Today would’ve been the 60th birthday of Wendell Rodricks, the late fashion designer who placed the state of Goa on the world’s fashion map. A child born in Bombay with a simple lifestyle grew up to be world-famous and meet many celebrities. He was an inspiration to many, especially aspiring fashion designers. Sheryl Gonsalves| NT GoGoaNow Picture Credit – SHIVANG MISHRA | Nt GoGoaNow “From a young age people asked my advice as to the choice of a wall colour, what accessories go with a dress, decorations for a party, etc. This was at the age of seven. Later I began to draw sketches of everything from teachers to scenery. By the time I turned twenty I knew it was fashion because I began to sketch clothes. But I had to do fashion much later at 26 after a career in hotel management,” he had told NT GoGoaNow.  Wendell didn’t use television, magazines, and newspapers for ideas but loved creating new things. He was known as the ‘Guru of Minimalism’ and won a Padma Shree award in his lifetime. “Goa has played a huge part in my philosophy. If I gave India minimalism, resort wear and eco-friendly clothing, it is […]

We have all heard about the famous Goan fish thalis, prawn curries, sorpotel, chicken cafreal, and vindaloo. Now it’s time to celebrate the sweets of Goa. The people of Goa still make traditional sweets from recipes passed down from generation to generation. Here are some of the famous traditional sweets of Goa: Bebinca This is a type of layered pudding. The ingredients which usually go into it are all-purpose flour, eggs, sugar, coconut milk, nutmeg, and ghee.  It takes time to prepare this lovely dessert as each layer has to be baked first before adding the next one. Bebinca usually has 7 to 16 layers. In many places, it is served with vanilla ice-cream. You can eat all the layers at once or peel one layer at a time and savour each one. Dodol Dodol is made using coarsely ground raw paddy rice flour, black jaggery, coconut milk, and cashew nuts. The coconut is ground and the juice/ milk is extracted. It is traditionally cooked on firewood.  The end result is a pudding-like sweet which almost melts in your mouth. It is mostly made for Christmas. Sugar isn’t used and so dodol gets its taste from the delicious Goa jaggery. Its […]

Sunaparanta – Goa Centre for the Arts, Altinho recently launched an online series ‘Surviving SQ (Self Quarantine)’ inviting artists to share creative strategies of survival. Christine Machado | NT For many, this long-drawn lockdown has mea0nt hours of boredom, restlessness, anxiety, and uncertainty. However, for artists, isolation is not a new concept. Indeed, many are known to go off on their own, away from the crowd and the noise, to get in touch with themselves, and to create better. And indeed, perhaps, the rest of us could learn a tip or two from them? It is with this thought process in mind that in late March, a little prior to the imposition of the Janata Curfew, that Sunaparanta – Goa Centre for the Arts, Altinho, decided to launch a new online series of sorts titled ‘Surviving SQ (Self Quarantine)’. “The team along with our patron Isheta Salgaocar were brainstorming on ideas on how to stay connected with our audiences given that by March 20, many had already begun to self-isolate,” says curator and programme director, Leandre D’Souza. And given that artists are at their creative best when they are in isolation, they decided to try and reach out to them […]

For the first time in Goa, an eco-farm will be opening which consists of more than just a farm or spice plantations. People can come here and admire the farm and get thrills as well. The construction of SharvRaj Eco-farm at Padoshe Sanquelim in Sattari taluka will be in five phases. The first phase will be inaugurated on 9th March 2019 at 4 pm. It will be open to the public from 10th March 2019 onwards.  The first phase is built in an area of 10 acres. The farm consists of horticulture, rainwater harvesting, vegetable cultivation, borewell recharge, different types of irrigation methods, medicinal herbs, water management, organic fertilizers, and more. Those who love adventure will be able to find it at the eco-farm’s adventure park which has features such as Burma bridge, climbing net, rope net crossing, catwalk net, sliding net, log swinging bridge, tyre climbing, and rock climbing. Their water park facilities are a water play station, family slide, spiral slide, multilane slide, and so on. Another attraction of SharvRaj Eco-farm will be the thrill rides- sky cycling (the first in Goa) and zip lining. Other activities include horse rides, bull cart rides, archery, etc. They will be […]

For Maria Martins, the proud owner of Mum’s Kitchen restaurant, the lockdown has been quite eye-opening. She has a heart to heart chat with NT GoGoaNow and shares her thoughts and reflections during Covid-19. Sheryl Gonsalves | NT GoGoaNow Picture Credit – SHIVANG MISHRA II NTGOGOANOW The lockdown was a bad phase for her as Maria was used to a hectic life and had to adjust to a slow-paced lifestyle. However, it was good in a way because she realized many things about life like the fact her worries are fewer in comparison to other people who are less fortunate. She has now comprehended what is actually required or not required in life. The bond between her and her workmates became stronger as she got to know the problems that they go through.  “We can do away with a lot of things and still be happy. Life doesn’t revolve around money. It needs human touch, love, and respect. We’ve to respect everyone no matter what they work as,” Maria says. During these days she spent her time gardening and also brushed up on stitching and embroidery which she hadn’t done since her college days. At the moment she is selling […]

The original bebinca takes a lot of effort and is cooked layer by layer. Potato bebinca is like a mock bebinca and is easier to make.   Ingredients: 3 big sweet potatoes 6 eggs 1½ cups sugar 4 heaped tbsp flour 2 heaped tbsp semolina 1 cup coconut milk (thick) 6 tbsp butter 12 cardamoms (powdered)   Method: Boil the potatoes, peel them, and mash them. Make syrup out of the sugar. Mix the semolina and flour with a bit of coconut milk. Add only the eggs yolks one by one. Beat lightly after adding each of the eggs. Add the rest of the coconut milk and the potatoes. Then add beaten egg whites. Heat ghee and pour it in the baking tray. Then put in the batter and bake till ready. Let it cool and cut.