Konkani Association of California

Copyright©2010KonkaniAssociationofCalifornia (KAOCA)

Allrightsreserved.

Konkani Association of California

panchadik 2010 (January – April)

Copyright©2010KonkaniAssociationofCalifornia

(KAOCA)Allrightsreserved.

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Table of Contents

1. President’s Corner.………………………………………………… 3

2. Talent Day.……………………………………………………………. 5

3. Kidz Korner.…………………………………………………………… 6

4. Origin of Konkani Surnames………………………………… 10

5. Do you know our Amchis?...………………………………… 14



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1. President's Corner Namaskaru,

KAOCA is in its 26th year now. Time sure flies! Let us welcome this

year as a year of hope, that we will regenerate and empower ourselves

and our community. We must always remember that we are not solely

individuals, but part of a community. Our concentric circles begin with

our family and then move outward to include our community.

For this year our mission is “Bringing Generations together”. We want

to connect together generations of yesterday, today and tomorrow and

create a vibrant and a lively community. On similar lines, our

entertainment theme will be “Something for Everyone” and we will use

Art and Culture as a medium to strengthen our mission.

We started this year with a survey for additional events and the

community voted the top two events namely Classical Concert and

Disco Dandia in addition to the traditional events.

Our first successful event for this year, “Samsaar Paadvo” aka “Ugadi

(Gudi Padwa) Function” was held on 27th March, 2010 at the

Sunnyvale Hindu Temple. The response to the event was

overwhelming. We had over 400 community members who enjoyed

the evening as much as we did putting this event together to make it

memorable.

We had an exciting entertainment program-- one that covered all

generations, authentic Konkani food for both Tannik and Dinner and to

round up we had the DJ music. The evening began with Tannik. Buns,

Shevayi and Narayankatar were the highlights. The entertainment



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program started with the Commencing Prayer which was followed by

Classical Piano, Folk Dance, Ras Leela, Classical Singing, Hindustani

vocal, Western fusion dance, Bharatnatyam, Bollywood songs and

dance. Tim White, an accomplished musician in the Bay area played

Sitar for the audience. He was accompanied on the Tabla by Rattu

Lamba and by Jack Gates on the guitar. They performed some

melodious Basant/Spring ragas. The entertainment program was

followed by dinner and the highlights were gajabaje, jain curry,

avanase ambe sasam and Garayi. DJ music followed and we had

scores of people dancing to the tunes of yesteryear and current songs.

We have a line-up of events for the remainder of this year:

♦ Talent Day/Sports Day – May

♦ Annual Picnic – August

♦ Classical Concert – September

♦ Disco Dandia – October

♦ Diwali – November

We hope to see you at all these events.

To contribute to “Panchadik”, please submit your items to

[email protected]

On behalf of the 2010 KAOCA committee, our best wishes to all the

KAOCA members.

Together we can – Together we will – make a difference – and make a

better community.

Warm Regards,

Sulatha and Ananth



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2. Talent Day/Sports Day and Volunteering Drive

Our next event is Talent day to be held on 23rd May 2010, at the

Milpitas Sports Center. We have expanded the scope of the traditional

sports day into a talent day. In addition to sports, the Konkani

community will get a chance to showcase their talent in other areas

such as poetry and art. Additionally, we are jointly organizing a

Volunteering Drive with the Second Harvest Food Bank at the same

time. Your participation on this day will help KAOCA achieve its goal of

making a meaningful contribution to society.



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3. KIDZ KORNER

Hello Amchi Kidz!

Kidz Korner is a fun filled section in KAOCA’s Panchadik for us Amchi

Kidz! We have news and reports on hobbies, travel, sports, quizzes,

jokes, videos and other cool stuff. To publish your articles, please send

them to [email protected]

For the Month of May, we start off with a tribute to our dear mothers,

followed by an interview with Mihika Gokarn, who visited Shirali in

India. Find some cool videos and puzzles at the end!

Enjoy!

Divya Rao & Ronak Mundkur

Kidz Korner Editors



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A Tribute to Mother

You brought me into this world,

Your heart filled with happiness and hope,

Your hands holding me with ever loving gentleness.

Each day since, you have nurtured me with kindness,

Patiently watching me grow amidst my playfulness.

As I grow and I know, I have every bit of your support,

To be the person you will be proud of someday soon!

- Ronak Mundkur

Interview with Mihika Gokarn Mihika Gokarn recently visited Shirali, India. We were able to interview

her to find out how she connected with her native roots…

Editors: When did you visit Shirali and why?

Mihika: In December 2009, I visited Shirali, India with my entire

family for the NRI Shibir at the Shirali Math.

Editors: And the purpose of the Shibir?

