[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Christmas 2023
Gleðileg Jól, Feliz Natal, Merry Christmas! A small selection of churches from around Iceland. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/12/21/christmas-2023/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ] Women in the Jungle
Portraits from rural Goa. Met these two while meandering in Canacona, Goa. They were heading into the jungle for work – farming, looking after cows, clearing brush, gathering firewood, the kind of work that requires exertion of limbs. Life for these folk begins early in the morning with a breakfast of ‘ambil’ (porridge made from millet). More at the link below - https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/11/13/women-in-the-jungle/ r
[Goanet] Goodbye, Valmiki-bab
I just received the sad news of the sudden passing of Valmiki Faleiro. Just a couple of months ago we enjoyed a round of beautiful email exchanges. His new book had been published (I bought a copy on Amazon) and we reminisced about Goans in the Indian Armed Forces that we both personally knew. Valmiki-bab & I shared a warm virtual friendship for over 2 decades (we never met in person, so far as I can tell). He would very occasionally email me with a terse comment or two on a post of mine on Goanet. A very sad day for we have lost a keen, engaging mind and a great Goan. r
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Ganesha-s from Pen
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated next week. For over 150 years, the town of Pen in Maharashtra has specialised in the crafting of Ganesha murti-s. The pieces created and fashioned here are renowned for their exquisite detail, colour, and filigree. These photographs were taken last month in a store in Goa that imports idols from Pen in advance of the festival. Note: Pen (पेण) is pronounced like “pain” but with the retroflex slip ‘n’, a sound not found in English. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/09/13/ganesha-s-from-pen/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Ganesh Chaturthi 2023
Festival greetings to all. Tomorrow millions of Hindus around the world will welcome into their homes their most beloved Ganesha: embodiment of intellect and wisdom, repository of the Arts & Sciences, musician extraordinaire, [vegetarian] gourmand nonpareil, and an overall great guy to have around. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/09/18/ganesh-chaturthi-2023/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Naga Panchami
Festival of snakes. India is home to an astonishing variety of snakes. Not surprisingly, Hindu tradition inculcates a deep reverence for the reptiles, their significance embedded in ancient texts, epics, lore, art, as well as in practice. The cobra is an especially salient presence in the Hindu imagination. Lord Shiva, for example, has one coiled around his neck. Snakes and Ladders originated in India. The Naga Panchami festival in honour of the anguine will be celebrated today across India. Figurines of cobras are brought into homes for offerings and worship. The other day I came across a street vendor in the village of Ribandar, Goa. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/08/21/naga-panchami/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] The Future
I came across these two, decorated in Indian tricolour themes, on the grounds of the Mahalakshmi Temple in Panjim, Goa. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/08/14/the-future/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] Kokum Curry Panjim - impressions
(I left this review on Tripadvisor and Google Reviews.) The Best of Goan Hindu Cuisine The cuisine of Goa may be divided into two sub-genres. Broadly speaking there is the Goan Hindu cuisine and the Goan Catholic cuisine, representing the main two communities. There is overlap between the two but there are also significant differences. Even within the category of Goan Hindu cuisine there obtain variations. Kokum Curry specializes in and celebrates the cuisine of the Goan Gaud Saraswat Brahmin community. It is run by the epicure Sapna Sardessai and her crew. The premises in the Panjim branch are elegantly conceived, the visual themes carrying subtle, warm touches of Goa. The halls are spacious and airy making it a pleasant dining experience. The highlight is, of course, the food. This is authentic Goan Hindu food, no different from what one would find in a Goan home. The written word can scarcely do justice to the offerings, but the care in preparation and the finesse in presentation earn this restaurant the highest grade in the culinary business. I was already impressed by their branch in Candolim established in 2021. The Panjim location kicks it up another notch or two. Clearly the enterprise is a product of the love, devotion, and effort put in by the team. On this monsoon morning, we had the vegetarian "Shravan thali," specially curated by Sapna to mark the Hindu holy month. It was marvellous. For those inclined towards non-vegetarian fare, there was much on offer, too. This is currently the finest restaurant in Goa. Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Comment: "Saree on the Beach"
Monsoon mood. At Rajabaga beach in Canacona, South Goa. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/08/12/saree-on-the-beach/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Comment: "Catch of the Morning"
Regarding the Goan predilection for fish, poet-laureate Bakibab Borkar said it best: Please Sir, God of Death Don’t make it my turn today, not today There’s fish curry for dinner. Seen the other day in Miramar, Panjim. Plucked from the sea right behind her. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/08/07/catch-of-the-morning/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] Murder on the Banastari
Sunday evening I returned from the temples in Mashel via Banastari bridge. Barely an hour later, a ghastly murder took place there. A drunk woman in a Mercedes mowed down an innocent couple from Divar. There was another fatality as well. Recognise it for what it is: a MURDER, not an accident. Enough of the usual babble about the law taking its own course and withholding judgement. We know how the “law” works in Goa and in India. Already the Goa Police have initiated their usual shenanigans to provide an escape hatch for the perps. The filthy drunkard woman is the daughter of a well-known real estate builder (family friends, and people known to me from childhood). Wrecking Panjim & surrounds with their concrete turds wasn’t enough for these scum. Now their next generation, the fruit of their diseased loins, are extinguishing lives with their reckless disregard for basic norms. This is a signal moment for Goans: if you stand by mutely and let the debauched demons get away with murder, tomorrow it could be your son, wife, nephew, or father. Say something. Make yourself heard. These people should not only face criminal justice, they just be made persona non grata socially. r
[Goanet] The Chicalim Kerfuffle (Fr. Bolmax)
First of all, I don’t read Goanet anymore and only come here for the very occasional post. For years it has become an echo chamber for anti-Hindu rants (disguised, of course), all of them low-IQ. I reached a point where I couldn’t motivate myself to stay on, even in my usual post-only mode. I haven’t followed the Fr. Bolmax brouhaha in detail but have familiarized myself with the general theme. My take: - Fr. Bolmax has every right to express his views on Shivaji or black hole thermodynamics. It is a right that must be affirmed and supported by all sensible citizens. - Whether it is appropriate for Fr. Bolmax to utter these views and opinions from the pulpit is for his flock and/or church authorities to decide. As a non-Catholic, it is none of my business so long as the speech concerned is lawful (that is, does not call for violence, unrest, and speech that Indian law explicitly prohibits). Nothing in Fr. Bolmax’s utterances was outside the ambit of lawful speech, so far as I can tell. - “Hurt feelings” is a bs criterion. In a free society we must be prepared for speech that may not be pleasant to our ears, speech that may tear down our icons and idols, even religious ones. “Hurt feelings” is not grounds for arresting anyone. Stop being such delicate weenies. You have the freedom, too, to respond with your own speech. - As a rightwing Hindu fundamentalist, Hindutva-vadi, patriarchy-loving, and bamon, I hold Shivaji in the highest regard. He valiantly fought for and defended Hindu civilization against barbarians that wanted to destroy it. He was also among the first to enunciate the idea of Swaraj, later clarified and amplified effectively by Lokmanya Tilak. - If you do not share my own estimation of Shivaji Maharaj, fine. You are entitled to your views. In summary: Leave Fr. Bolmax alone. He shouldn't have to even apologise. Best, r
[Goanet] Temples of Goa
A cinematic journey through Goa's Hindu landscape. The story is told through still images & video footage, a distillate of my photographic exploration during the last 17 years. Although a large body of material I have acquired over this period still awaits processing, this brief presentation serves as a synopsis of Goa's uniquely profound Hindu tradition. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/06/01/temples-of-goa/ Also available on YouTube & Vimeo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3L1m4H59ks https://vimeo.com/831998551 Best, Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar]: Monte de Guirim
The village of Guirim in Goa is named after its hillock (from the Sanskrit girimeaning mountain, hill, or hillock). Perched atop the knoll is the Alverno Chapel. These images were taken during the monsoon season when Goa is transformed into an oasis of green. Following the stills is a short video. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/05/02/monte-de-guirim/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Men of Goa – 2/2
Part 2 of the photo essay. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/02/23/men-of-goa-2-2/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Men of Goa – 1/2
This portfolio is a distillate of my meanderings in Goa over the past 15 years. The second installment will follow later this week. The Women of Goa series was posted recently. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/02/20/men-of-goa-1-2/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Women of Goa – 2/2
This is Part 2 in the series of portraits of Goan women collected over 15 years of flâneuring. Where the name of the lady was recorded it is cited. Part was posted a couple of days ago. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/02/08/women-of-goa-2-2/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Women of Goa – 1/2
Portraits of Goan women collected over 15 years of flâneuring are presented in two parts. The second segment will be posted in a day or two. Where the name of the lady was recorded it is cited. https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/02/05/women-of-goa-1-2/ Best regards, Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] Please, dear Lord, turn me into a..
...Frederick! I would like to extend my thanks to Frederick for excavating my earlier posts and showing what a prescient guy I have been. Next time I’m in Goa one round of chao & bhaji-puri for him will be on me. Thank God for Goanet archives. The Swiss have since shown themselves to be wise to stand up for their own religious traditions, culture, and civic life instead of ceding them to outsiders who have scant respect for Swiss ways, those who have a history of imposing themselves on host populations. Kudos to the Swiss. Then as now, I wish Goans had been more like them. What’s more, the Swiss have done it through DEMOCRACY, direct democracy to be precise (which is the form extant in the cantons). Democracy, that word Frederick Noronha and his Woke Leftwing cohorts love so much except when people actually use it to preserve their way of life. The migrants, so dear to Frederick, who have blessed Europe - Sweden, Germany, UK, France, etc - with a stream of rapes, strife, grooming gangs, no-go zones etc etc. I’m sure there are some brain surgeons and quantum physicists among them but so far they remain invisible to the naked eye. Frederick Noronha may love to be woken up by a loudspeaker call to prayer at 4 am every single morning but I rather doubt that the enthusiasm is shared by his Saligao neighbours. Mr Noronha should take a poll in the village and report on the outcome. Mind you, the migrants didn’t need no democracy to usurp Goan land. No Goan was ever asked to vote on this transformation of Goa. You the migrant can just walk in, squat, and the piece of Goa under your ass is yours for the taking! Frederick’s beloved ‘democracy’ is only to show you Goan peasants your place. Shut up and obey, else you are a rightwing Hindutva RSS bigot. But all this is besides the point. The purpose of this post is to say how much I have always wanted to be like Frederick Noronha. 30 years in the USA, 25 of them in bountiful Silicon Valley, and now 5 (and continuing) in wondrous Iceland pale when you consider what it is that I really should strive for. The real benediction would be to take birth as Frederick. And so every morning for the past 3 decades (thus far without interruption of the loudspeaker call by the muezzin) I have woken up and prayed to God: Please, Lord, in the next life please let me grow up to be a semi-literate biological adult with a child’s mind, please fulfill my ambition to become a pretend journalist with free refills of chao at Café Prakash, please help me suck at the taxpayer teat with govt handouts, please grant me the boon of serving a Malayalee parasite, please help me carry dung for KKKangress, please shower me with words to smear Hindoos. Please, please, dear Lord, turn me into Frederick! Best, r - Hindu, bamon, rightwing, pro-patriarchy
[Goanet] Goa's Garden of Melody
In November 2022 the Goa Heritage Action Group released a special print edition of their magazine Parmal at a function held in Panjim. This issue is devoted entirely to Music and carries the title Aicat Mozo Tavo (Listen to My Voice). Included in the magazine is my essay on the contributions of Goans to India’s Art music written on the request of the editors Jose Lourenço and Vivek Menezes. This link has more - https://www.parrikar.org/nibbles/2023/01/25/goas-garden-of-melody/ Best, r
[Goanet] Jug boy and Goans
A scoop of ordure by Indian columnist Jug Suraiya deposited in my mailbox impels me to briefly emerge from my self-imposed hibernation on Goanet. Goan social media has been agog since yesterday over his column. I’m not on Facebook but I received several forwards in my messaging apps about the pile of smelly doo-doo poured by Jug Suraiya - https://bit.ly/3JH3K7c The column has drawn cloying praise by the truckload from Goans. So thundering has been the impact of this tranche of dung that Goan Hindus, in particular, have anointed the author an ‘honorary Goan’ and some say the CM is considering Jugboy for a Goa Ratna award next Dec 19. In the main, I have three observations to make. One: Longtime Goanet readers will recall that for years I said exactly the things Jug says now but while he is hailed as a hero I was denounced as “xenophobic” (hi Frederick!). Remember: I said these things publicly when Goans could have actually done something about it. Goan Hindus, now relishing every pellet of dung from Jug, went ballistic on me when I pointed out that their own hero Manohar Parrikar was selling out Goa and Goans, replacing us by inviting Dilliwallahs and all manner of Indian flotsam into our towns & villages. Two: A few words about stercovorous beetles like Jugboy. It is safe for him to write this now after Goa is fully cooked and there is zero chance of reverting. Remember the lines containing horse, barn, door, and bolt? He can preen today in the pages of TOI, be hailed as a hero by hapless Goan idiots, and chuckle with douchebag Dilliwallah pals over a Patiala peg in an Assagao house surrounded by high fence designed to keep local boy Miguel out (except when he is ordered to run and fetch poie). Three: Most amusing is the fact that despite the Goan Hindus going BFF on him, they have been totally invisible to Jugboy. The only Goans in Jug’s line of vision are the Goan cristãos. As he implies, the Indian Jugboys stay in the resorts, traipse through coastal, predominantly Christian, villages in Bardez & Salcette, enjoy the sights of churches, and gorge on sorpotel. That's their Goa and the only Goa they know. 75% of the population represented by Hindu Goa, Hindu temples, Goan Hindu cuisine, lies outside their mental ambit. Goan Hindus are like the dark matter in Jugboy’s peabrain. As a rightwing Hindu fundamentalist (I confirm that I’m more rightwing than RSS), I am perfectly fine that visitors enjoy our churches and sorpotel. They are now part of my Goan heritage, too, a recorded history of religious persecution, destruction, and iconoclasm by the early Portuguese notwithstanding (recall that the best photographs in existence of Goan churches are by me). I must say for the record that I have never had vindaloo or sorpotel. As an orthodox patriarchy-loving Goan Hindu bamon, I don’t eat pork or beef. But as a fundamentalist Hindu, wy to the right of RSS & Modi, I stand up for your freedom to eat whatever carbon-based matter you fancy. This note is an indictment of urban Indian know-nothings like Jug Suraiya. And an indictment of Goans, who fall for any execrable trinkets cast by low-IQ bhaile. Best, r
