You will always be surprised atwhat lies behind the mist in theKonkan. Would you believe ithas inspired cinema as weknow it? The great Maratha

Shivaji, while travelling through thecoastal belt, got a taste of some rural yetsophisticated entertainment when he raninto the unclothed, unlettered Thakars, aforest-dwelling tribe. They narratedstories or chitrakatha on leaf scrollspainted with natural dyes. Craftsmenfashioned cutwork figures from animalhide while an ensemble of singers andmusicians set a background score to thejaiti or shadow puppetry. Applying simplelaws of light and physics, imagesprojected on a screen by campfire wereenlarged or reduced to create drama.The amazed crowds often believed thatthe shadows grew bigger because of

the blowing of the conch! Such uniquestorytelling was the purest form ofentertainment long before the advent ofmoving talkies. We, on our part, wereready to be surprised by more than justthe breathtaking beauty of the coast.

Ratnagiri is legendary for its Hapoosor Alphonso and we shamelesslyheaded for a homestay that promisedunlimited mangoes for breakfast. A short13 km drive from the town took us toAtithi Parinay at Kotawde where MedhaSahasrabuddhe greeted us cheerfullyoutside a beautiful laterite and stonehouse. Surrounded by the hills on threesides, the three-acre patch was locatedon the banks of the swirling Kusum river.Medha promised us a walk to the riverand paddy fields beyond. “But alldiscoveries will have to wait,”announced her mother Vasudha,

bringing out fresh banana leaves.Though the Konkan coast is

synonymous with its seafood and spicyMalvani fare, we were about to beintroduced to the wonderful world ofChitpawan Brahmin cuisine. Out camehot polis (thin large chappati cookedwith a little oil), koshimbir (dry uncookedvegetable raita), aamti (sweetish thindaal), moramba (mango preserve) anda cabbage-bean stir fry. “We havetypical preparations. There’s kulith usal(stir-fried horsegram), bhopla bharit(pumpkin mash), padwal (snake gourd),sandhan (jackfruit cake), patodey (ricecakes steamed in turmeric leaves),chunda (spicy mango preserve) andgawasni chi poli (rice flour paratha),”explained Vasudha aunty.

Over an extended lunch, we alsolearnt how the Sahasrabuddhes got their

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ANURAG MALLICK AND PRIYA GANAPATHY VISIT KONKAN’S DELIGHTFULHOMESTAYS TO EXPLORE MALVANI CUISINE, THE MANGO TRAIL, SAWANTWADI’S

ARTISTIC HERITAGE, A BURMESE PALACE IN RATNAGIRI, A TEMPLE BUILT BYARABIAN SHIPWRECKS AND OTHER SURPRISES

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unique family name. Originally calledGanpules, they were once employed aswarriors and advisors of the Peshwaswho gifted them a village. They cameand settled in Kotawde but anotherfamily laid claim to the land. TheGanpules put forth a proposition thatone representative from both sideswould burrow in a hole; whoever couldlast longer would be the true owner. Thewily Ganpules stocked up their hole withprovisions, outlasted the opponent andgot their land back. The Peshwasgranted them the title ‘sa-hastra-buddhi’or someone who had knowledge of bothweapons and mind games.

After a quick tour of the property tosee the tree house, a Swiss tentand the bamboo bridge over the

river, we were off to Ganpatipule.Besides a touristy beach lined withhotels and eateries, the main attractionwas Lord Ganesha’s shore temple. Thepriest told us that once every year thesurf comes up as if to touch the feet ofthe idol as a symbolic gesture. Legendhas it that cows in a certain herd hadstopped producing milk and would offerto be milked only at a particular spot onthe reef, leading to the discovery of theself-manifest stone image. Devoteeswhispered their entreaties into the ears

of the large brass mouse outside theshrine while some circumambulated thehill over a paved path. After a quick peepat Pracheen Konkan, a showcase of the region’s culture, we visited thebirthplace of freedom fighter andstatesman Bal Gangadhar Tilak atRatnagiri. The humble two-storey house where he grew up is now amuseum, displaying his personalbelongings and achievements.

