Goa's traditional bakers pay tribute to their legacy

FLOUR POWER

On the occasion of International Bakers' Day, the All Goa Association of Bakers (AGAB) celebrated a thanksgiving mass at St Sebastian Church, Aquem Alto, Margao.

DAY OF GRATITUDE

Traditional Goan bakers and their families celebrated the day by attending a thanksgiving mass officiated by Rev Fr Josly Rocha, the assistant parish priest of St Sebastian Church, Aquem.

TIME FOR REFLECTION

Besides thanksgiving, the annual traditional mass of AGAB was a time for reflection and to pray for God's bounty to pour on their businesses.

CELEBRATING HERITAGE

This tradition at the St Sebastian Church was started 12 years ago, and is still carried forward by traditional bakers even today.

BLESSED BREAD

Before the mass, various types of traditional Goan bread, including katre pao, undo, baegal (kankonn), regular pao, and poie in different shapes and sizes, were displayed and later offered during the mass.

SATISFYING STAPLE

Bread (pao) is an irreplaceable part of Goa's culture, consumed in every household. No Goan function, feast, occasion, event, celebration, or eatery feels complete without it.

ECHOES OF CONCERN

During the celebration, the bakers voiced their concerns about the future of Goa’s bread and the challenges involved in its production and marketing.

CALL TO THE YOUNG

The association reached out to Goa’s youth, urging them to consider baking as a profitable career option and profession.

NEXT: Devotion, reverence mark Colva's annual 'fama' in Goa