[Goanet] Thank you, Roland Francis, for naming a thread after me
Roland-bab, I don't write to get anyone's approval. I don't seek 'Likes.' In other words, you can characterize me any way you wish; I don't give two pins. In Goa and especially on Goanet, the reflex when you don't like what one has to say is: "Arre, to communal murre!" Like "racist" "sexist" "Nazi" these terms of endearment have lost all potency due to their indiscriminate use. Today it simply translates to, "Look Ma, he said something I didn't like and therefore he's an evil person." At any rate, I have outlived my time and usefulness on Goanet and it is time to go. I remember the hostile reception accorded me (and other Goan Hindus) when we first arrived here. By default we were put in the RSS/BJP/Manohar Parrikar bin and had to first prove our credentials. It was assumed we had an ulterior motive and we couldn't be here simply because we also cared for the land of our forefathers. Some of us stuck it out in the belief that it is better to have an exchange of views than not. Others with a thinner brand of skin left (if you haven't noticed, I'm the only Goan Hindu 'survivor' here). I'm glad I stayed because I made some very good friends I would otherwise not have known. I fear that the seeds of strife are being sown in Goa right now and it is not all on account of the BJP/Modi/RSS/Hindutva brigade. You are not going to hear of it on Goanet or in your preferred rags like O Herald, your mailing lists, or from your favourite Woke writers. This situation is similar to the US where liberals, weaned on a diet solely of NYT, Washington Post, Huffington Post, MSNBC & CNN, live in a fantasy world thinking that 50% of the country should be replaced and Trump is the Devil. Liberals in America have become the very thing they once despised in conservatives: authoritarians, intolerant, race hustlers, anti-free-speech, disregard for law, advocates of wars and foreign misadventures, crony-capitalists, and so on. On the other hand, Indian liberals have no mind of their own and take all their cues from the West. They have convinced themselves that they can replicate the US model in India by labeling their adversaries Modi/Hitler/RSS/Hindutva/fascist etc. But India is a vastly different universe with its own historical, social, and religious arc. And crucially, very different demographics. The new Indian (and Goan) Hindu isn't going to roll over like his father's generation did. If you don't like the message I bring, tough luck. Keep enjoying your make-believe Goanet world (of probably 5 people still lingering). Flatter yourself with the wisdom of the 'good bamon' fed to you. When Reality finally touches down, it is going to be a hard landing. Best, r
Re: [Goanet] Rajan's grippe (sic) against Frederick N.
Patrice Riemens wrote: >Aloha, >Funky how two lines that were probably ironic (spending time shooting >pics on a giant iceberg ;-) can attract such a long rejoinder ... In English the term for this gambit is, "to parlay." > And that >while both seem to agree on many points (regarding Goa, minus politics >and ... religion?) I don't think Patrice quite grasps the underlying current. Let me briefly open the sluice gates. Whenever Goans settled abroad say something about Goa or try to get involved in something useful for the land they were born in, or simply offer a well-meaning suggestion for Goa's betterment, the first thing thrown back at them by the Fredericks of Goa is, "Arre, you live abroad. If you want to do something, first come back to Goa." This works 99% of the time as the poor Goan does not know what to say after this blow off. But the ways of the 'progressive' cartoon world are strange. To get the Fredericks of Goa to buff your behind and suck up to you, you have to be a - (a) non-Goan Leftwing pamphleteer with demonstrated anti-Hindu/anti-Modi/anti-RSS cred (extra credit if you are anti-bamon). or (b) a non-Goan with only a passing knowledge of Goa provided you are sympatico with progressive Woke ideology. Residency requirements are waived in these cases (which they are not for actual Goans residing abroad). That is, the Fredericks won't question the fact that you live 360 days of the year outside Goa and come to Goa in time for the New Years' Eve fcuk & fest. If you are non-Goan AND white then ALL requirements are waived. You only have to show up untanned. Say something critical about RSS and Hindutva and we'll put you up in a suite at the Grand Hyatt assuming we can con a rich bhailo into sponsoring you. You could be a total putz otherwise. We'll get you to preen at a festival as the "Goa expert" and print an interview in the appropriate local rag. I could go on but you get the general picture. Best, r
Re: [Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Repose
Upon seeing the image, the physicist Dr. V.N. Muthukumar added a brilliant piece of commentary in the Comments section (I elevated it to the body of the post). Here it is - [Quote] There is a deeper connection too. In the devī māhātmya portion of the mārkaṉḍeya purāṉa, we find the following verse: या देवी सर्वभूतेषु निद्रारूपेण संस्थिता । नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ (That devī who dwells in all beings as sleep, to Her, I offer many prostrations.) In the lalitā sahasranāma, one of the names given to devī is सुप्ता – meaning “sleep”; so too, in the śāradāmbā aṣṭottara, we find devī being called निद्रा – again meaning “sleep vēdānta mata holds that during deep sleep, every jīva exists as the causal body (कारणशरीर:) in which all mental impressions exist in their latent forms. Just as devī controls the gross (स्थूलशरीरः) and the subtle (सूक्ष्मशरीरः) bodies that operate in the wakeful and dream states respectively, She controls the causal bodies of every and all jīva-s in the universe that are in slumber. There is an exact equivalent between this and creation as expounded by vēdānta. Deep sleep is akin to the universe in its latent (unmanifest) form. [Unquote] r On Wed, Nov 9, 2022 at 8:35 PM Rajan Parrikar wrote: > > At the Bhagavati temple in Mashel, Goa. > > https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/11/09/repose/ > > > Rajan Parrikar >
[Goanet] Goa Diary, November 13, 2022 - Sjáumst
A few observations as I head back to Iceland. 1) I am among the less-than-handful of Goans extremely fortunate to have been able to maintain a frequent and significant physical presence in Goa despite having a primary residence abroad. This arrangement of having my feet firmly planted non-trivially in two worlds is a rarity and I thank God for the mercy, for granting this sustenance for over 25 years now. Naturally, that I am able to pull this off rankles Woke malcontents like Frederick Noronha. Doubly because it has allowed me to have my ear to the ground in Goa and to remain current. After all, the usual profile of the visiting non-resident Goan is that of the parties-attending gala-time-having dude before his 2 weeks are up. The next excursion will be 4 years from now. Shri Noronha recently questioned my spending time in Iceland doing photography in that glorious corner of the world. As usual Frederick fired a blank and it gave me the opening to place things on record on Goanet - http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2022-October/198729.html Mind you, when I spent 2 continuous years in Goa from 2006-2008, Shri Noronha couldn't accuse me of spending time elsewhere. So what did he do then? Why, he resorted to the old maid wink-wink-nudge-nudge schtick. There were insinuations about how I was a secret Manohar/BJP/RSS plant and aspersions cast on my teaming up with like-minded people in service of Goa. With the Fredericks of this world, if you do X, their retort will always be "but why isn't he doing Y ?" and because "if he ain't doing Y there must be something nefarious going on." Pure self-projection onto others. 2) Several years ago after the post-2012 Manohar Parrikar debacle, I was clear in my assessment that Goa is done for. El finito. It is therefore perplexing to find people still flogging "Save Goa." Mostly these are local grifters, trying to suck the last rupee out of suckers. And then there are the local Wokes trying to give bhaile Wokes a reason to attach themselves to Goan affairs. As I once wrote, the day the last square inch of Goa is paved over we'll have Digambar Kamat and Churchill Alemaio on Azad Maidan staging a hunger strike to save Goa's environment. There is nothing left to save in Goa, overflowing with concrete, run over by Delhi pigs and ghatis and assorted Indians from all over seeking refuge from their toilet-towns. Mining is likely to resume with even greater force. Dear Goans, conserve your energy and continue on with yogic equanimity. Maybe after the Big Crunch, in Universe 2.0 we'll get another shot at this. I'll be back in Goa (soon). Sjáumst, r
Re: [Goanet] What Goa Lost, For No Good Reason (O Heraldo, 12/11/2022)
Contrary to what is claimed in the header and in the dribble under it, Goa won and for a very good reason. The "Festival of Filth" got canned. The people who lost are the anti-Hindu muckrakers pretending to be scholars, and their local Leftwing handmaidens who got caught trying to sneak one in. It was supposed to be a group crap session on Hindus but they got caught and hence all this whining. RSS! Hindutva fascists! Modi! This, that, the usual Leftwing piss. Note the pulling of rank - Harvard! As if anyone today gives a sh!t. The old Harvard with its distinguished roster of classical scholars is long dead. It is the Woke Harvard now, populated by Marxist/progressive gits and BLM grifters. Imagine the howls of protest from the same crew if the subjects were reversed - if they had brought in people to speak on the historical brutality Hindus were subjected to by the Portuguese Christians (all of which a matter of historical record). They would have gone postal on social media, Herald would have come out with a supplement. You can unload your bowels on Hindus without consequences.In fact, it has been a profitable metier and a path to career advancement. Until now, that is. The new Hindu has finally decided she has had enough. Predictably, 'House Negro' and useful idiot Mauzo (the "good bamon") is quoted. The impression conveyed that Yengde is some kind of intellectual giant is risible. In truth, the fella is a cretin, his bile reserved especially for bamons. Here is an introduction to Mr. Yeng-effing-de: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxf39NVOv6g Why this crew would want to inflame social tension under the cover of "ideas" I don't know and I don't care. True scholarly exchange of ideas this was never going to be given the abysmal intellectual quality of the speakers. They scraped the bottom of their Leftwing excrement barrel and came up with this smelly pile. What I know is, all middle-of-the-road Goan Hindus are going to oppose this tooth and nail. You can have your hatefest with your own coin. Just not with taxpayer money. PS: Goanet and Herald, with their predominantly Catholic audience already primed against RSS/Hindutva/BJP is the perfect target for this agitprop. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother. Any pushback such as mine is not going to convince anyone who is already convinced that the other side is evil. I write here because I want to place the counter view on record. r - Goan nationalist & nativist, Hindu, bamon, Hindutvavadi, pro-patriarchy dude
[Goanet] Goa Diary, November 11, 2022: Soter, Bhates, & Prakash
Yesterday I went to Caritas in Panjim to see my old friend Soter D'Souza. They don't make men like Soter anymore: scrupulous to a fault, gentle, and with the constitution of a yogi. And very, very Goan. If you seriously want to probe the roots of the current disaster that Goa has become, then you need to have a sit-down with Soter. He has all the goods. He knows where the bodies are buried, where the skeletons are stashed away, who did what and when. More important, he calls it like it is, sparing neither friend nor foe. I can see why there are no puff pieces on Soter in the Goan media (correction: there are no pieces on Soter, puff or otherwise). What he has to say about the people at the helm of Goan politics and society - and he doesn't shy away from naming names - is unpublishable. No writer would want to stick his or her neck out and run afoul of Goa's power players. Far easier to preen and offer anodyne. Those 'Likes' on Instagram and Facebook are more precious. We both had a chuckle of the revisionism we encounter these days. Expect more of this in the future. Outsiders of no relevance will be elevated and projected as Goa's saviours. Never mind that there's nothing left to "save." After I bade Soter goodbye, I followed my typical locus, the short walk around the Hotel Mandovi bend to Varsha Book Stall to pick up copies of the Hindu calendars - the 'panchang' and Kalnirnaya. Pleasantries were exchanged with the Bhate brothers, owners of this Panjim icon. The story of Varsha Book Stall deserves a longer treatment. Next stop was a few feet away - Café Prakash. Now, alas, a pale shadow of its glory days when Goa's worthless 'patracars' (journalists) would gather here and shoot the breeze over chao and bhaji. Metabolizing bhaji and samosas was their true calling. Reporting on news and events an afterthought. I met Prakash-bab Sakhalkar, the owner, who turned emotional upon seeing me. I could tell he feels weighed down by the change in tide. As the years roll by, he is one of many I knew in Goa when they were in their prime, but now depleted with age and in some instances, by an adverse turn of events. To those of us closing in on 60, this decline of the body and spirit serves as a preview to our own conclusion. r
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Repose
At the Bhagavati temple in Mashel, Goa. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/11/09/repose/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] Goa Diary, November 08, 2022: "Festival of Filth" not happening
I never thought there would come a day when I agreed with a decision of the Goa government but today was that day. The govt. cancelled (or postponed) the "Festival of Ideas." You have to concede points to the local Leftist anti-Hindu brigade for sheer chutzpah. They were hoping to sneak in a panel of virulently anti-Hindu pamphleteers masquerading as "scholars" to take a dump on Hindus. Someone found out and put the kibosh on the foul plan. We can now expect the usual suspects to squeal about BJP throttling freedom of speech, blah blah blah. These are the same fellas who take inspiration from American Leftists, those apostles of tolerance who routinely subject conservative speakers on US campuses to violence, intimidation, and harassment. Perhaps the 'good bamon' Mauzo will be recruited to make a long face and lament the rise of "fascism under Modi" or utter some such cartoon world inanity. The Left always has at the ready their cast of 'House Negroes'. No, dear schmucks, you do not have the right to taxpayer rupee to take a crap on Hindus. Do it on your own dime. I'll defend your right to hold your event, speak, and crap your bowels out but with your own coin. Else GTFO of town. A true Festival of Ideas would have featured genuine scholars holding opposite viewpoints and allowed them to debate their ideas. It wouldn't have gone for this low-IQ, rabid anti-Hindu garbage smacking their lips at the prospect of target practice on Hindus (bamons especially). A "Festival of Ideas" it was never going to be. It was designed to be a "Festival of Filth." And they thought Goan Hindus would as usual play possum. Unfortunately for this Leftist cabal, someone finally decided we have had enough and that we aren't going to take it anymore. One of the invited speakers was the notorious Suraj Yengde. This guy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxf39NVOv6g I may have more to say on the topic later. r PS: I am disappointed this situation arose in the first place. I admire one of the culture mavens who appears to be part of this Left cabal. He writes beautifully especially on cultural matters, and I think of him as a great asset to Goa. Why he has thrown in his lot with these gutter rats beats the hell out of me. Anyway, I don't want to guess people's motives. I prefer to take them at their word and then offer my reaction.
