A ‘Plant Show’, organised in Panjim in February 1992, by the Botanical Society of Goa (BSG), led by its founding president, Dr Arvind Untawale, inspired a cartoonist named Alex Fernandes, and a net journalist named Joel D’Souza.
They decided to organise a similar festival for school students, and thus, was born the ‘Festival of Plants and Flowers’ at SFX School, Siolim.
After being an integral part of the 32 editions, Alexyz the cartoonist, rightly deserves to have plants as a part of his 80th birthday celebrations.
AN UTSAV IS BORN
So, the BSG, now led by youth who have benefited from these events, decided to hold a ‘Plant Utsav’ in his honour. The entire ‘Alexyz@80’ celebration is being hosted by the Art Chamber-Galeria de Belas Artes in Calangute, and the owner Yolanda de Souza has generously provided the BSG with the use of the premises.
The premises is not sprawling like the Forest Nursery, Campal, where the ‘Plant Utsav’ was born in November, 1998, nor is it like the Garcia de Orta Garden, in Panjim, where the utsav was held from 2002 to 2022.
They decided to organise a similar festival for school students, and thus, was born the ‘Festival of Plants and Flowers’ at SFX School, Siolim.
So, a representative set of nurseries were invited from those who are regulars at the Plant Utsav and the Festival of Plants and Flowers in Siolim.
One can buy plants and garden inputs and also indulge one’s sweet tooth at the festival. There will be a fun competition in ‘Banana Eating’ on Monday afternoon at 4.30 pm, and a homemade traditional Goan sweet dish competition on Tuesday at 4.30 pm.
Each entry should be one serving of 200 grams or more, preferably in a disposable plate, or the contestant must take the plate home by 6 pm the same day.
At the event, one can also learn to climb a coconut tree with a mechanical device having a safety harness.
On Sunday, October 13, there will be a demonstration in flower arrangements at 10.30 am by noted horticulturist, Daniel De Souza.
Only a handful of people know that Daniel won the top prize for flower arrangements at the end of a course conducted by Allan Smith, an international floral designer, for professional florists in Goa. He has also done demonstrations for the BSG in the past.
This session will be followed by a flower arrangement competition in the afternoon at 3.30 pm using only home grown or wild flowers.
Only a handful of people know that Daniel won the top prize for flower arrangements at the end of a course conducted by Allan Smith, an international floral designer, for professional florists in Goa.
Goa has received the ‘Geographical Indications’ for ten entries, viz Khola Chilli, Harmal Chilli, Myndoli banana, Goan khajem, Bebinca, Agassaim Brinjal, Sath Shiro bhendo or ladyfinger, Mankurad mango and Goan Cashew nuts.
Very few persons in Goa can rattle off the ten entries, and no one has seen them in one place. They will be exhibited together from October 13 to 15 by the BSG at the Alexyz@80 exhibition.
The use of GI in Goa has a long way to go. The very first GI tagged product, cashew feni (2009) finally has a ‘Conformity Assessment Board’ or CAB in 2024, after 15 long years.
Until last week, I was unaware that ‘Myndoli Banana’ had a GI tag in favour of an association registered in Ibrampur-Pernem on the Maharashtra border near Dodamarg and Sasoli and not my friendly Moiddekars of Moira, the village by which the big, fat bananas are popularly known.
Come, see and participate in the celebrations.