Mihika: Visit the Shirali math, near by temples, maths, getting to meet



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with our spiritual leader, Param Poojya Sadyojat Shankarashram

Swamiji to understand his message to us NRI’s. It was a delightful

experience!

Editors: What all did you see?

Mihika: We saw the Shri Chitrapur Math, the museum with its historic

artifacts, the farms, the gardens around and the Goshala (cattle pen).

I especially liked watching the young water buffalo calf, Arundatti. I

also got to see the huge horns of the bull.

Editors: Can you tell us what you saw in the museum?

Mihika: The Museum was filled with rare artifacts made of stone,

bronze or brass, dating as far back as 5000 years, our Konkani

scriptures written on delicate wood bark scrolls, the Wrataa used for

the Car Festival. The artifacts had been handed to the leaders of our

Math over the past 300 years by locals that found them while tilling

the soil!

Editors: Did you also get to visit the beautiful beaches in the area?

Mihika: Yes we did. I especially liked the Bailur beach, where we spent

time on the sand with PP Swamiji. We also visited the Bailur temple.

Editors: What message did PP Swamiji give you?

Mihika: He requested us to learn the Devnagari script and the Sanskrit



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language, so we could understand our scriptures. He also gave his love

and blessings to all the NRI children in our community. To the

embarrassment of my parents, my kid brother, Aalok boldly requested

him for a snack. PP Swamiji smiled and gave us a chocolate

each!

Editors: Thank you Mihika, for sharing your experience together with

your siblings and parents, connecting with your roots in India.

Tweener Tip#1:

So what do I do when homework, test preparation, extra curricular

activities fill up my week? I watch a YouTube Video like this one that

decompresses me:

Cute Puppies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RkKvf12Bw0

Tweener Tip#2:

And if it’s cold and rainy outside, here’s another cool video to get you

pumped up!

Big Avalanches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0RWLxOFGLY

Can you figure out these anagrams?

1. Tad Oily

2. Ark I Up

3. As Sigh

Answers will be posted in the next newsletter….

Hint: You might find some of these on the KAOCA dinner menu

Bye friends…

Go Green, Have Fun, Stay Safe!



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4. Origin Of Konkani Surnames

Members of the KAOCA community have very different origins in India.

Some of these origins have manifested themselves in the "surname"

that we use, even today. To better understand how our surnames have

evolved over the past several generations, we provide a brief

perspective on some of the more common konkani surnames in the

community.

Mythologically, we are descendents of clan brought by Lord

Parsurama, who created Goa by throwing his axe into the sea, and

reclaimed the land mass and arrange to settle ninety-six families

from ten gothras he had led to the new land. Historically, when the

religion was reaching its nadir, the king who had learned that highly

educated and spiritual commune can be found in Trihut region

(present day Mithila in Bihar), he sent his emissary with a request to

loan him such persons for uplift of his subjects. The king of Trihut sent

ninety-six (is it a coincidence?) families from ten gothras to the new

land to propagate religion and philosophy. These families were settled

in two different parts of the region. Thirty families were grouped in one

commune, and sixty-six in other. The first commune was known as

Tiswadys, and the other Shashatis among themselves, and the

locals used to call them as a member of Shanavis. Saha means six

and Navi means ninety, and our ancestors were known as a family of

ninety-six. The word sahanavi later became Shenvi, and then to

modern Shenoy or Shanbhag.

There exist regions known as Tisuary and Salcette (Portuguese

pronunciation of Shashasti) in Goa. The families from Trihut mingled

with the locals taught them and imparted knowledge for which they

were brought, and in return started amassing wealth, buying lands,



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learnt feudalism and slowly became owners of village and rule over the

locals. They built temples, started trading and became one of the

locals, but with a difference. The difference was the Name. The

strongest survives or rules over, and our ancestors were no different.

Pai in our language means foot or leg. The common person who had

not amassed wealth or power was known as Pai. Their job was menial

in maintaining ledgers, doing clerical and odd jobs. The promotions

were also there and your surname will change according to the

promotion. The Pai who was writing ledgers, were promoted to

become Shanbhags (clerks), and to other titles. A person maintaining

statistics was called Karni. Land was called Nadu, and the person

maintaining land records was known as Nadkarni, and Kulkarni

maintained census, and social register.

The main source of income was from agriculture, and the person

experienced in soil mechanics, agro-science was called Kamathi.

Mathi means soil and Kama is work, that is working in soil (Kama +

Mathi). In Konkani even today we call kamathi not kamath or kamat.

Cultivation of herbs for medicinal purpose was rule of the day. The

concoction was prepared and dispensed by Vaidya, and the herbs

were cultivated by Kinvis, presently called Kini or Keni.

The animals required for tilling, transportation and other works were

under Haya- Gade (actually Horse tenderer), modernized to Hegde.