[Goanet] Goa Diary, November 07, 2022: Tambdi Bhaji and other matters
Well-prepared Goan tambdi bhaji is one of life's great pleasures. It is the only constant on my daily lunch plate when I'm in Goa. See this link for more on this wonder food - https://blog.parrikar.com/2019/02/21/tambdi-bhaji/ While the basic template in preparing tambdi bhaji is well established throughout Goa, there are variations to be found across geographical and 'caste' lines. (I put 'caste' in quotes as the word derives from Portuguese and is a reflection of the early Westerner's inability to understand ancient India's social structure. The lack of understanding, transmitted to unsuspecting Indians, continues to this day, but that's another topic for another day.) To the discerning this presents an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding not only about gastronomic nuance but also of our social fabric. The tweaks cover things like the resolution (fineness) of the chopped vegetable, proportion of grated coconut used, the specific seasonings, whether it is cooked al dente or softer, and so on. Such variance across jati & geography prevails throughout the length and breadth of India. In Dharwad, one comes across Lingayat khanavals (lunch houses) and Brahmin khanavals. The Lingayats are Saivites, worshippers of Shiva. In their khanavals, garlic is used liberally, whereas the Brahmin khanavals eschew the pods entirely. I was again reminded of this beautiful aspect of our culinary sophistication the other day when I found myself at a home in the tiny village of Tikhazan. It was the night of Tulsi Lagna and celebrations were afoot in the front yards of homes in Chorão and the surrounding villages. One family spontaneously invited us, unknown to them, into their home and lavished us with kindness and warmth and food - true Goenkarponn on display. The masala used for the patal bhaji was out of this world. Close in spirit to the masalas of the Pernem region but distinct enough to have its own signature. My wife, who researches traditional Goan preparations, quickly went into a profitable consultation mode with the lady of the house. Tulsi Lagna 2022 will receive its own post on my Photo Blog but it'll have to wait until my return to Iceland. I prefer to do serious image processing on my main machines and monitor. Likewise, for my post-to-come on the Narakasur night. r
Re: [Goanet] Goa Diary, November 06, 2022: The Naming of Mopa
Addendum: If the choice comes down to Dayanand Bandodkar and Jack De Sequeira, and if I had a vote, it would go to De Sequeira. (1) As a Goan nationalist I am deeply indebted to Dr. De Sequeira for obvious reasons. (2) As a rightwing Hindu and Hindutvadi, I am enjoined to deploy my viveka, tarka, and sense of Dharma, all of which again would lead me to choose Dr. De Sequeira because - see (1). r On Sun, Nov 6, 2022 at 9:40 AM Rajan Parrikar wrote: > > 10 years ago I had written "The Case Against Mopa." It can be accessed in the Goanet archives here. I would not change a word were I to write it today. > > http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2012-April/135035.html > > Today the monstrous project is a fait accompli. The buzz is now about naming the atrocity. > > Just call it the "Mopa International Airport." The name is unambiguous and there won't be fights over the personage selected to be worthy of carrying the airport name. (Note: "Goa International Airport" is confusing since Dabolim is already an international airport.) > > The candidates proposed by Goans lay bare the poverty of mind. Can they not think of people beyond politicians? How about Kesarbai Kerkar - the greatest Goan of our time, one who transcends time and (in some sense) also space? Or choose any other non-political person of significance. Instead the pea-brains can't conceive of anyone beyond Bandodkar, Parrikar, and De Sequeira. > > PS: If I had my druthers, the biggest casino boat in the Mandovi would be named after Manohar Parrikar. It is , after all, his "leegussy." > > > r
[Goanet] Goa Diary, November 06, 2022: The Naming of Mopa
10 years ago I had written "The Case Against Mopa." It can be accessed in the Goanet archives here. I would not change a word were I to write it today. http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2012-April/135035.html Today the monstrous project is a fait accompli. The buzz is now about naming the atrocity. Just call it the "Mopa International Airport." The name is unambiguous and there won't be fights over the personage selected to be worthy of carrying the airport name. (Note: "Goa International Airport" is confusing since Dabolim is already an international airport.) The candidates proposed by Goans lay bare the poverty of mind. Can they not think of people beyond politicians? How about Kesarbai Kerkar - the greatest Goan of our time, one who transcends time and (in some sense) also space? Or choose any other non-political person of significance. Instead the pea-brains can't conceive of anyone beyond Bandodkar, Parrikar, and De Sequeira. PS: If I had my druthers, the biggest casino boat in the Mandovi would be named after Manohar Parrikar. It is , after all, his "leegussy." r
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] A Spin Through Taleigao
Morsels picked up last evening in Taleigao. I grew up not far from this once-magnificent village. Today the concrete footprint has overwhelmed the village, trampling all over its open spaces and fields. With the visual dreck this ‘development’ has spawned, abstracting elements of its erstwhile beauty presents a challenge. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/11/05/a-spin-through-taleigao/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] Goa Diary, November 03, 2022
Is there anything good at all to say about the Goa of today? My answer: Only that it is more tolerable than any other urbanised sprawl in India. That remains our only boast. To any Goan over 50 years old who grew up with the kind of life we once took for granted, current-day Goa is a disaster on every front. To the ghatis and the Indian fat-cats who have moved en masse to our land, it is a big step up. But not for long, at least for the well-heeled bhailo. He came here hoping to escape his noxious toilet-town (which is just about every big Indian city & town) and now he realizes that Goa is headed in that direction. As I have remarked earlier, post-2000 Goa has attracted the worst kind of Indians. Goa isn't the only target of ruination by Indians. The same is happening in places of great beauty and serenity like Uttarakhand where there are sites of great historical and religious significance to Hindus. No place is sacred anymore. Your small slice of heaven will either be converted into a tourist zoo or a construction site for apartment projects. Consider moving to Svalbard or Antarctica. The brutes will get there eventually but you can buy some time for yourself. r
[Goanet] Goa Diary, November 02, 2022: Another plug for The Goan Ladoo
1) Over 2 weeks ago I wrote about the marvelous new food outlet The Goan Ladoo - http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2022-October/198662.html We have been regulars there all these days and I am pleased to report that the quality and service remain of a very high standard. Try it if you haven't yet. 2) Invoicing in Goa sucks. Even dealers for big national and international brands resort to the ancient handwritten process with a carbon copier sheet instead of the much quicker and convenient computer-assisted invoicing. The reason, I understand, is tax avoidance. 3) Everything Goan that was good and worthy of preservation is being dismantled or diluted. The quality of our good old pão in Panjim is noticeably inferior to the genuine article from the authentic poders, the few that are still surviving. When you outsource production of Goan culture to bhaile (Goa attracts the worst kind of bhaile), you end up with an inferior bastard product. The bhaile have found a way to parlay the "Goa" brand to their advantage. Cashews imported from Africa and others places are now sold as Goa cashews in a case of clear customer deception. See - https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/goan-cashew-nuts-have-a-new-tag-bought-in-africa-sold-in-goa/articleshow/94820425.cms r - Goan nativist, rightwing Hindu bamon, pro-patriarchy, etc
Re: [Goanet] Telling a story that began over 450 years ago -- Goa's Inquisition (Alan Machado Prabhu)
I see that Goanet approves re-writing of history then, and the practice of going to the primary sources. But these nods seem rather selective. Every time a historian or filmmaker or scholar outside the Harvard-approved coterie publishes anything that re-examines the airbrushed history fed to us Indians by the Marxist historians - their sanitizing of Muslim brutality (*), the genocide that was carried out against the Hindus, the wholescale iconoclasm and destruction of our temples, the burning of our libraries and universities, the ethnic cleansing of Hindu pandits in Kashmir - the usual Leftwing suspects immediately perk up and condemn them as RSS/Hindutva attempts to fabricate history. Why, even for the very recent attacks on Hindus by Muslim thugs in Leicester the Woke were filling in bogus 'context.' When the targets of violence are Hindus, you can always count on the Progressives to invent extenuating circumstances. To their great misfortune, they no longer have a lock on the levers that control the flow of production and dissemination in the marketplace of ideas (**). For the record - I welcome works such as those by Alan Machado Prabhu. They must be subjected to examination, debate and discussion. However, the people who usually push these themes (themes that show the British, Portuguese, and Muslim invaders to be more kinder and gentler version of savages) are not interested in accuracy or scholarship. They are solely driven by political and religious biases which they then project onto others. (*) and the brutality, intolerance, and iconoclasm of the early Portuguese in Goa. (**) Although they are relentless in their attempts at control. We just had a bombshell report a day ago how the US govt under Biden circumvented the First Amendment by collaborating with Facebook, Twitter, and other social media companies to suppress expression. See - https://theintercept.com/2022/10/31/social-media-disinformation-dhs/ PS: I recommend these books by J. Sai Deepak - https://www.amazon.in/Books-J-Deepak/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AJ+Sai+Deepak Best, r
[Goanet] Goa Diary, November 01, 2022: The Facebook Man
A couple of separate but related observations of the times we live in. 1) The "Science Guy" This specimen is now found all over the world, and is almost wholly of the Leftwing/Woke/progressive persuasion, a devotee of the retarded teen Greta Thunberg. He or she hectors you about "climate change" and "global warming" and for a time was a fervent proponent of vaccines and masks. The said creature had a very hard time managing 2nd Std Maths but for some reason thinks she or he is qualified to hold forth on scientific topics. Their knowledge of "science," such as it is, is almost wholly sourced from WhatsApp and Facebook forwards or from guests on late-night TV shows. Unfortunately for the rest of us, these are only the foot soldiers. We now know that the people in power at the helm of public scientific policy in the USA and in Europe are liars and politically motivated partisans. The poster child for this type is Fauci (who should be tried and awarded capital punishment, if you ask me). They lied about vaccine efficacy, they lied about the origins of Covid, they got Big Tech to stifle free and open debate and ban fellow scientists who didn't follow the regime narrative. Together with the fake news media, Big Tech, and state intelligence apparatus these fascists silenced the rest of us, forced people indoors, kept kids out of schools, and separated us from our near & dear ones. Elderly parents died alone because of these gutter bugs. Now they want us to pardon them with a "let's forget it all and start anew" wave of the hand. ( https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/covid-response-forgiveness/671879/). No, you fcukers, all of you must be held accountable. "Science" in the Left universe is "whatever we want it to mean and whatever helps us impose our views on you." On Goanet I see "culture" guys now dropping pellets of scientific wisdom. We truly need a Monty Python revival. So much material to caricature. 2) The Rise of the Facebook Man The Facebook Man (or Woman) derives his knowledge of everything - politics, history, current events, black holes, dark matter, DNA sequencing, Shakespeare quotes - from a Facebook post or a WhatsApp link. Unlike the "Science Guy" who is Leftwing, the Facebook Man falls all over the Right-Left spectrum. Like a caveman who has just discovered fire, he then excitedly forwards the nugget he has received to fellow Facebook Men. The cycle repeats throughout the day at the end of which he is the same dumb effing idiot he was when he arose that morning. But he is richer by a couple of hundred 'Likes' and surely that must count for something. Please try not to be a Facebook Man or a Facebook Woman. If you are one, do everything you can to prevent your kids from following in your footsteps. r
