Curtorim, a village in Salcete, has a Church dedicated to St Alex, called 'Santo Aleixo Igreja em Curtorim' in Portuguese. It is one of the oldest Churches in Goa and is the first ‘chapel church.’ It was first built in 1597 with the financial help from the Communidade of Curtorim on the banks of the Angddi Tollem (lake).
The huge magnificent structure of the Church we see today was built in 1647. The Church initially was dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Much later in 1815, the church was dedicated to St Alex.
The Church celebrates its feast on July 17 with great religious fervour, but if July 17 falls on a weekday, the feast is celebrated on the Sunday following this date, so that all the faithful can attend.
The Church has seven altars and one altar is dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe or Our Lady of Hope. It is interesting to note here, that although St Alex is the patron of the Church, the feast that is more popular here and celebrated with greater religious fervour, gaiety and pomp, is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, on December 18, just a week before Christmas.
The feast was also called, S. Maria de la O, the feast of Our Lady of ‘O.’ This was so, since in earlier times, church services were in Latin and every prayer from December 18 to 25 would begin with the Latin alphabet ‘O.’
Kelleanchem Fest
The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe was also called 'Kelleam Fest' or 'Kelleanchem Fest', the feast of bananas in the days of yore, though it had no connection with the religious aspect of the feast celebrated on the day.
There are quite a few stories or traditions regarding why the feast was called 'Kelleam Fest' or 'Kelleanchem Fest'. Most elders of the village would say that it was due to the banana trade held on this day that gave the name to the festival.
In the olden days, different varieties of bananas and of various sizes were traded here on the feast day. These came from different parts of the State, from as far as Moira in the north and from Shiroda in the south. They came by canoes since road travel was not in vogue then. The trade went along the Vanainchi Chall or Vaniacho Bazar, along a navigable tributary of river Zuari, located in front of the Church, now popularly known as Angddi Tollem.
People from Salcete would come for the feast precisely to purchase the bananas and the traders would make brisk business. They would purchase them in bulk, which later they would sell in their villages.
Since the fair was laden with bananas and there was a big trade of bananas, the feast came to be called, Kelleam Fest or Kelleanchem Fest, the feast of bananas.
There is also a belief that the villagers would share bananas, as it was the most common fruit available then, in preparation for the feast of the birth of Jesus, which would be in a week’s time.
Folklore also suggests since the people used to prepare ‘vodde’ using bananas for Christmas, the timing of the feast on December 18 made it the ideal time and place for the purchase of bananas.
Whatever be the stories or legends, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe till date is called the Kelleam Fest or Kelleanchem Fest.
In the yesteryears, the Gaunkars (members of the confraternity of Our Lady of Guadalupe) would celebrate the feast, but now the entire village celebrates it together with public contributions.
On the feast day, the entire village wears a festive look. There is usually a big fair around the church and lots of bananas are brought here for sale. Some programme or the other is organised by the villagers in the evening, like the Banana Festival Football match, etc. However, there will be restricted celebrations at the feast this year on account of the Covid pandemic.
(The writer is former director of Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr at Porvorim)
