The Trip travels to Sindhudurg for a taste of genuine festive fervour and traditional hospitality at a home stay in Sawantwadi as this coastal town readies to welcome the elephant god, come September Somewhere in the distance a man sings an Alaap in Aakaar. It's difficult to distinguish the raag because his voice reaches us intermingled with the sounds of crickets and birds indulging in their last conversation before calling it a night. It's pitch dark and we can barely see beyond a couple of feet but the flame of the chulha is comforting. Eventually, we forget about the man and his indecipherable raag because Amruta Padgaonkar is filling us in on local gossip as she tells us how they celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in Sawantwadi. Amruta, the host at Culture Aangan's Nandan Farms, is a charming conversationalist and loves engaging in a long-winding chat. If the chat includes gossip (even about people we don't know and have never met) we're all ears. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/aug/workshop.jpg" border="5" /> Sawantwadi's artists ready several Ganesh idols as a life-like statue stands guard outside the workshop. PIC/SATYAJIT DESAI Welcome the elephant god In Sawantwadi, as in other towns in Konkan, Amruta tells us that families have been getting their Ganpati idols created by the same artist for generations together. "Even the design of the idol does not change. In fact, when the idol is brought home, the elders take a careful look at the idol to see if it conforms to the family's standards," she shares. Also, the idol-making process is still not a commercial aspect in Sawantwadi. Each idol-maker takes on only five to six orders every year and there is no concept of picking up an idol off the shelf. Master craftsman Vilas Manjrekar is perhaps the only idol maker in the entire town who makes nearly 800 idols during the Ganpati season. But then, Manjrekar's idols are packed to "far off" places including Belgaum, Kolhapur and Mumbai. "I get a lot of orders from Goa nowadays," informs Manjrekar, who has four shalas (workshops), spread across Sawantwadi. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/aug/shala.jpg" border="5" /> Artist Vilas Manjrekar will make around 800 eco-friendly Ganesh idols this year u00a0 A visit to the workshops is a great way to see how the artist and his team create idols from natural clay, without using Plaster of Paris (POP). The locals are very particular about celebrating the festival in an environmentally-friendly manner. "There was an idol maker from Mumbai who had set up shop here with his POP murtis. But no one bought idols from him. He never returned," recalls Amruta. As we leave behind brightly-painted Ganesh idols from Manjrekar's makeshift studio, constructed outside his own home, our chat shifts to Bhajan Mandalis in the area. "In the villages, there are Bhajan Mandalis that include one or more members from each family and they visit households in the area. It's an easy way for everyone to socialise during the festival. Sometimes, the mandalis reach your home in the middle of the night and you have to keep waiting for them," she informs us, as we wind our way back to her ancestral property that has been converted into the home stay. En route, she tells us how the Ganesh visarjan is also a grand affair here. "In the villages, the idols are immersed only after idols from every household are brought together at the immersion site. So, it's like a huge jatra (fair) on the last day." All that talk about fish After instructing her assistants in the kitchen and going about a few basic chores, Amruta is back at the table for another insightful conversation. By now, we've grown accustomed to each otheru00a0-- me, to her chaste Marathi and she, to my stuttering attempt at the language. Now comes the juicy bit. Apparently, the day after the Ganesh visarjan is when the price of fish reaches dizzying heights. After a month-long abstinence period during Shravan and another 11 days of Ganesh Chaturthi, the fish-loving community of this coastal town is starved for their staple diet. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/aug/cook.jpg" border="5" /> Of course, that gives the local fisher folk a chance to make a killing. Flashing an impish smile, Amruta says, "There is a saying in our parts which roughly translates tou00a0-- Ganpati leaves from the front door and the fish arrives from the back door." Her giggling voice resonates beyond the kitchen. Now that the mood is set, Amruta also tells us about what happens during the Pitru Paksh period that follows Ganesh Chaturthi. Pitru Paksh is a time when special meals are served in served in remembrance of family members who have passed away. A number of families believe in serving food that were favourites with the person they wish to remember. "There is a family here whose ancestors loved Surmai (a variety of fish). So, Surmai is served to everybody who visits their home. Every year, a massive crowd gathers at their place for the fish," Amruta reveals amidst peels of laughter. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/aug/house.jpg" border="5" /> Guest Appearance During the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival, Culture Aangan, along with their five host families, has planned several activities which the guests can take part in. Guests can learn, and then help, their host families in making garlands, preparing delicacies, participate in the pooja ceremony. The special package also includes a cultural show of Ganesh's namas and bhajans as well as a visit to the Pinguli village that is famous for its puppets and shadow puppetry shows. Take your pick The 3N/4D Ganesh Chaturthi Package is priced at Rs 20,400 per couple, Rs 7,440 per person for a group of 4 and Rs 7,020 per person for a group of 6 if you book before August 20. Apart from Sawantwadi, there are homestays at Shirgaon, Kudal and Oras towns in Sindhudurg. Call: 26606448 Email: <a href="mailto:info@cultureaangan.com">info@cultureaangan.com</a> Log onto: <a href="http://www.cultureaangan.com/" target="_blank">http://www.cultureaangan.com/</a> How to reach &gt;&gt; ROAD: Do a bit of research about your bus operator before you set out for this eight-hour ride. This writer didn't have a pleasant experience with Paulo Travels en route to Sawantwadi. Not only was the bus unhygienic, but the operator also didn't seem to have any qualms about taking on drunken passengers. The driver did not care about schedules, so a four to five hour delay was considered normal. There are several other private bus operators on the Mumbai-Goa route to choose from. &gt;&gt; AIR: The nearest airport to Sawantwadi is Dabolim Airport, Goa, which is a two-hour drive from Sawantwadi. &gt;&gt; RAIL: The nearest railhead is Sawantwadi Road railway station on the Konkan Railway. Most trains along the Mumbai Goa route stop at Sawantwadi. What else can you do in Sawantwadi? For us, lazing in the verandah overlooking a fluorescent green lawn for hours and watching the huge coconut trees play see-saw with the gentle breeze was enough of a 'thing to do.' At the most, we marveled at the typical, aesthetic motifs of the home stayu00a0-- fish-shaped door stoppers, high ceiling covered with kaul (terracota slabs) and double decker doors that could also turn into windows. But if you are the kind who insists on doing something on a vacation a trip into the town can yield results. Sawantwadi is known for the Dashavtar Ganjifa cards, which are made in the Sawantwadi Palace by artists trained by the Queen Satvashila Raje Bhonsale, who still lives on the campus. Five members of the staff hand paint traditional playing cards that are then lacquered for longevity. The museum on the Sawantwadi Palace grounds also has on display several photographs of the Sawant Bhonsale royal family on display, including a few of a pompous coronation that took place in the pre-independence era that was attended by British officers. At the museum store, you can also pick up other lacquer goodies that the town is famous for as well as traditional board games including Tabadpad and Gudpad apart from Ganjifa cards. If you're lucky and the queen is at her residence, you might even get a chance to curtesy to her royal highness. The coastal town is also known for the wooden fruit baskets and wooden toys sold in the Chitar Aali (Carpenter's Lane). The PD Kanekar Toy Store is the oldest store in this lane, having been around for over 80 years. The shop is now run by the third generation of the family. Apart from fruits, the toy store also sells replicas of cars and bikes and other knick-knacks. Unfortunately, China-made rip offs are also sold here these days so make sure you check with the store about the authenticity of the toy you pick up. Sawantwadi is pretty close to the coastline so the beach at Vengurla is about 20 km away. The famous Amboli waterfalls are also at a distance of 20 km and Sindhudurg Fort is about 40 km from the home stay, where you can go snorkeling apart from checking out the Maratha fort.

The Trip travels to Sindhudurg for a taste of genuine festive fervour and traditional hospitality at a home stay in Sawantwadi as this coastal town readies to welcome the elephant god, come september

Plan a home stay with Ganesha

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