Re: [Goanet] Reading About Rishi (O Heraldo, 30/10/2022)
Not long after I sent this entry, I saw this tweet from Asha Jadeja Motwani - https://twitter.com/ashajadeja325/status/1586975647032692736 "Hindu diaspora is waking up & recognizing that India is now a #cause. Just like how Israel was a cause to powerful Jewish diaspora in 1940s & 50s, powerful Hindu diaspora is beginning to wake up to what is under attack back home. Our very identity & state of being as a nation & as a culture have been under attack by legacy colonial forces & its sepoys. So far, Hindus turned a blind eye hoping as always that such thorns would melt away. Not any more. Modi & his milieu seem to have created an atmosphere of permission, voice & agency for Aam Indians …" Asha is one of the leading venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. She is the wife of the late Rajeev Motwani, professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, who passed away tragically in 2009 after falling into the pool of his own home in Silicon Valley. Only a few years ago it would have been unthinkable for someone like Asha to take up cudgels on behalf of Hindus and openly advocate what she has said above. For bringing Asha and many others around, we must profusely thank Pankaj Mishra and his fellow Hinduphobic douchebags. Please keep up your good work, VM-bab! Best, r On Mon, Oct 31, 2022 at 10:27 AM Rajan Parrikar wrote: > > To George’s broader point - Hindus/Indians are not outside the ambit of criticism or condemnation (of course!). I myself am severely critical of Indians/Hindus and Indian/Hindu ways (although I tend not to see things through the “Hindu” lens all the time) to the point where some Hindus see me as anti-India (which I ain’t). > > But we aren’t talking about well-intentioned critiques or genuine self-reflection here. We are talking about gutter bugs marinated in malice. There can be no engagement (for me) with the vile secretions of the Pankaj Mishras, Priyamvadas, the Vidyadhar Gadgils (remember him?), the Romila Thapars & Amartya Sens, these anti-Hindu/Progressive/Woke/Marxist malevolent pile of ordure. > > Unfortunately for them (and I guess for fellow travelers like VM) they are no longer dealing with the Hindus of their father’s generation or even of their generation. The meek, apologetic Hindu who could be scared away, smeared as racist/casteist/RSS Nazi/Hitler etc etc. As in America (where the radical Leftists overplayed their hand) these words have utterly lost their potency through their indiscriminate use. In fact, I tell fellow Hindus to embrace, even flaunt, the terms of endearment the Woke confer on us. > > It has come somewhat as a surprise to me to see the rise of a whole new cadre of young Hindus both in India and in the West, educated, knowledgeable of their tradition & history, who are not afraid to stand up and punch back intelligently and forcefully at the shenanigans of the usual Hinduphobic suspects. Social media has been a tremendous leveler. It wasn’t Narendra Modi who created this new Hindu line of defence. It is the natural conclusion of decades of abuse Hindus have been subjected to, first by the white lords at Harvard and the elite Western academy, and then their brown sepoys, the Pankaj Mishras. > > I don’t follow UK politics other than the headline news and I don't have an opinion on Sunak's politics and policy. But if excrement like Pankaj Mishra dislikes him, it is 100% guaranteed - and you can take it to the bank - that he is a good, decent human being. > > > > r > > > > George Pinto wrote: > > >Currently there are 60 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Instead of > >celebrating the worldwide rise of Indians in various fields, > >including the current British PM, the usual politics of envy and > >tribalism trumps any celebration. It is fair game to criticize > >capitalism and the politics is has bred, including PM Sunak's > >rise to 10 Downing Street. It is fair game to assess the racial > >imbalance and racial (in)equality in any society, the discriminations > >which hold women and people of color back, casteism (brown on brown > >racism), etc. But is it too much to ask that the first non-white > >British PM be celebrated in some small measure instead of the hit > >piece below? I accept the article has elements of truth but the > >usual criticisms of right-wing politics is used by various people > >quoted in the article to attacking the British PM on his incredible > >accomplishment. > > > >Best regards, > > > >George
[Goanet] Goa Diary, October 31, 2022: An early morning drive
A pre-sunrise drive took me through the villages of Bardez all the way to Siolim and then to Morjim. Before I even got out of Miramar, it was shocking to see the beach and the road taken over by Biharis for their chhat puja. Who gave the mandate for this demographic transformation of Goa? Is this “democracy”? The Wokes only love “democracy” when it suits their agenda. I get to Goa every 6-9 months. And yet every time I come back the delta-degradation is noticeable. Bardez is already a goner. You can imagine what will happen to the whole of North Goa, away from the coastline, once Mopa is up and running. Some days ago, Frederick Noronha unintentionally provided me the opportunity to briefly talk about my photographic work in Goa. With me today was a good friend (a bhailo, by the way) who sometimes came along on my early morning shoots in the years past. He noticed that the photographic compositions we acquired during those years have now evaporated, the framing no longer possible. The sights are gone for good, rudely interrupted by ugly concrete or destroyed altogether. This makes the imagery of Goa I have banked even more valuable purely from a documentary, let alone aesthetic, point of view. Of value to me and a few others. Most of the wider Goan population does not care. But my greatest prize is the satisfaction that came from being out in the field, and that I was able to engage in this wonderful enterprise without any constraints. For these blessings I thank God every single day. Best, r
Re: [Goanet] Reading About Rishi (O Heraldo, 30/10/2022)
To George’s broader point - Hindus/Indians are not outside the ambit of criticism or condemnation (of course!). I myself am severely critical of Indians/Hindus and Indian/Hindu ways (although I tend not to see things through the “Hindu” lens all the time) to the point where some Hindus see me as anti-India (which I ain’t). But we aren’t talking about well-intentioned critiques or genuine self-reflection here. We are talking about gutter bugs marinated in malice. There can be no engagement (for me) with the vile secretions of the Pankaj Mishras, Priyamvadas, the Vidyadhar Gadgils (remember him?), the Romila Thapars & Amartya Sens, these anti-Hindu/Progressive/Woke/Marxist malevolent pile of ordure. Unfortunately for them (and I guess for fellow travelers like VM) they are no longer dealing with the Hindus of their father’s generation or even of their generation. The meek, apologetic Hindu who could be scared away, smeared as racist/casteist/RSS Nazi/Hitler etc etc. As in America (where the radical Leftists overplayed their hand) these words have utterly lost their potency through their indiscriminate use. In fact, I tell fellow Hindus to embrace, even flaunt, the terms of endearment the Woke confer on us. It has come somewhat as a surprise to me to see the rise of a whole new cadre of young Hindus both in India and in the West, educated, knowledgeable of their tradition & history, who are not afraid to stand up and punch back intelligently and forcefully at the shenanigans of the usual Hinduphobic suspects. Social media has been a tremendous leveler. It wasn’t Narendra Modi who created this new Hindu line of defence. It is the natural conclusion of decades of abuse Hindus have been subjected to, first by the white lords at Harvard and the elite Western academy, and then their brown sepoys, the Pankaj Mishras. I don’t follow UK politics other than the headline news and I don't have an opinion on Sunak's politics and policy. But if excrement like Pankaj Mishra dislikes him, it is 100% guaranteed - and you can take it to the bank - that he is a good, decent human being. r George Pinto wrote: >Currently there are 60 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Instead of >celebrating the worldwide rise of Indians in various fields, >including the current British PM, the usual politics of envy and >tribalism trumps any celebration. It is fair game to criticize >capitalism and the politics is has bred, including PM Sunak's >rise to 10 Downing Street. It is fair game to assess the racial >imbalance and racial (in)equality in any society, the discriminations >which hold women and people of color back, casteism (brown on brown >racism), etc. But is it too much to ask that the first non-white >British PM be celebrated in some small measure instead of the hit >piece below? I accept the article has elements of truth but the >usual criticisms of right-wing politics is used by various people >quoted in the article to attacking the British PM on his incredible >accomplishment. > >Best regards, > >George
Re: [Goanet] Reading About Rishi (O Heraldo, 30/10/2022)
>I also appreciated Pankaj Mishra’s scathing, no-holds-barred commentary in *The Guardian*: >“Sunak’s carefully trimmed career pathways to plutocratic chic make him resemble a human >pinstripe rather more than the devout Hindu in loincloth – Mahatma Gandhi – who helped >the sun set on the British empire. Sunak’s deeper pieties are revealed by his professional >choices: credential-stockpiling and network-formation at Winchester, Oxford (PPE) and >Stanford (MBA), stints at Goldman Sachs, and then bank-raiding and >tax-dodging hedge fund firms, directorship of his billionaire father-in-law’s investment >company, a US green card and eager membership of a traditionally nasty political party.” Quite. Rishi should have known his place and the fruits of his karma which require that he plod through life as the little brown factotum in a caxtti, his very presence spelling meekness and subservience. Instead, the twerp crashed the elite party, darkened the halls of Oxford and Stanford, and then weaseled his way into the upper echelons of Goldman Sachs attired in Savile Row suits. How dare he? Only Mishra's white masters are allowed entry into these passages. What the Hinduphobic excrement in human form Pankaj Mishra truly hates is that Rishi wears his Hinduness on his sleeve - literally (the thread on his wrist is there for all to see). That Rishi's brahmin wife is unapologetically brahmin and rich and successful in her own right. That Rishi's is by all conventional metrics a magnificent success story. Don't believe your lying eyes. Believe what I think you should believe. All the parents reading this - please don't aspire to provide the best education for your kids or hope for their success. Instead they should be like Pankaj Mishra - a self-flagellating sad pile of excrement, driven by hate of your own ancestors and their spiritual tradition. Best, r
[Goanet] Goa Diary, October 30, 2022
1) I must have said something very important because it stirred Shri Frederick Noronha from his slumber. Alas, my participation on Goanet is sporadic. When I am in Goa I tend to follow it. When I’m away, other than quickly scanning the archived headlines I seldom click through the entries. I encourage Frederick to continue his participation even if I’m not around to needle him into action. I also beseech him to smear me some more. Trivia: the Icelandic word for butter is smjör. The English “smear” derives from the cognate in Old Norse. Few English speakers are aware of the extent of influence of Old Norse on so many of the words we commonly use. 2) The traffic woes on the road in and around Porvorim and Betim continue to worsen. The new bridge does not seem to have done much to smoothen the flow. Driving to any place in North Goa right now, just after Diwali, is a version of hell. The hordes from MH, KA, AP, DL etc etc have poured in with their cars and their bad manners. 3) Amazon has finally come into its own in India. It wasn’t the case even a couple of years ago but the chinks have been fixed and it functions just like the Amazon in USA. The quality of products and the items themselves are not of the same class as those available in the West, but I think it’ll get there. The trajectory is promising. r
[Goanet] Patrice Riemens missing the forest for the trees...
