Brisk business at Banastarim matoli bazaar
Annual market popular for wild flowers and fruit
THE GOAN NETWORK
PONDA
The famous two-day ‘Chaturthi Matoli Bazaar’ at Banastarim began on Friday with about 400 vendors selling various kinds of items for the festive occasion.
On Friday morning, a large number of buyers were seen inside the market and even along the congested road outside the Banastarim market. Shopkeepers from Margao, selling matoli items, also prefer this market to pick their goods.
Wild fruits and flowers are used for making traditional 'matoli' installed above the Ganesh idol during Chaturthi celebration. The local vendors said the price has gone up as compared to last year.
These items are supplied by villagers from Collem, Mollem, Keri-Savoiverem, Volvoi, Mardol, Kundaim, Sattari and Usgao. Though this year there has been no dearth of wild fruits and flowers, the rate has not come down.
Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated on September 17 last year and many vendors had found it difficult to procure the seasonal items as the produce had either perished due to heavy rains or were not available by the time Chaturthi was celebrated.
Flowers and fruits collected from the forests are tied to the matoli, giving a seasonal welcome to Lord Ganesh.
In Hindu houses, the matoli, a wooden canopy which contains flowers, fruits, leaves and creepers, is decorated before the idol of Lord Ganesh is installed at the holy place. To make the matoli traditionally beautiful, many people collect wild flowers and fruits from the market. Banastarim is one such market, where all items are available.
The wild flowers and fruits cost between Rs 50 to 60 for a small bunch, while a small sized areca nut bunch was sold between the range of Rs 400 to 500. The rates of the items are Karmala (Rs 50 to 60), Mavaling (Rs 60), one pair of Kaatre (Rs 50), one pair of Gaagre (Rs 50), one pair of Matta (Rs 50), Kaangala (Rs 60), Kundala (Rs 60), Toring (Rs 50) and Tonnayo (Rs 10).
The hog plums (aambade), which were 20 in number, were sold for Rs 50. They are used for many dishes during the Chaturthi. They are also used to prepare sweet pickle. A bunch of coconut was available for Rs 400 to 500.
Prajyot Naik from Bhoma, who sells matoli items every year in Banastarim, said this year the rates of all items have gone up. “Compared to last year, this year it is gone up by 10-20 percent. People from Margao and other places visit this bazar to buy matoli items,” he said.
Another vendor, Vishwanath Bhomkar said this year the demand to these items had been very good.
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Netravali Matoli Bazaar at Margao from todayMARGAO: As a precursor to the ensuing Ganesh Chaturthi, the two-day Netravali Matoli Bazaar will commence at Lohia Maidan, Margao, from September 3, at 10 am.
Announcing this at a press confernce, Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldesai, said the bazaar will be inaugurated by South Goa MP Narendra Sawaiker. Dattaprasad Kholkar, Navnath Naik, Rupesh Mahatme, Damodar Naik, Prakash Velip and other will be present.
Phaldesai informed that SHGs comprising of around 90 rural women, especially belonging to STs, will display products used for the matoli such as torin, areca nuts, flowers, bananas, sweetmeats and other such items for exhibition and sale. “This Bazaar has been organised with the sole purpose of inculcating entrepreneurship among the rural women,” Phaldesai added that the bazaar will be from 8 am to 9 pm.
The project director of Atal Gram Development Agency, Vijay Saxena, informed that the scheme was implemented in the State from 2012 by the Department of Planning, Statistics & Evaluation. “New projects were taken up under this scheme in Netravali village comprising of 2900 population in 7 wards dominated mostly by ST families,” Saxena remarked.
The research officer of Atal Gram Development Agency, Shivanand Alornekar was also present.
