Pics: Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network-Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 16: Canara Konkani Association Borivli (CKAB), a registered association, having over 1050 members, celebrates annually the traditional festival of Novem (new harvested corn) that is usually celebrated for centuries by Konkan Christian farmers, Dakshina Kannada and peripheral parishes and all catholic households back in the districts of coastal Karnataka, as new crop harvest festival on the very beautiful feast of ‘Nativity of Mary’ called as Monti fest in Mangalore, Udupi, Kundapura, Puttoor, Coorg etc.

MONTI fest is celebrated this time here in Borivli, Mumbai with pomp and fervour on Sunday September 11. 

Freshly harvested new corns from paddy fields were placed near the feet of statue of our infant Mary, surrounded by fresh flowers; were blessed in the IC quadrangle in front of the IC church at 5.45 pm by the chief guest priest Fr Nelson Pais from Urwa parish of Mangalore, guest priest Fr Lancy D’Silva the PP of St Louis parish, Dahisar, Mumbai and our IC asst parish priest Fr Joel Pinto.  

Mama Mary was honoured with showers of flowers and gayans like ‘Sokkud sangatha melyan, …. Moryek hogolsiyan’; while bringing the statue in procession to the foot of the Alter in the IC church. 

High mass was concelebrated by the priest-trio.  “Let our blessed mother Mary be the role model to our mothers and daughters in our families by being humble and by life of purity,” preached Fr Nelson from the pulpit.

At 8.00 pm a beautiful Konkani cultural programme comprising dances, Konkani songs, comedy and fun skits, was staged in the St Francis Engineering premises, located near the IC Church Mount Poinsur, Mumbai.   

In addition to the mass celebrant priest-trio, the IC asst priest Fr Melroy joined the celebration.

Thrill and surprise was generated by the perfectly sung full old timer Konkani song ‘Anjaa sarke chedu’ by Fr Lancy in its aput Konkani. “Let us not feel shy and get belittled to learn and speak our mother tongue,” came a suggestion from Fr Joel’s address. “Not to allow our mother tongue Konkani, our beautiful traditions and culture to die” was the driving message which came from all the speakers.

The priests were honoured by the chairman Albert W D’Souza of CKAB, with flower bouquets. The stage performing dancers, musicians, singers, comedians and artists were appreciated and honoured by the CKAB vice chairman George D’Souza.

IC Konkani choir-master Charles D’Cunha and Veronica Noronha of Dahisar parish were the main planners and leaders for the programme. 

Fellowship meal to savour the blessed New Corn (called novemn jeunchemn) by the partaking Konkani lovers was the last stroke of the fest day.