...by latching on to my word "traditional" while not engaging with the actual content. It should have been clear that "traditional" was meant in the sense of "accepted." At any rate, I hereby amend "traditional" to "accepted." The hypocrisy of the liberals the world over is a sight to behold. When "borders" are convenient, they are willing to initiate World War 3 with the potential for nuclear warfare as is the case now with Ukraine. Ukraine's borders are sacred, we cannot allow anyone to defile them. But defending the borders of their own backyard? No sir, that is racist/xenophobic. We'll sacrifice our peasants, our towns, cities (except our homes in Martha's Vineyard) to help the huddled masses from distant lands and all the rapists, the bacha-baazi-ists and goat-fuckers who come along for the ride. PS: I seem to have resuscitated Goanet. Do I now get a puff piece in the Herald? :-) Best, r
Re: [Goanet] Goa Diary: Oct 28, 2022
Frederick Noronha wrote: >But then, isn't Hinduism just a "way of life"? FN No, it most certainly is not "just a way of life." That is a kindergarten-level understanding of Hindu Dharma. To some gambling in the casinos in the Mandovi is a "way of life." To Osama bin Laden and his fellow jihadis, terrorism is a "way of life." To Pele, football was a "way of life." To the Leftwing Wokes, Wokeism is a "way of life." None of these describe or circumscribe Hinduism. Using "way of life" as a descriptor for Hinduism doesn't tell anyone anything. Unfortunately many Hindus themselves unthinkingly parrot this nonsense. I could write more on this topic but why would I want to, as Jesus said, " cast pearls before swine." r
[Goanet] Goa Diary, October 29, 2022: On "Saving Goa"
What does “saving Goa” mean any more? The whole idea is absurd. Right now the best that can be done is, you “save” your own vaddo from yet another hotel or construction project. That is, if your vaddo is not already under the control of Mr. Singh or Mr. Bansal from Delhi. Your larger village has already succumbed to the ximitt (concrete) virus. Dilliwallahs, Andhras, Biharis, Rajasthanis, UP bhaiyyas are crawling all over what used to be your cherished coconut orchards and ‘baans’ by the paddy field. What exactly are we “saving” now? It is just posturing. There are the professional ‘activists,’ who will be in it until 3000 CE, and there’ll be the new activists - bhaile, who fled their toilet towns, then darkened our Goa, and now suddenly realize the place is headed the same way as their original toilet town. In Bombay they are still “saving” but the theatre of activity of this “saving” is spread only over a few square feet. Like, say, they may talk about “saving” the Banganga tank from an unscrupulous builder. In a few years, you won’t even get to save your vaddo. It’ll be "saving" your village well that will absorb all your activist itch. Thank you, India and Indians, for NOTHING. r
Re: [Goanet] Goa Diary: Oct 28, 2022
Mervyn-bab: Thank you for the counterpoint. I very much hew to the traditional view of what a country is. The goal of the elected leadership of a country should be first and foremost the protection and furtherance of the interests of its own citizens, not to be globalists working for some imaginery world governent. They are sent there to work for the people who voted for them, not for people in distant lands or people who illegally overrun the border and demand relief. Yes, in today's connected world, what you do in your country may affect those outside that country's borders. On those specific issues, we already have time-tested mechanisms of diplomacy and inter-governmental relations for problem-solving. Nobody is calling for walling ourselves off and sealing us from the rest of the world. Warm regards, r Mervyn Lobo wrote: >Rajan,In the year 2022 people have to realize that no one can work solely >for their own benefit or for the benefit of their country. >We are on this planet - without borders - together. As an example, Mexico >cannot produce excessive amounts of carbon dioxide - when it drifts northwards >and causes problems in the US. Those residing in the US understand the >problem of climate change made in Mexico. The very same people turn a >blind eye when they send ten times more >carbon dioxide northwards. >When you are doing what is right, it does not stop at your borders. >Mervyn
Re: [Goanet] Demolition in Old Goa, ordered...
Frederick Noronha wrote: >If you had not spent so many years photographing Iceland, Goa might have been >saved? FN First of all, I spent many, many years - 16 and counting - photographing Goa, traveling the length and breadth of Goa, photographing its surviving beauty as well as its takedown. I now have an extensive photographic database of imagery from Goa that nobody else has (not even your and my favourite JoeGoaUK). It is both technically and aesthetically of a very high standard, not the point-camera-and-pray activity that you are accustomed to. Almost every aspect of Goa has been covered in my work - landscape, culture, spiritual heritage, and Goans themselves. Also included is a documentation of the environmental destruction of Goa. A large body of my work still remains unpublished and will hopefully see the light of day in the coming months and years. The best part is, I did it for my pleasure, not for monetary gain or for some stupid award. So on the facts, your premise born out of malice is wrong: I spent a great deal of time in Goa. And by God’s grace I spent, and continue to spend, a great deal of time in Iceland as well, one of the last paradises on the planet. For these blessings I thank Lord Ganapati, Lord Shiva, and Lord Krishna every single day. As usual, you are blowing smoke. And you don’t have the decency to admit it. If you had not had your nose in the gutter, if you hadn’t spent time smearing people, if you had been a real journalist instead of pretending to be one, you would have known about my work in Goa. Now - “saving” Goa is a big, big task. (Goa cannot be "saved" anymore; it is gone for good). No one person, however well-intentioned and devoted, can do it alone. I rolled up my sleeves and joined the serving hands. I spent a lot of my time, effort, and money on being part of a small community doing my best. After giving a number of years to the mission, I withdrew because unlike professional ‘activists’, those scam artists, who are in it in perpetuity, I had the good sense to know my limits. We failed, but at least I gave it an honest shot. You, on the other hand, stood on the sidelines throwing impotent barbs at us. You did nothing, you fraud, except cast aspersions on people who stepped into the arena. A line from an era long past comes to mind: Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Best, r
Re: [Goanet] ABC of Alexyz (and Marialena) - O Heraldo, 28/10/2022
Beautiful column. Kudos to Vivek-bab. r
Re: [Goanet] Demolition in Old Goa, ordered...
A day late and a dollar short. Slam the barn door shut after the horse has bolted. Take your pick of idiom. In 2008 I went to 40+ panchayats via RTI and got documents of all the construction taking place in their jurisdictions. On my time and coin. The papers from Old Goa showed extensive violations and construction right around the historic monuments. I recall one such violation was within a stone's throw of Mary Mount Chapel, agricultural land converted to settlement for villas or an apartment complex. I forget the specifics now. Other than a handful - such as Soter D'Souza and Matanhy Saldanha - nobody was interested in pursuing any of this. Digambar was the CM and Manohar was in the opposition. Zero interest from either of them (well, they were in on the scam). Dimwit Dr. Oscar Rebello was preening as the hero of the day. There were no articles in any newspapers nor puff pieces written on us (thank God!). Au contraire. Gasbags like Miguel Braganza, sitting on his corpulent ass, would snipe at us every other day here on Goanet. I think he had a puff piece devoted to him recently, didn't he? When I left for California in mid-2008, I had to dispose of a trunkful of documents collected from the panchayats. It would have taken a staff working full-time to process these. The magnitude of illegalities and fraud was staggering. Fast forward to 2022. We'll have these minor victories made to look like something significant. And we'll have a VM quoting some minor activist (usually an outsider) nobody in Goa cares about as a crusader for Goa. All this is one giant effing joke. r
[Goanet] Goa Diary: Oct 28, 2022
Yesterday I was asked by someone who is aware of my nativist feelings for Goa what I thought of Rishi Sunak’s elevation to the PMship of the UK and if I was proud of a Hindu ascending to the post. My response - if I were a Niz Britonkar, I wouldn’t like it. Internal consistency in this matter is important. There are crucial differences with the Goa situation though. The most important being, we in Goa have no mechanism to keep people out, or to filter people who get to come in and settle here. The UK does (at least in theory). It is a free-for-all in Goa. Outsiders have defiled our land, grabbed our land, crapped on our land, no questions asked. To be sure, with the help of Goan collaborators. As for his Hindu credentials - if he’s true to his Hindu values, Dharma dictates that he work for the benefit of his country, which is not India. He may have to take tough decisions for his country to the detriment of India’s interests. His universal Hindu values would require him to do what is right for HIS country. I don’t see why Indian Hindus should expect special consideration just because Sunak is Hindu. As a fundamentalist Hindu, my biggest gripe about Manohar P was how unHindu he was while pretending to be the flag-bearer of Hindu values. * Elon Musk buying out Twitter is a victory for civilisation. Whether anything good will come out of this move remains to be seen. I was heartened to read that Musk fired Parag Agarwal and that fascist pos Vijaya Gadde, two Indian shit-stains, and had them escorted out of the Twitter building. The only people in mourning today are the Leftwing Progressive Wokes. In the Augean stables of their minds, the only way to ‘save democracy’ is to ban people for wrongthink. As Pedro Gonzalez wrote, “Musk is a threat because he threatens to remove Twitter from the regime’s toolkit.” I'll leave this link here - https://twitter.com/SethDillon/status/1557496300626759681 r
[Goanet] Good Bamon and Bad Bamon
Good Bamon and Bad Bamon by Rajan Parrikar The progressive Leftwing brigade never tires of telling us that Goa was betrayed by Timappa, the bamon. This serves 2 of their primary goals. One, absolve the Portuguese. Two, and this is central, use Timappa to crap on the bamons and Hindus of today. You see, in the progressive swamp, all the ills of Hindu society flow directly from the oppressive regime established by the bamons. Therefore, Timappa = Bad Bamon, very bad bamon. Note that during Timappa’s time there were bamons, there was varna & jati, but there was no “caste,” a perversion of the societal phenomenon the Portuguese didn’t understand. Timappa is the stick the progressives try to hit current-day Goan Hindus - bamons especially - with. On the other hand, Damodar Mauzo has been crowned the Good Bamon. Why? Because he takes potshots at the same Hindus and Hindu practices the progressive gits have long despised. But Mauzo is simply Timappa 2.0: a self-serving Pecksniffian, exactly the kind of self-righteous charlatan the progressives love to court. A few pats on the back from Amitava Ghosh, patron saint of the progressive commode society, and Ram Guha, dean of the progressive sewer, and Mauzo-bab is orgasming like never before. Perhaps a conference trip to Harvard is next for him. Little brown sepoys are easy to please with a few crumbs here and there. Note that while the progressives affect disdain for Timappa, the bad bamon, they secretly love him. If we could time-transport the progressive of our time to the 16th C, he would say that Timappa is “dismantling oppressive structures” and therefore collaboration with the Portuguese is a moral imperative. The progressive chicanery of co-opting members from the very community they want to dump on is well known. Today, the other side has also learnt the ropes of this fine art. So we have Savio in amche Goem as the counter to the progressive gambit. It is a delight to watch. Hindus have finally figured out that we can fling the same excrement back in the progressive favela with compound interest. Let the games begin! PS: The brilliant Rajiv Malhotra of the Infinity Foundation has a new book out “Snakes in the Ganga” that details the foul games that anti-Hindu progressives, both domestic and foreign, have been playing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQBvGBWPPzg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42nVd71pjLQ Along Rajiv’s lines we may have to initiate a “Snakes in the Mandovi” project. r - very bad bamon
[Goanet] Goa Diary: October 27, 2022
A quick scan of the Goanet archives (which is how I access the group) reveals an advanced stage of dormancy. Is Goanet dying or even dead? The entries have reduced to a trickle. Goa-related commentary almost wholly issues from Vivek-bab. What happened to the others? His opinions are Left-wing/Woke/Progressive, perhaps appealing to bhaile settled in Goa or others in the Indian ‘progressive’ swamp. I welcome his point of view even though I am on the opposite side of the spectrum, implacably opposed to that kind of politics. I was amused to see some “Puja” quoted in one of VM-bab’s columns regarding Goa being overstretched. Gee, nobody before had thought about Goa’s carrying capacity. Where would we be without the insertion of wisdom from bhaile? Now, if any proposal to impose limits on “capacity” (meaning stopping the endless flow of Indians wanting to settle in Goa) comes from the mind of a Niz Goenkar, he or she is called “xenophobic.” * India still remains Third World in attitudes and processes despite the pretensions many urban Indians have. They have embraced the lingo and given themselves a shiny surface coat but one skin depth below it is the same old India. Let me cite diverse examples. A new internet connection here required three separate teams. The technicians will be quick to tell you about some problem and why the work cannot proceed. They will never tell you the solution. You go in person to a service provider and her attention is spread over 5 people simultaneously while serving not a single one efficiently. The banking services are designed to inflict pain and test your patience. In California, the motto of banks is, “how can we finish your business and get you out of our office in the shortest possible time?” In India it is the exact opposite. Have you taken a close look at the Mandovi Bridge or the new Zuari Bridge? They have Third World workmanship stamped all over them. Yet, many Goans will herald these as works of engineering and art. Are things better than what they were 20 years ago? Yes. But that is a low bar to clear. * The beggar’s racket in Panjim is still active. I have written on Goanet before about this abomination. * r - Goan nationalist & nativist, rightwing Hindu, Bamon, Hindutvadi, pro-patriarchy
