The first part of Divar's famous Bonderam fair took place on August 19, 2023 on the Sao Matias/Malar side of the island of Divar in north central Goa.
The Malar Divar Bonderam was organised by São Matias Sports Club: goo.gl/maps/zHmnX7rTZkkFbToJ8
The festival began at 11 am with a millet display and workshop by the students and teachers of Goa College of Agriculture celebrating the millet as the UN crop of the year 2023. A new band Malarchim Motiem by Clancy Monteiro (violin), Mark Afonso (Trumpet/Guitar), Lucius De Almeida (Guitar/Drums/Ghumot) and Myron Afonso (Keyboard) debuted at the Bonderam.
Malar villagers served a traditional home cooked Goan meal - Bonderachem Jevonn - at São Matias Sports Club.
This was followed by the Bonderachim Pasoi (Heritage Walk), curated by Festakar Marius Fernandes. During the heritage walk, groups like Travelling Dome and Uzwaad put up skits and tiatr highlighting the ecological vulnerablity of Goa's rivers, forests and the creatures that depend on them, including humans.
The villagers celebrate the festival with colourful flags, or bandeiras in Portuguese, and bonderam in Konkani, which can be seen during the pasoi. Festakar Gwendolyn de Ornelas shows the traditional fotash, a pop gun made out of bamboo stem, used to shoot teflam seeds. The fotash is used by villagers of Malar and Piedade in a mock battle. Bonderam is also a happy celebration of the longstanding, friendly rivalry between Malar and Piedade. A legendary Malar band accompanies the revellers during the pasoi
Festakar Marius Fernandes is enjoying shevyo, a traditional Goan sweet. Along the pasoi, different vaddos of Malar offered traditional sweets like shevyo, sheera and mandos to revellers
After the pasoi is the Bonderachem Fest and Bonderamchi Sanz (evening), with blindfolded coconut breaking and fancy dress competition, Konkani music special and street parades featuring traditional dance and music.
Thank you, Divar. See you again in Piedade on Saturday, August 26 for Bonderam part II.
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