What we least expected was apalace in Ratnagiri for a Burmese king.After the British forces defeated andcaptured Thibaw, the erudite king ofBurma (Myanmar) in 1885, they shipped

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(Clockwise) The Atithi Parinay homestay, Chitpawan Brahmin cuisine, fresh catch from the sea and women working in the paddy fields

RAILBANDHU | 58 | JUNE 2012

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him first to Madras (Chennai) and thenRatnagiri to prevent a possible revoltback home. The rented bungalow wherehe was placed under house arrest wasunfit for a king and the British permittedhim to build a royal residence for himself.The king supervised the construction ofThibaw Palace every day till 1910 andboth he and his wife breathed their last inthe same building. Built out of laterite,mortar and Burmese teak, the majesticbrick red palace on a grassyembankment has a small museumdedicated to the king.

Our royal obsession though was theHapoos, the king of mangoes, andthe trail led us to Devgad. There

was something about the soil, air,

landscape or optimal proximity to the seathat made Devgad’s mangoes unlike anyother. The best mangoes came from apatch 20 km from the coast. Set amidstmango orchards and brick factories onthe Devgad-Nipani Road (SH117), wasPitruchhaya homestay near Shirgaon.One of the earliest homestays developedby Culture Angan, the house came witha stunning terrace suite, paintings doneby artists from Pinguli and bamboofurniture from Konkan Bamboo and CaneDevelopment Centre (KONBAC) atKudal. The warm couple Vaishali andVijay Loke gave us an authentic taste ofMalvani fare from kolambi (prawn) andkalva (clam) fry to Malvani mutton andmodka, a small tasty fish found at theedge of the sea. The food was good and

in demand. The Lokes decided to opena small restaurant to cater to highwaytravellers. Named Pitruchaya as a tributeto his father with whose blessings thehouse was made in 2000, it was Loke’smother Savitri Devi who caught ourattention. We were amazed to learn thatthe quiet lady, who went about her dailychores and prayers with meticulousdevotion, was 106 years old. “She evencuts vegetables and washes herclothes,” chuckled Loke, ascribing it toher disciplined lifestyle, years of hardwork and healthy diet.

Abrief stop at the quiet Devgad Fortand we continued down the coastto Kunkeshwar. Situated on the

very edge of the sea and lashed by

(Above) The Thibaw Palace built by the exiled Burmese king and (below) Ganpatipule beach

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waves was a 400-year-old Shivatemple with a strange past.Caught in a storm, sailors of anArabian vessel saw a light andpromised to build a shrine to theregion’s chief deity if theysurvived. True to the promise,the Arabs constructed a templeout of laterite on the shore.Knowing that they would not bespared for this irreligious deed ifthey went back, they jumpedfrom the temple and gave uptheir lives. Their samadhi can still befound here. The serene Mithbav Beachnearby had its share of unusual shrineslike the Betaal Mandir dedicated to awandering spirit that induced madnesson any passersby at twilight. The cliff-toptemple of Gajbadevi was dedicated to agoddess who appeared in a dream andinstructed villagers to install her there forsafe passage.

After much meandering, we finallycame to Sawantwadi and foundourselves at Nandan Farms homestay, 2km from town on Amboli Road. Tucked

away in a 12-acre farm at the base of asmall hillock, the ochre bungalow had asloping tiled roof and earthy interiors.Cloaked in green, it was like being in anenchanted garden. Our friendly hostAmruta Padgaonkar or Ammu, originallyfrom Vengurla, was an expert in Malvanicuisine. We negotiated our way througha maze of modaks, endless polis, okracoconut fry, rice, aamti and phanas(jackfruit) fritters.