[Goanet] Goa’s Great Derangement (O Heraldo, 23/10/2022)
The rightwing American radio and media firebrand, Dr. Michael Savage, would often say on his shows that “liberalism is a mental disorder.” What he referred to as “liberalism” wasn’t its meaning in the classical sense, but the radical Leftwing politics best exemplified in today’s excrement-smeared and unsafe (for Asians especially, due to attacks by the non-white population) city of San Francisco, once a great city, a place I dearly loved. Dr. Savage may well amend his line to “Wokeism is a mental cancer.” We have now VM-bab quote that mental retard Greta Thunberg on climate. And Amitava Ghosh, the little brown sepoy on other heady issues. One of the characteristics of our time is the lectures we are subjected to day in and day out by people who had a hard time with 2nd Standard maths. But they feel emboldened to hold forth on “science” this and “science” that. Experts on climate, vaccines, and anything that helps them tell YOU how YOU should live your life. You either bow to their secular religion or you are a “bigot,” “denier,” “racist,” “conspiracy nut” and so on. The Indian version of this schmuck espouses all the tropes of his tribe in the West with the added burden of shitting on Hindus and Hindu tradition while claiming “we are not against Hindus, only against Hindutva.” I stopped read this babble from Vivek-bab after I saw the retard “Thunberg.” There can be no intelligent engagement with this pile of poo. Only ridicule. Dev borem korum, r
Re: [Goanet] The Vulgarising of Narkasura Night and Diwali
Last night's spectacle proved my point about the coarsening of Narakasur night. I took a spin through Panjim, Ribandar, Chimbel and a few other areas. The only locales without eardrum-splitting music were the Ribandar Patto and Chimbel. Ribandar Patto had on display an impressive (from an artistic pov) Narakasur. A couple of minutes away, the traditional Narakasur of Chimbel was equally compelling. Part of the celebration there involves a beautiful procession of Sri Krishna wending through the village with people making offerings along the way, to the accompaniment of soft devotional music and bhajans. This is how it was meant to be. Everywhere else it was an abomination. As an unapologetic Hindu fundamentalist, Hindu traditionalist, and a Goan nativist, the crassness was appalling. There is NOTHING Hindu about beyond-tolerance thudding amplified noise. The music itself had absolutely no connection to Hindu tradition or even to India. I have held in contempt the efforts by Muslims to commandeer public spaces on a regular basis for their namaaz, in India and in the West. Same with the nuisance of their loudspeakers from the mosques. Some will justify last night’s uncouth show by saying it is a once-a-year event. No. There is no justification for that volume FOR EVEN ONE SECOND. I am not a killjoy. For those young folk desirous of an adrenalin rush brought on by high amplitude sound waves, a limited concession can be made subject to two clauses: modest volume capped with a specified limit and only until midnight. After midnight, no amplified sound. How many Goans are going to step forward and demand this from the administration? My guess - not even a handful. Most will only bitch about it on social media. These savages have fouled the nest and killed the spirit of Deepavali. PS: I will make a post on my Photo Blog in a few days. The Narakasur images featured will be from the eardrum-splitting-music-free zones. Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] The Vulgarising of Narkasura Night and Diwali
After a week in amchem Goem what is striking is the complete absence of the enchanting mood & atmosphere that once prevailed in the days leading up to the night of Narakasura and Diwali. The number of Narakasura effigies have multiplied immeasurably even while the actual spirit of the occasion has diminished to a cipher. Everything in today's Goa is an assault on your eardrum, your nose, and your eye. The miasma is comprehensive - aural, visual, oftactory. I am recycling an old article I wrote. There is an effort afoot these days to either erase crucial points of tradition or filter it through the 'progressive' lens to fit a certain narrative. I don't need any 'culture theorist' (a strange term for a pompous prick) to tell me what is and isn't Art, and what is and isn't Hindu tradition. Ruminations on Narkasur by Rajan Parrikar (Goanet, Oct 2009, revised Nov 2012) While Narakchaturdashi is observed throughout India, the practice of staging Narkasur effigies and their dispatch at dawn ushering in Deepavali is confined to Goa and areas within the cultural boundaries of Goa (such as towns in North Kanara and southern Sindhudurg in Maharashtra). Narkasur-vadh is what Goan Hindus associate Deepavali with. I am not sure the tradition of exhibiting Narkasurs exists elsewhere in India. At any rate, it is reasonable to assume that the scale and fervour of the Goan observance is not to be found anywhere else. How did Goa come to embrace the Narkasur mythos and when did the practice originate? I don't think there is definitive research on the topic, and we must seek recourse to anecdotal accounts (memo to self: find out more about the history of Narkasur in Goa). My guess is that the practice is at least 100 years old. My father, now 91, recalls that the Narkasur effigies of his childhood were to be found in the villages of Bittona (Britona) and Ribandar/Chimbel. According to him, Mapusa acquired its own Narkasur circa 1950, and there was a kerfuffle at the time involving the Portuguese (details of which I forget). Narkasur was introduced to Panjim in the early 1950s, first in the Mala area. In the mid-1950s, 3 other Narkasur sites came to be firmly established: (1) near Mahalaxmi temple (Deul vaddo), (2) in Santa Inez near the slope leading to Altinho (behind Gomantak), and (3) our very own (much before I was born) at Cacule Chawl in Santa Inez (now site of the hideous Caculo Mall), opposite Tadmad ground (now the Fire Station). Until 1980 or so these few remained the established Narkasur digs in the Panjim area. >From the earliest days the practice was to unveil the Narkasur effigy for public viewing until midnight to the accompaniment of loudspeakers blaring out the hit songs of the day on 78 rpm records, interspersed with the beating of drums. Those were days when Panjim still had its original trees. At midnight the celebrations turned mobile. The demon’s carcass was hauled onto a truck and taken around the city to the beat of dhol and other implements of noisemaking. The children of those days remember the looping chants of the signature ditty. For one night this off-colour utterance in the company of elders and ladies was permitted. Narkasura re Narkasura navim navim kaapdaam bhokann bharaa (Narkasura O Narkasura Let's stuff new vestments up your arse) In our Cacule Chawl comprising 5 homes cheek-by-jowl, the earliest Narkasurs of my memory (late 1960s) were cobbled together with a contribution of 3 rupees from each of the 5 homes – that is, the total cost of the hardware worked out to less than 15 rupees. That amount later increased to 25 rupees and stayed there for many years. My father functioned as the treasurer, stretching every single rupee, comparison-shopping for crepe papers (foli), the gold and silver trimmings (begad) at both JD Fernandes and Barnabe Souza, two of Panjim’s historic stores. Other raw materials required were jute, nails, and lumber. The hay for the stuffing was 'stolen' in the middle of the night from a local landlord’s field in a choreographed annual ritual. The biggest expense - perhaps as much as half of the entire cost - was the Narkasur mask. The artists from Mapusa were especially renowned in this department. Unlike today, these were custom-designed faces and supply was limited. My father's Mapusa connections ensured that we got a good product at a good price. By 1970 the 5 homes in our chawl had grown to accommodate a critical mass of youngsters in their teens and early 20s, besides the under-10s of my generation. In that year, our elders had a brilliant idea. Instead of dissipating the youthful energy in rambunctious behaviour as was the norm, they figured it could be channelized in creative and cultural pursuits. And thus was born the Tadmad Sanskritic Mandal. From that year onward, in addition to staging an imposing Narkasur effigy, we put up an outdoor variety
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Panjim Potpourri
Mood in Goa’s capital. Vignettes collected in Panjim over the past couple of days. All images taken with the iPhone 14 Pro. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/10/23/panjim-potpourri/ Rajan Parrikar
Re: [Goanet] The Marvellous, Mysterious JoeGoaUk (O Heraldo, 22/10/2022)
[Quote from VM-bab's column] “There are limitations on how much of the "story" a camera can tell,” says veteran journalist, Frederick Noronha. “Yet, JoeGoaUk does a fascinating job of reporting on the grassroots, and informing us about culture (especially tiatrs, for which he has earned some ingratitude). It shows what is possible if the average citizen is empowered to speak out and report. JoeGoaUk's is an extreme case though. I can't imagine how many could sustain it for so long, on such a range of topics and places, without getting paid a rupee.” [Unquote] Wow, this is new news! Frederick seems to have undergone a transformation, a ‘Come to Jesus’ moment. Years ago, he was convinced that my camera lens was “exaggerating” things and “distorting reality.” Now he is heaping fulsome praise on JoeGoaUK and Joe’s lenses! Frederick should tell us about the voyage of discovery and self-reflection that led to this flash of insight. Is there something special about Joe’s lenses that we should be looking at? There is an element of fiction in the above quoted passage. Calling FN a “veteran journalist” is exactly 50% true. He is a veteran, true. PS: JoeGoaUK and I were both active during 2006-2008 and there was overlap in our reportage and choice of subjects. Hello Joe-bab! Regards, r
[Goanet] Goa Diary, Oct 19, 2022: Panjim, Candolim, Kokum Curry
I finally skimmed through Vivek-bab’s “Adeus, Panjim?” and came away perplexed. I mean, what exactly is the “news” here? When I made the documentary “The Rape of Goa” in 2008, Frederick (recipient of a recent puff piece by Vivek-bab) and his cohort claimed that I was exaggerating, that my zoom lens was distorting reality. Goa, including Panjim, was being laid waste to and I was documenting it all in realtime. Simultaneously they were peddling the canard that I was in cahoots with Manohar Parrikar, that I had an ulterior agenda etc etc. This at the very moment that the Eye-Eye-Tee genius was taking pains to avoid meeting me. I moved a PIL on Panjim in late 2007 and won a victory of sorts in the High Court. But it came to nought (all documented here on Goanet). Vivek-bab quotes Arun Baba Naik approvingly with his little dig at Narendra Modi, bête noire of the progressives. Can Arun-bab tell us who it was that might have given Modi the impression that casinos are a great idea, a fertile source of revenue for the party? Why, it is the same Eye-Eye-Tee genius Arun-bab and the many in the GSB community sang bhajans to when he was alive and also after his passing. The Eye-Eye-Tee genius whose 2012 swearing-in ceremony was graced by the biggest casino don - the-other-Mody - sitting in the first row. I remember the sweet lil ditties in honour of Manohar P that were composed by Arun-bab and his fellow travelers on the Goa Speaks Facebook group. If Vivek-bab had scratched the surface he would have known all this. It isn’t Modi that Arun-bab is afraid of. Rather it is the ire of his fellow bamons if he ever admitted the truth about Manohar P’s corruption. The mythos must be kept alive at all costs. The column ends with Vinayak Bharne who we are told is an “advisor to Vishwajit Rane.” I almost fell off my chair. Yes, the white knight Vishwajit is going to ride in on the incandescent wisdom of Bharne and sweep away Panjim’s filth, much of which his father helped seed. Amusingly, Bharne is based out of LA where he presumably derives his inspiration for the world salad he uncorked. If you know of any place in the world more concretized and more ugly than the urban sprawl in LA, please inbox me. Imagine sitting in a class of this ‘professor’ and subjecting yourself to that farrago of dung. PS: I know Arun-bab personally. Wonderful man. * Losing hope in Candolim. See the second image here - https://blog.parrikar.com/2011/11/08/the-lady-of-candolim/ And then see the image I took this morning - https://blog.parrikar.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Candolim-Church.jpg One of these is not like the other. * Stone Age implements. See this image - https://blog.parrikar.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Labourer.jpg Why are workers not given modern equipment to do their job? This is a modern form of slavery. Now, as a matter of physical exercise it is an effective activity. But standing in 35º C blazing sun with 98% humidity must not be a pleasant undertaking. But what do I know? Perhaps St. Frederick, the patron saint of migrants who has never really cared about migrants, can chime in and let me know if I’m wrong. * We went to Kokum Curry for lunch today. I am happy to report that Sapna and her team has kept up the high standards they established almost exactly a year ago. See this post from December 2021 - http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2021-December/195763.html The restaurant celebrates its 1st anniversary tomorrow, Oct 20. The response has been so overwhelming that a second branch of Kokum Curry is opening in January in the heart of Panjim. r
[Goanet] Goa Diary, Oct 17, 2022: The Goan Ladoo
The news from Goa is dismal. I wish I could bring good tidings during this Deepavali festival season. This isn’t just my view. Comparing notes with some of my confrères - a few of them fervent ‘bhakts’ - reveals a thoroughly dispirited Goan. But today I want to share something much more pleasant. A young Goan couple has started a new outlet in St Inez , Panjim - The Goan Ladoo - dealing in fresh, homemade ladoos, the way our mothers made them. The ladoos are made at their home by his mother. We bought an assortment of ladoos today to sample and the product was world class. These are authentic articles, almost works of art. In keeping with tradition, most of the ladoos are made not with sugar but with ‘god’ (jaggery). The place also serves a hot special of the day. Today’s was ‘sanna’, cashew bhaji, and kheer. What impressed me was their commitment to quality, their warmth and joie de vivre. In short, their Goenkarponn. I urge fellow Goans to go test it out yourself. Their online presence is a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082851446457 A couple of snaps I took this morning - https://blog.parrikar.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Goan-Ladoo-1.jpg https://blog.parrikar.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Goan-Ladoo-2.jpg r
Re: [Goanet] Panjim Casino Walhalla ...
