GOAN RIPPLE IN DHOBI TALAO

I
r. TIMES CITY

CIlia Maria Costa
rils a club whose
'Illbership per
v is less than the
'I of a vada pav
. I t's mid morning and Goa's Illl-(htingale Lorna's magnet\(' voice fills the air as she ('roons Tuzo Mog, a famous ( :oan classic. .~ I" II ttle corner hidden behind a It. sheet pinned up to cast off the Its James Rodrigues adjusting olume knob on his CD player wnlching the world go by. His , C [.' Rodrigues and Sons, in the Ilt'SS of selling Konkani CDs and fill' over 70 years, is stacked with II' and tiatrs by Goa's artists like 'd Rose, C Alvares, Junior Rod, Illta Vaz and, of course, Lorna.odrigues couldn't have found a I' perfect location than below 30( loan clubs in Jer Mahal Estate. kllows his posters strategically 't'd advertising 'Pisso Dotor', a kani comedy, will find enough '1'S. , l':nsily one of Mumbai's better WIs, Jer Maha1 Estate at Dhobi TaIs a stone's throw from Metro the~ and St Xavier's College. Anyone lId mistake this for one more old Iwl especially when a huge board rams Great Punjab Hotel on the t floor.

Even when you step ough any of its five narrow entices there are no telltale signs. But lk up the wooden staircase and
peep into any of the rooms and you know that you are in the middle of Goanness. The flavour of the tiny state fills your senses.

The air is socegado and Konkani rules the airwaves.The club system in Jer Mahal does not involve gyms and swimming pools. A club here is one or more rooms, which are more like huge halls where Goan Catholics put up. Each village from Goa has its own club. Some, villages have more than one club, depending on how many waddos or zones it has.Most members are male and take refuge in their respective village clubs when new to the city.Cruz D'Costa came to Mumbai when he was 19. Resident at the Majorda club for close to three decades, for him this is "a home away from home-a second home". He speaks passionately about his love for Goa and how he holds the "the record" for going home the maximum number of times in a year, "at least eight


Getting admission into the club is simple-you need to be Goan, Catholic and have an identification. Once you are a member, you can stay there as long as you want - A club resident
times". Taking the steps two at a time and greeting everyone he meets, Cruz speaks a typical South Goa, Salcette Konkani. He says that getting admission into the club is simple-you need to be Goan, Catholic and have an identification.Once you are a member, you can stay there as long as you want.Every club has similar interiors:wooden or steel boxes called pattis that line the walls, shoe stands, iron boxes and TV sets. One character-
istic feature is the painting or statue of the village patron saint.

The saint occupies pride of place at the altar and his or her feast is celebrated annually. Each club also has its own kitchen and a block of bathrooms as well as toilets that mayor may not be attached.There are 200 Goan clubs in Mumbai spread over Dhobi Talao, Chira Bazaar, Crawford Market, Dockyard, Mazgaon and Dadar. Dhobi Talao houses the maximum number.

These
clubs or Kuds were set up in the 1920s when Goans started coming to the city in search of a livelihood. They mostly took jobs in hotels or as seamen and were charged a nominal lodging rate. Today, although the clubs may boast 10,000 members, the number of full-time residents has dropped sharply. This, despite the fact, that the rent per day is less than a vada pav.·Most clubs charge members Rs 40 a month.In Dinshaw Mahal, you fmd magician Praxis Remedios from the Guirim club.

A resident for over two decadeI', Praxis says, "Not many Goans know about the club. Though accommodation is inexpensive, takers are few as there is no privacy.
Everyone just puts their bedding on the floor for the night." Praxis's father came to the city in the early century as opportunities in Goa were few.

He says, "Today, hardly any Goan wants to be in Mumbai for long. They see it as a gateway, to gain experience and move to the Gulf, US, UK or the ship. Unlike earlier, one can do most of the paperwork for immigration or to sail in Goa itself." Cruz adds that people prefer to check into a hotel with their families even though the clubs offer a family room for Rs 50 a day.Gilbret Pinto from the Bastora club laments that even up to five years ago his club had 25 full-time members, while today there are only three guest members. Jobs abroad and on the ship pay so much more, he says, that people prefer those to a life in Mumbai.

Andrade Costa from the Nuvemcares club says this is second home to him, and today the building is better maintained than 10 years ago after its interiors were repaired.Joel Fernandes lights up when you mention football. "It's just an excuse for the whole club to sit together in their jerseys and root for their favourite team," he says. "By the way, it's Brazil," he whispers with a smile.With dwindling numbers, old customs like the evening rosary are dying.

But veterans like Cruz and Praxis say that the clubs are still a great place to catch up on the gossip over an evening drink. Even though these residents have lived in Mumbai for decades their culture, speech and mannerisms have not changed. As you talk to Praxis, Gilbert, Joel or Cruz, one thing is clear-you can take a Goan out of Goa but you can't take Goa out of a Goan.