About 12 km from Sawantwadi onthe road to Vengurla was Dwarka,an organic farmstay, that followed a

“plant to plate” philosophy. DilipAklekar showed us around his15-acre farm with cashew,coconut, banana, pineapple and230 Hapoos trees. “We growour own fresh fruits, pulses andvegetables, have a vermi-compost plant, use bio gas forcooking, all the milk comes fromour cows and we even practisegomutra kheti ( using cow urinefor agriculture).”

Orioles, hornbills andparadise flycatchers flitted about thetrees as we too hopped from room toroom, each done up in a different colourand style. The food was an amazingspread of kombdi (chicken) curry, deep-fried raw banana fritters, beetroot stir-fry,red gram curry and other delights. It waswith great difficulty and the indolence ofdebauched nabobs (an Anglo-Indianterm for an East India Company servantwho became wealthy through corrupttrade and other practices) that we couldmove out of there. As if justifying theadage, “Only when the belly is full can

Sawantwadi Palace

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the arts prosper,” we set off on aleisurely cultural tour of Sawantwadi.

Unlike us, the wisened hand thatheld the paintbrush was rock-steady as it hovered over an old,

wooden table. It swept down to make afew deft swirls and strokes and awarrior’s white horse reared out of thetable. MV Kulkarni, the old artist, smiledat our awestruck expressions before henonchalantly rubbed it off with a rag,saying, “Now I’ll paint a figure.” Again, wesaw a masterpiece getting completed inunder a minute. No pencil sketch, noreference image... just endless yearsspent painting Ganjifa cards had madeartists like Kulkarni “imagine things rightbefore the eyes.”

We were now in the durbar hall ofthe 17th century Sawantwadi Palace.

Sunlight filtered in from a row of windowsas we watched a clutch of artistsengrossed in the detail of their design,struggling to keep an ancient traditionfrom vanishing into the mists of time.Each card is a complete hand-paintedartwork. The group of chitrakars (artists)spend hours to produce diverse stylesand decks. Their work was clearlydemarcated. Some gave base colour tothe cards, others worked on symbols, afew worked on the borders while thesenior artists painted the intricate courtcards of the suit.

Seated in the portico of herbeautiful palace, Satwashiladevi,the queen, shared more about

this unique art which was saw a revivalunder her royal patronage since 1972.“Ganjifa, possibly of Persian or Urdu

origin, means ‘stacking’. It was probablythe Mughal rulers who introduced theseplaying cards in India as early as 7thcentury. It became popular in otherprincely states like Bengal and Kashmirand gradually moved to Mysore andOdisha. The original Mughal Ganjifa orChanga-kanchan has 96 cards in thestandard eight decks of 12 cards eachbased on the eight departments of thestate — treasury, armoury, music andso on,” she shared.

Soon, artists started adapting it forthe masses with Hindus themes ofmythology and astrology. TheDashavatara Ganjifa has the incarnationsof Vishnu in 10 sets of 120 cards. RashiGanjifa, based on the zodiac, has 144cards and the navagraha-based ones onplanets have 108. The antiquecollections were made of cloth, ivory,leather and palmyra leaves and can befound in royal homes and museums.

In Chitare Ali, a rambling laneascending from the picturesque MotiTalav, Prakash Balu Chitari intentlyslathered kitta (a paste of tamarindseeds, pebbles, powdered and driedjute pulp and sawdust) on a woodenmango with a palette knife. “We always

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(Clockwise) An artist at work, woodendolls and Ganjifa cards

use pangara wood, it is porous and light.The paste fills the pores and acts as abase. After this dries, we apply paintusing brushes made of animal hair(squirrel, goat or bear),” he said.

Chitari was one of the few survivingpractitioners of the age-old tradition ofhandcrafted wooden lacquerware. From36 families, it had whittled down to five.“It is time-consuming but lucrative.Brahmin families in Goa andMaharashtra buy entire sets of thesetoys as part of a bridal trousseau. So,besides domestic sales and exports,one wedding helps us earn up to`8,000” he said. His wife chuckled,“But we do all the hard work. Mychildren and I cut leaves from recycledpaper, paint them, fix the stalks andadd the finishing touches.”