>The pb with Rajan P is that, but for the first term of his self-description (or >is it 'derision'? ;-), all the parties involved in the Panjim Casino ... 'casino' (shameful >mess, in Italian) also fit that description. Patrice, I doubt they fit that description. Even if they did, I can disagree with them on issues. I have always worked amicably and fruitfully on Goan issues here in the field with fellow Goans holding disparate socio-political views but united for the Goan cause. My self-description - not derision - is an F U to the Woke/Progressive/Leftwing brigade who attempt to cancel and ban people for wrongthink while masquerading as guardians of freedom and 'democracy'. Democracy in quotes because every time they lose elections they cry foul and claim fraud or Russia! I'm not going to be what they, in their putrid imagination, mandate you to be. Adios, r
[Goanet] Goa diary: 'Lee-gussy' overload
The one thing that hits you in the face as you enter Panjim are the large ad cut-outs for casino companies on every electric pole lining the streets. It is the stamp of the lowbrow, vulgar culture that has descended on this once-great town. It is also an emphatic statement that Panjim is now for all intents and purposes a 'Casino City' first and last. This, then, is the lasting 'lee-gussy' of the late great Eye-Eye-Tee 'genius'. I hope all his supporters are proud of what he has left behind for their children and grandchildren. PS: I intend this to be a rolling series of bite-sized 'snacks,' observations and opinions during my current stay in amchem Goem. I aim to offend Catholics, Hindus, LGBTQ%#BDJE&* and everyone in between. r - Goan nationalist, Hindu, Hindutvavadi, bamon, pro-patriarchy, rightwing fundamentalist
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Jarlhettur
The Earl’s cap. Frolic of light and shadow in the strange, desolate terrain near Langjökull glacier in the Central Highlands. This manner of selective illumination of the landscape is one of Iceland‘s great delights. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/10/13/jarlhettur/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] The rancid Progressive - from Martha's Vineyard to Dona Paula
Some weeks ago, Florida Governor DeSantis shipped a group of illegal aliens to the elite liberal enclave of Martha’s Vineyard, home to America’s superrich and famous. It was a brilliant political stunt, calculated to lay bare and unmask the disgusting gits who call themselves 'liberals.' Barry Hussain Obama, the sonofabitch who effectively destroyed America, lives there in his huge multimillion dollar mansion by the sea. (Disclosure: I voted for Barry twice. Mea culpa.) The same Barry who lectures everyone on the virtues of frugal living and warns us about rising sea levels and global warming. I don’t normally discuss American politics on a forum devoted to Goans and Goan affairs, so how is this connected to Goa? Well, the ‘ghatis’ that Governor DeSantis flew to Martha’s Vineyard - those unfortunate souls the ‘liberals’ pretend to heart - were deported pronto from the island in less than 24 hours! Herded into buses and vamoosed out of sight. Hasta la vista, you chumps. We love you to death but please find a nice suburban neighbourhood in middle America to darken. The fatcats LOVE LOVE LOVE the ‘ghatis’ so long as they are out of sight, one thousand miles away from their sea-facing mansions, their manicured lawns, and their haute cuisine restaurants. Readers of Goanet will recall my coinage, “The Digital Humanitarian.” That is simply another term for the Progressive/Leftwing/Liberal blighters. They are the same everywhere - in the USA, Europe, India, and Goa. Every pore of the Digital Humanitarian oozes with compassion so long as it involves no personal discomfort or disruption to his or her lifestyle, or exaction from his or her wallet. The great Digital Humanitarian of Goanet (we know who) has often spoken of his love for the ghatis who have overrun Goa. He and his fellow Goan Progressives have excoriated those of us who have called out this demographic warfare waged against us Goans. We have been labeled xenophobic because we don’t share in their enthusiasm of the uncontrolled Indian invasion of amche Goem. If only we Goan "xenophobes" had the same magic wand as the one just wielded by the liberal exemplars of Martha's Vineyard! Imagine life in Goa minus the Delhi pig and the hordes who pour in everyday on the Bihar Express. And so, when I saw the Martha’s Vineyard saga unfold, I thought about the Goan analogue and chuckled. The plain truth is, Liberals/Progressives/Leftwingers are shmucks. And that’s putting it politely. r
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Fall Tales From Iceland – Aðaldalur
This installment of the Autumn saga includes vignettes from the beautiful Aðaldalur valley that opens out into Skjálfandi Bay. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/10/09/fall-tales-from-iceland-adaldalur/ Rajan Parrikar
Re: [Goanet] The Rise (and Fall?) of Goa's Book Ecosystem (O Heraldo, 8/10/2022)
One of the hallmarks of the writings of Leftwingers, Progressives, ‘Liberals’ - whatever label they may identify with - is purveyance of selective memory and facts. They are experts at - and have a long legacy of - redacting history even while simultaneously accusing nationalist Indian Hindus of rewriting it. And so it is that we see in Vivek-bab’s latest column a resurrection of Frederick Noronha as the noble, pioneering and crusading publisher. Now, I believe in redemption. Human beings change, sometimes for the better, and the capacity to reinvent oneself in an Act 2 is something to be celebrated. But in the Leftwing universe, the unsavory past is never accounted for. It is artfully excised from the historical spacetime continuum. Leftists never believe in atonement or even the barest acknowledgement of their ugly past, something they routinely demand from the rest of us especially if you are Hindu, 10 times more if you are Hindu & bamon (poor Timappa). Before this second coming, Frederick was the Smearer-in-Chief here on Goanet. I remember the days when he saw RSS lurking under every table and a Hindutvavadi under every rock in Goa. To belong to either of those camps was deemed here to be worse than the Islamic terrorists of 9/11. He called himself a “journalist” when what he practiced was the most scurrilous form of slander and gossip. I should know, as I was often a recipient of his benedictions. To his misfortune and misjudgment, I turned out to be un-cancellable. To Frederick’s credit - and in this he was a welcome departure from the Progressive swamp - he never sought to ban me from Goanet when he had (and presumably still has) the power to do so. I appreciate this positive instinct of Frederick. Let me make clear that I do not despise Frederick. Whenever we run into one another in Panjim, we are cordial and end up making pleasant conversation. I wish him the very best in his current enterprise. In fact, I have purchased several publications from his outfit. Likewise, Vivek-bab and I share an abiding love of Goa and the Arts, and I happen to think of him as a man of deep culture, fundamental differences in our political outlook and Weltanschauung notwithstanding. Best, r - Goan nationalist, Hindu, bamon, pro-patriarchy, right-wing fundamentalist
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Fall Tales From Iceland – Fnjóskadalur
Birch & Berries. The clusters of valleys south of Eyjafjörður in North Iceland are among the most beautiful places on the planet. Fnjóskadalur takes its name after the 117 Kms long Fnjóská river that courses through it. Renowned for its large salmon, the source of these waters, as pure as can be, lies in the Highlands. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/09/29/fall-tales-from-iceland-fnjoskadalur/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Fall Tales From Iceland – Bárðardalur
Inhabited since the settlement times, Bárðardalur in the North is among the longest valleys in Iceland. These morsels of autumn colour were picked up a few days ago. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/09/27/fall-tales-from-iceland-bardardalur/ Rajan Parrikar
Re: [Goanet] Hindus and Muslims, and Amos Noronha (O Heraldo, 25/9/2022)
[Re-sending. I mistakenly hit the Send key before checking the draft.] One of the curious observations about ‘Progressives’ is, when presented with naked muslim thuggery and criminal activity, they turn into instant skeptics. They arm themselves with doubt, there is a lot of nuance to the apparent muslim misconduct, they tell us, and that neither our eyes nor social media is to be trusted, they plead. But if some disturbance, even the most minor of incidents, involves Hindus and Hindutva, their certitude returns. No stick is small enough to beat Hindus with. We are on the threshold of a repeat of the 1930s Nazi era, they squeal on the very social media we are now supposed to mistrust. I may have more to say on this by and by. I try not to comment here on matters not directly related to Goa but I may have to at some point. Best, r
Re: [Goanet] Hindus and Muslims, and Amos Noronha (O Heraldo, 25/9/2022)
One of the curious observations about ‘Progressives’ is, when presented with naked muslim thuggery and criminal activity, they turn into instant skeptics. They arm themselves with doubt, there is a lot of nuance to the apparent muslim misconduct, they tell us, and that neither our eyes nor social media is to be trusted, they plead. But if some disturbance, even the most minor of incidents, Hindus and Hindutva, their certitude returns. No stick is small enough to beat Hindus with. We are on the threshold of a repeat of the 1930s Nazi era, they squeal on the very social media we are now supposed to trust. I may have more to say on this by and by. I try not to comment here on matters not directly related to Goa but I may have to at some point. Best, r
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Fall Tales From Iceland – Bifröst
The tiny village of Bifröst was aflame today. In Norse mythology, Bifröst is the “rainbow bridge that reaches between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, the realm of the gods.” https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/09/21/fall-tales-from-iceland-bifrost/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Photo Session Au Naturel
Bergs, bums, & breasts. Seen last evening on the Diamond Beach (Fellsfjara) near Jökulsárlón. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/09/14/photo-session-au-naturel/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Holtstangi
Water colours. Sand spit in Önundarfjörður, Westfjords of Iceland. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/09/12/holtstangi/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Garðakirkja
Last night I found myself once again in a beautiful setting with only my iPhone on me. No matter. Shooting in RAW gets you within driving distance of the big cameras. Apple is set to announce the iPhone 14 Pro tomorrow, an upgrade expected to bring a significant advance in imaging capability. This is Garðakirkja just outside Reykjavík awash in the golden light of the setting sun. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/09/06/gardakirkja/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Ganesh Chaturthi 2022
Festival greetings to all. Tomorrow millions of Hindus around the world will welcome into their homes the most beloved Ganesha: embodiment of intellect and wisdom, repository of the Arts & Sciences, musician extraordinaire, (vegetarian) gourmand nonpareil, and an overall great guy to have around. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/08/30/ganesh-chaturthi-2022/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Reykjavík Nights – Star Trek Edition
Alien visitors. What’s a man out on a stroll to do when Captain James T. Kirk and his flotilla drop by but your camera gear is back at home? Why, use the iPhone. Scenes from a memorable sunset 3 nights ago. See the attached video short. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/08/28/reykjavik-nights-star-trek-edition/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Mãe De Deus Church, Saligao
The beautiful Nossa Señhora, Mãe De Deus (Our Lady, Mother of God) Church in Saligao, Goa, photographed over several years in diverse conditions. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/08/25/mae-de-deus-church-saligao/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Icelandic Highlands Gems – 01
If there is one word that comes to mind repeatedly during excursions into the Highlands of Iceland, it is Strangeness. Here, among the last great wilderness areas, you are often met by sights that connoisseurs of the cliché are wont to describe as “surreal.” This new series aims to collect a new class of visual objects under one umbrella. These are not the familiar attractions spelled out on the map – the dreamlike mountains, lava fields, volcanic craters, waterfalls, lakes, and rivers – that define Hálendið (“The Highlands”). Rather, these are transient landforms or an innominate tranche of the landscape that, under certain conditions, make you think you are under the spell of Photoshop sorcery. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/08/23/icelandic-highlands-gems-01/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] Manohar's 'leegacy'
All areas of North Goa leading to Mopa to become one mega colony populated by Delhi p*gs. Yesterday you got a sample of the type who will come here (many are already here) - the abusive, uncouth woman lawyer assaulting a security guard in Noida, the video clip of which is all over the web now. See - https://www.dropbox.com/s/nhguikhxgv3q80p/Mopa.png?dl=0 r
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Janmashtami 2022
Birth of Krishna. Janmashtami will be celebrated tomorrow, August 19. I took this photo in 2016 at the Serendipity Arts Festival in Panjim. The exhibit in clay relief was captivating, with its marvellous depiction of Sri Krishna at play on the Kadamba tree. Later to my dismay, I realized I had neglected to record the particulars of the artist. Fortunately I was able to draw on Goa‘s Art maven Vivek Menezes who identified the creative – the self-taught Sonabai Rajawar from a remote village in Chhattisgarh – and supplied a link to her world. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/08/18/janmashtami-2022/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Mundi