The daily requirements of every family for survival, presentations, etc

were the responsibility of the Ballo. There is another theory that

reveals that the foot soldier with a spear was called Ballo. The soldier

Ballo (Baliga) was under the command of Nayak.



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The Brahmins from Trihutpura became feudal lord, and fancied himself

as "The Lord" and was called Prabhu. He lived in a palatial home

called mahal, and the caretaker was known as Mahalyar, presently

modernized to Mallya. The religion was the center of attraction, and

every hamlet, village town had one or more temples. Poojas were

performed in every home almost daily. There used be a congregation

in the temple everyday to listen to recitation of puranas or other

subjects.

The poojas in the big temple and its rituals were under Acharya, and

in small temples conducted by Bhat. Every family had exclusive priest

to perform the rites, and he was the family Purohit. Puraniks recited

the kathas and puranas in the temples. The temples were

administered by Mahajans and its stores by Bhandari. The village

godown was also under the Bhandari or Bhandarkar.

Kudva did fabricating tools and tackles (the village blacksmith). Every

hamlet had the same profession and hence the limited family names.

To differentiate between two prabhus or pais, the person started

calling himself from the particular hamlet or village, such as Gokul

Shenvi Kakodkar, or Prakash Pai Angle. The word 'Kar" means "From"

or citizen of. Thus kakodkar means person from village kakod. This

enabled one to identify the profession and the domicile.

The Portuguese invasion made people migrate to Ratnagiri in North

and entire coast in the South, and slowly the local influence crept into

the culture. In Karnataka, the village of refuge was used as a prefix to

call oneself Padbidri Mohandas Prabhu, or Kinnigoli Ramanath Kamath,

et all. The kerala civilization induced the name of the house or the

exact area rather than the village, and in some places, the present

profession was also added to the name. So we have today, Thayyil



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Muralidhar Kamath (Thayyil means tailoring house), or Kannaparambil

Gopalakrishna Pai (Parambil means garden or farm belonging to

kannan).

Today the name has no links with the profession. Mallya owns land,

and Kini is a soldier; Prabhu works for Kamath, and Pai owns the land.

The names are stuck, even though the profession is not. But then

what's in a name. A rose is a rose is a rose, even if called by any other

name.



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5. Do you know our Amchis? As part of our Panchadhik

issue, we are introducing a

section called "Do you know

our Amchis?" This section is

about a series of questions we

pose to a KAOCA family and

their responses. The idea

among other things, is to use

this as a medium to best get to

know our community members

and realize our mission of bringing the generations together. In this

issue, we profile Ramesh and Pratibha Kamath as they provide an

insight into their lives.

PCK: Panchadik RK: Ramesh Kamath PCK: Can you briefly tell us about your journey from India to the US?

RK: This was the first time I travelled by plane and was anxious about

it. When I got to the airport there was another passenger, a marwadi,

I guess. About 50 people were at the airport to see him off. He was

garlanded with dry fruits and lots of rupee notes. Once in plane he

started eating the dry fruit from his garland and was saving the cheese

pieces that came with the meal. All the tension I was in, was gone

watching this guy in action.

PCK: Can you briefly share your experiences of living in the US?

RK: Our initial thought was to return to India in 5 years. It is now

close to 40 years and we feel very comfortable here. Both career and

social life in this country are exactly what we had dreamed of. It is



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true that in this country there is reward for hard work. Life here is a

continuous challenge but the equal opportunity and the respect and

support by friends makes it easier to deal with.

PCK: What are the 3 important things you would include in your

things-to-do-list?

RK: Don't forget your background and where you came from. Help the

needy Konkanis in India. Be a responsible citizen. Follow the law and

treat people with respect. Family comes first. Pay attention and take

care of family to keep every one happy.

PCK: Tell us about something you would happily do again.

RK: Should we say to host a Konkani Convention again in 2018?

PCK: Tell us about someone you really admire.

RK: In Konkani community here in Bay area we admire Hundi Kamath.

He is a learned man and is very helpful. His knowledge base is vast.

We trust him for his advice and foresight

PCK: Tell us about your favorite holiday destination

RK: Our favorite holiday destination is Egypt. The history and the

engineering achievement of that country is admirable. For leisure we

like Hawaii of course.

PCK: If you have to verbalize a slogan for your life - something you

live by, like a principle - what would it be?

RK: It is an old saying, which is also my slogan- "Let no one tell you

what you can and cannot do. Do what your gut tells you to do"

PCK: If you could give the Konkani community in Bay Area one piece

of advice, what would it be?



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RK: We are a family at this distant place. Let us help each other,

forget petty differences, and do all you can to foster a happy Konkani

community.

`

Konkani Association of California

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