Like a scaled-down version ofKarnataka’s toy townChannapatna, vibrant wooden

handicrafts, artificial fruit bowls andstrings, lacquered bangles and beads,corkwood flowers, spinning tops,puzzles, rattles and paats (woodendais) were stacked for sale and a fewshop-cum-factories lined the street. At

PD Kanekar’s shop, we saw a livedemo of the quirky toys — collapsiblegiraffes, kissing pigs, monkeys on wire,a brood of pecking hens, and so on.Besides the signature vegetables andfruits collections in all sizes and colours,we also found Mexican-style ristras(chillies, onions and garlic on strings)and local versions of the enigmaticRussian Matryoshka dolls.

Just a few kilometres away at theThakar Adivasi Kala Kendra atPinguli, Parashuram Vishram

Gangawane’s live demonstration of thedona vadya (vessel instrument) had us

captivated. On a large upturned troughused to serve kanji (gruel), he scrapedtwo ladles to produce a wailing tuneand sang a haunting melody. “We areparamparik kalakars of the Thakarcommunity, a forest-dwelling tribe whoinhabited the tekdis of Sahyadri paat(hills of the Western Ghats). What yousaw was one of our 11 loka kalas (folkarts), performed by our women duringGanesh Chaturthi as a symbolicgesture to rouse Lord Ganesha.”

Shivaji gave the Thakars raj-ashray(royal asylum) and they received furtherpatronage from Sawantwadi’s rulers likeKhem Sawant and Bapu Maharaj, whohelped them develop their art andshowcase it over nine days at theKelbai temple in Kudal. With royalconsent, they could take their tamburaand taal to collect one ser of dhaan (kiloof rice) and alms from each house.

For nearly six months of the year,the Thakars travelled from village tovillage carrying their jaiti (box) of nearly50 puppets. As soon as they placedtheir bundles down at the headman’shouse, word would spread about theirarrival. They would perform thechitrakatha the same evening before

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(Above) A local takes shelter from the rain and (below) the Amboli Ghat covered with mist

moving to the next village in themorning. Not surprisingly, the kings ofSawantwadi often employed thesenomadic artistes as spies andinformants.

They were given imperial hand-made paper and commissioned topaint permanent artworks. “I have

a priceless cache of nearly 500 oldpaintings that have managed to survive,along with hundreds of puppets that arenot displayed,” Parashuram said,gesturing at his makeshift museum, arenovated gothan (cowshed) crampedwith artefacts.

“Where’s the space here or themoney to build a bigger complex? Howmuch can I do alone, without anysupport? Of the 125 Thakar houseshere, only one or two strive to keep this 500-year-old tradition alive. Andwhat of Pugdi geet, Tarva geet,Povada, Kal-sutri bavlya, Gondal, Poth raja...” his voice quavered. “InPanglu Bael, a bedecked bullockaccompanies a dholki player, remindingall those who hear it of the departedsouls. There’s Pingli, where a man with a rattledrum leaves home at 3 amand returns at dawn, serving as awatchman and an alarm clock on the move.”

With the odd shows andhomestays like Nandan Farmsand Dwarka Farmhouse as

platforms, Pinguli’s artists have found atiny window to exhibit their talent. At thesouvenir section, we browsed throughstunning paintings on epic themesavailable for a song. An hour’s showwith eight people could be arranged foras little as `5,000 while traditionalfrescoes could be created for as littleas `300-400 per sq ft. It was a far cry

from the old days when they weregifted as much grain as they couldcarry away without losing balance over10 paces.

As we boarded the Konkan KanyaExpress on our return train journey toMumbai, it seemed nothing short oftravesty that urban malls showcased aglut of mass-produced branded goodswhile rural artisans struggled to keepancient traditions from vanishing into themists of time.

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(Above) A view of the Amboli Ghat and (below) a Pinguli royal courtroom painting