Portrait of a farmer. Guðmundur Þorsteinsson – “Mundi” – lived at the Finnbogastaðir farm in Trékyllisvík, a tiny settlement in Strandir, Westfjords of Iceland. Blessed with a rugged coastline, dramatic mountains, and picturesque bays, this remote area embraces great natural beauty and quiet. But with these benisons also come isolation and brutal weather. The long and dark winters, exacerbated by frigid northerly winds, make for a very hard life, more so for a farmer. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/08/15/mundi/ Rajan Parrikar
Re: [Goanet] Bungling the Jungle (O Heraldo, 14/8/2022)
Apropos of this link posted to Goanet - http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2022-August/198255.html I read Vivek-bab’s column regarding plans to destroy the last remaining patches of Goa’s wilderness. Recall this entry from May earlier this year - http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2022-May/197456.html Did anyone write to Vishwajit Rane? I did, even though I knew it was a fool’s errand. I sent a polite note to his private email address explaining why we need to protect Goa’s wilderness cover and keep them clear of tourism projects. I didn’t hear back. There was a small sideshow though. Before I invaded Vishwajit’s mailbox I requested a very good friend in Goa - a close relative of Vishwajit, someone I have known since my youngest days - to deliver a message to the minister. He declined and instead asked me to “kindly send it to his official address.” This is the fellow who complains incessantly about how Goa is going to the dogs. He typifies the Goan - never get your hands dirty. On a different - but related - tack, I recently got a message from a highly accomplished Goan who occupies a position in the highest echelons of corporate India, again someone I have known from my childhood days. The gist was a proposal to develop tourism around our temples. Now this is a smart fellow, not a dummy (although sometimes I wonder) and all he can think of is “tourism.” I pushed back and told him that it is a ridiculous idea, that our temples are meant to be quiet spaces for meditation, contemplation of the Divine. There are, of course, days of celebration and community events during the year, but as a rule the temple is sacred space, not one where you check in with your “I Love Goa” T-shirt and tank tops. He obviously did not like what he heard because I didn't hear back, not even after I sent him my blog post on the domes of Goan temples. If this is the quality of ideas a highly successful and educated Goan carries in his head we don’t stand a chance. For the millionth time - the window to protect Goan land and its assets has closed. After Manohar Parrikar betrayed the Goan cause we were cooked. How many people stood up and protested when he was in power? If you were quiet then, now hold your peace and conserve your calories. r
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Iceland Eruption 2022 – Followup
Reykjanes reawakened. A few hours after our initial sortie, we returned to the site late in the evening of August 3. The juice was now in full flow, craters had taken shape along the fissure line, and the floor plan was being reshaped in real time. Rivulets of lava glowed in the diminishing light. In the days following the show has only gotten bigger and better. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/08/11/iceland-eruption-2022-followup/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Iceland Eruption 2022 – First Moments
A brand new spectacle in town. A fissure opened up in Meradalir, Reykjanes earlier today, not far from the 2021 eruption site, shooting up fountains of fiery lava. We made a quick flight before the airspace was closed down. These are quick rushes of the first moments of the eruption. In the days to come I will do a proper post. The Icelandic Coast Guard helicopters are seen in some of the images. Raw video footage is attached below the stills. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/08/03/iceland-eruption-2022-first-moments/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Mývatn Green
Summer in North Iceland. A wistful morning yesterday in Mývatn. Seen in the frame are Icelandic horses, a very special breed, and the mountain Vindbelgur (balloon) in the distance. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/07/31/myvatn-green/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Bárðarbunga
Capers on the ice cap. Morsels of Nature’s artwork picked off in quick succession at the foot of the sub-glacial volcano Bárðarbunga as we were trying to beat a hasty retreat from a rapidly advancing weather front. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/07/29/bardarbunga/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar]: Temple Domes of Goa
Since 2006 I have photographed hundreds of Hindu temples all over Goaranging from the iconic to the obscure. This post features a small selection with the focus on temple architecture, specifically on the shikhara (domes and spires). The candidates were chosen for their shape and colour, their compositional felicity with the landscape, and for lighting conditions at the time of exposure. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/07/24/temple-domes-of-goa/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar]: Laugavegur Trail
A hiker’s delight. The Laugavegur Trail snaking through the south-central Highlands of Iceland is considered one of the world’s great hiking experiences. Typically traversed in 4-5 days, the 55 Kms route, accessible only for a few weeks during summer, is a visual feast of colourful rhyolite mountains, ridges, glaciers, ice caves, lava fields, crater lakes, geothermal terrain, red cinder cones, and green moss. The expedition traditionally begins in Landmannalaugar and ends in Þórsmörk. We caught sight of hikers yesterday near Hraftinnusker during a flight over the area. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/07/21/laugavegur-trail/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] - Hrafntinnusker
The mountain Hrafntinnusker in the Highlands of Iceland takes its name after hrafntinna, the glassy obsidian volcanic rock that defines its terrain. The immediate neighbourhood is dotted with geothermal charms such as fumaroles, hot springs, and mud pools. There is even a small glacier in attendance. These vignettes were made during a flight over the area a couple of days ago. Read the post here - https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/07/16/hrafntinnusker/ Rajan Parrikar
Re: [Goanet] Goa’s Road to Ruin (O Heraldo, 10/7/2022)
>projects. As the 42-year-old retailer Rohan Govenkar put it >rather pithily on Facebook a couple of days ago: “All you >expressing shock… (rest of Shri Govenkar’s ‘thoughts’ filed away in the Library of Congress archives) I skimmed through Vivek-bab’s column and the above passage quoting Shri Govenkar caught my eye. I’m afraid it is hard to take seriously Shri Govenkar and his kind of, what is known as, Facebook activism (aka virtue signaling from the comfort of one’s home). I recall an episode from years ago. After a long flight from California I had just arrived in Iceland, weary and jet lagged. I was about to catch some shut eye when I received a message from the said Govenkar about some issue he said they were agitating for in Goa. I forget the details now, but he wanted data/information from me. Against my better judgement, I stayed up, foregoing badly needed sleep, and sent him the material. After that I heard nothing. As someone who put in a lot of time, effort, and coin into fighting for Panjim’s civic health, I know this breed only too well. In one word, they are USELESS. When Manohar Parrikar had real power to affect positive change for Panjim - but instead did absolutely nothing except the bidding of the casino & builders mafia - these chumps stood on the sidelines singing bhajans to Bhai. Now they feign outrage and preen on social media. The Goanet Archive has a good record (of my posts) of the past 15 years on the many critical issues pertaining to Panjim (and Goa). To those who have been living on this planet, "Goa's Road to Ruin" has been under construction for quite a while now. Best regards, r
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] - Perlan
Perlan (“The Pearl”) is a city landmark composed of a dome perched on storage tanks that supply hot water to Reykjavík. Its offerings include a panoramic viewing deck, café, planetarium, and an exhibition centre (a zipline has been added recently as can be seen in the photos below). Over several nights last month I trained my lens on Perlan hoping to catch it in varied moods. A striking feature of the dome is that it changes colour depending on the sky, lighting conditions, and viewing direction. A short video of my lark is attached. https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/07/03/perlan/ Rajan Parrikar
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Morning Light in Goa – 2
Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar has posted a new item, 'Morning Light in Goa – 2' Chapel on the hill. Three compositions from the same morning. You may view the latest post at https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/06/19/morning-light-in-goa-2/ Warm regards, Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ra...@parrikar.com
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Eldborg
Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar has posted a new item, 'Eldborg' Volcanoscape. The beautiful Stóra-Eldborg is part of a row of cinder cones in Reykjanes, Iceland. You may view the latest post at https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/06/16/eldborg/ Warm regards, Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ra...@parrikar.com
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Helgafell
Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar has posted a new item, 'Helgafell' Summer nights Several mountains in Iceland go by the name Helgafell. In most instances the name derives from the Icelandic word helgur (holy, spiritual). The Helgafell featured below is in Hafnarfjörður just outside Reykjavík, and a popular hiking destination for the local community. You may view the latest post at https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/06/13/helgafell/ Warm regards, Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ra...@parrikar.com
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Bessastaðir, Summer Night
Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar has posted a new item, 'Bessastaðir, Summer Night' Final kiss of light. Sunset pink last night in Reykjavík. Bessastaðir, the official residence of the President of Iceland, is separated by the waters of Skerjafjörður. Looming in the background, the cone-shaped volcanic plug Keilir. Added to the Sumarnætur (Summer Nights) collection. You may view the latest post at https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/06/11/bessastadir-summer-night/ Warm regards, Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ra...@parrikar.com
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Hallgrímskirkja, Midnight Sun
Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar has posted a new item, 'Hallgrímskirkja, Midnight Sun' Summer vibe. Rim light on Hallgrímskirkja last night in Reykjavík. The façade of the building is front lit by the setting sun on the northern horizon. You may view the latest post at https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/06/05/hallgrimskirkja-midnight-sun/ Warm regards, Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ra...@parrikar.com
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Morning Light in Goa - 1
Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar has posted a new item, 'Morning Light in Goa - 1' A delicate play. A transition from cool to warm on a quiet, misty Goan morning in the village of Calapur (aka Santa Cruz). You may view the latest post at https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/06/01/morning-light-in-goa-1/ Warm regards, Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ra...@parrikar.com
Re: [Goanet] ... and you thought Konkani didn't have a rich agri-vocabulary?
Who is the "you" here, FN? Well, you have a point. Most Goans will be the "you." There is an extensive Konkani vocabulary for matters agri and otherwise, much of it not yet online. Plants, fruit, and produce have long been associated with our temple rituals. A small sample here - http://www.crdeepjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Vol-5-1-5-IJES.pdf r
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Bovine Curiosity
Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar has posted a new item, 'Bovine Curiosity' Drone sideshow. Piqued - in Goa and in Iceland. You may view the latest post at https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/05/27/bovine-curiosity/ Warm regards, Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ra...@parrikar.com
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Syðra Fjallabak: Einhyrningur
Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar has posted a new item, 'Syðra Fjallabak: Einhyrningur' Prehistoric beast. The iconic Einhyrningur (“one-horned”) in the Highlands of Iceland. In the background of the second image is Eyjafjallajökull, the glacial volcano that erupted in 2010 causing much disruption in air traffic across the Atlantic. The video below the stills illustrates a striking characteristic of Icelandic mountains: their dramatic shape-shifting as a function [...] You may view the latest post at https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/05/23/sydra-fjallabak-einhyrningur/ Warm regards, Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ra...@parrikar.com
[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Syðra Fjallabak: Axlafoss
Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar has posted a new item, 'Syðra Fjallabak: Axlafoss' Highlands gem. The water of the Hólmsá river tumbles down the canyon to form the lovely Axlafoss waterfall. Hólmsá itself has its source in the nearby Mýrdalsjökull glacier. A short video follows the stills. You may view the latest post at https://blog.parrikar.com/2022/05/19/sydra-fjallabak-axlafoss/ Warm regards, Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar ra...@parrikar.com
