Postal Region in presence of Shri Jacob
Fernandes (Prince Jacob), a director, producer and actor of Konkani
Theatre and a President of the Tiatr Academy of Goa who was the Chief
Guest and Dr Andre Rafael Fernandes Associate Professor of Goa
University who was the Guest of honour and Ms. Archana Gopinath, Senior
Superintendent of Post Office, Goa Division. (Special Cover approval no.
MH/36/2014)
The
first Konkani Tiatr was staged in Mumbai in 1892 at the New Alfred
Theatre. A young man called Lucazinho Ribeiro hailing from Sokolwaddo,
Assagao in Bardez Taluka can be called the innovator of the Tiatr
because he along with Joao Agostinho Fernandes and others staged the
first Tiatr performance on the occasion of Easter on 17th April, 1892.
The name of the first Tiatr presented was "Italian Bhurgo". This Tiatr
was written and directed by Lucazinho Ribeiro hence he is the inventor
of this unique dramatic form. Tiatr today revolves around social,
religious and political themes. It is considered to be a mirror of Goan
culture. The drama consists of 6 or 7 acts called pordhe. The acts are
interspersed by songs which need not be directly linked to the content
or the issues of the main drama. There are 2 or 3 songs between each of
the acts.
On
20th December 2014 a Special Cover on Dekhni Dance of Goa was released
in presence of Dr. Savia Viegas, Writer and Researcher from Goa and Shri
P. K. Bisoi, Chief Postmaster General, Maharashtra and Goa Postal
Circle, Shri Charles Lobo, Postmaster General, Goa Postal Region and and
Ms. Archana Gopinath, Senior Superintendent of Post Office, Goa
Division. Special Cover depicts the Dekhni dancers and the cancellation
depicts two lamps generally carried by the Kolvantha (dancers), the oar
of the boatman and the gunghru used by the dancers. Special Cover
approval no. MH/37/2014)
Dekhni
is a semi classical Goan dance form. It is also pronounced as Dekni or
Dekni. Dekhni represents an attractive mixture of Indian melody and
Western rhythm. It is mainly performed by Christian girls adorned in
Indian attires. It is a song cum dance popular in Goa. Dekhni dance
usually enacts the life of a Devdasi girl meaning servant of God whose
job is to perform dance in temples and social ceremonies like weddings.
One of the popular Dekhni songs is Hanv Saiba Poltodi Vetam by Carlos
Eugenio Ferreira (1860-1926) first published in Paris in 1895 and then
in Goa in 1926. The song was adapted by Raj Kapoor as Na mangoon sona
chandi in his Hindi movie Bobby.
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| Shri P. K. Bisoi, Chief PMG Maharashtra Circle releasing special cover in presence of Dr. Savia Viegas. Charles Lobo PMG Goa Region and Ms Archana Gopinath SSP Goa also seen in picture |
