10th Katara Traditional Dhow Festival begins, brings alive tradition and culture

 

 

10th Katara Traditional Dhow Festival begins, brings alive tradition and culture

 

Captivating and full of enthusiasm as always, the 10th Katara Traditional Dhow Festival got off to a sedate but colourful start on a cloudy yet breezy afternoon by the beach of Cultural Village Foundation – Katara on Tuesday.

HE Minister of State and President of the Qatar National Library Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, Former Minister of Energy and Industry HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al-Sada, HE Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, General Manager, Cultural Village Foundation — Katara, Ambassadors, and other dignitaries marked the opening by taking a ride in a traditional dhow boat.

Expressing pleasure at the launch of the 10th edition of the Katara Traditional Dhow Festival -- which now is renowned for reviving maritime heritage and history besides culture and folk tradition -- His Excellency Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, General Manager of the Cultural Village Foundation — Katara, said, “The festival has reached the hearts and soul of visitors and heritage lovers which includes citizens and residents of all nationalities of Qatar. This festival through heritage, history and story-telling brings alive folklore to the people through the distinctive activities that also contribute to the spread of culture as well as reflecting contemporary generations.”

Dr. Al-Sulaiti stressed said that the festival is being held with all precautionary and Ministry of Public Health protocols in place within the framework of the plan for the gradual lifting of the restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus (COVID) pandemic.

He added that the festival plays as a prominent role in keeping the older and younger generations bonded in culture and heritage and showcases to people the heritage of Qatar’s maritime past and present, and also that of other participating countries.

The same can be found in a wonderful painting about the relationship of the earlier generations with the sea and its importance in their lives and why it is important to preserve authentic heritage.

The festival achieves its objectives in enhancing the status of the marine heritage of the society in addition to its vital role in preserving Qatar’s maritime heritage and defines it locally, Arabian, and internationally.

Five countries apart from Qatar are participating at the festival, which includes Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, Republic of Iraq, India, and Tanzania.

As soon as the sun began to set over the sea, the festival began to glow resplendent in the mix of tradition and culture as stream of visitors and families, maintaining social distancing, began to flow.

The festival once again has a lot and unique things on offer including live oysters and pearls along with their live fishing examples for all to see.

Traditional and impressive dhows and wooden boats, live artists with eye-catching paintings, special pavilions of traditional handicrafts, and workshops showcasing ship-building process and ancient craft, history museums, pottery and fishing art, fish markets, food and music enlivens the festival on all days.

As in the past one decade, the festival is also characterised by a number of competitions and marine shows, besides a variety of cultural activities including drones.

There will also be story-telling and traditional stage shows throughout the festival at Katara beachfront and also include Al Shoush, Al Haddaq and Al Tafris competitions.

The Omani Folk Band is providing artistic performances in the mornings and evenings on all days of the festival.

This year’s edition of the festival is partnered by Qatar Insurance, the Official Insurance Sponsor, Qatar Airways, the Official Carrier, Qatar Petroleum, the Platinum Sponsor, and Al Meera.

 

Selling newspapers on Goa beach changed his life

Universally, newspapers serve the role of disseminating news and help in opinion making. But hold on, they serve yet another purpose, if one follows the life story of thirty-nine year old, Shiva Mandre, who has a fluency in twenty-five languages.

 UNIVERSALLY, NEWSPAPERS serve the role of disseminating news and help in opinion making. But hold on, they serve yet another purpose, if one follows the life of thirty-nine year old, Shiva Mandre, changing the course of his life from a homeless construction worker in 1985 to a bird watching guide in 2003.

Shiva’s habit of reading newspapers got him into the business of selling newspapers at Colva Beach in Goa from 1991, a move which has brought about a sea change in the life of Shiva. This Karantaka-born has also attained amazing mastery over twenty-five languages, thanks to his interaction with foreign tourists and his determination to overcome all odds.

 Since 2003, he has stopped selling newspapers and started to sell post cards and books. He also gives bicycles on rent and guides tourists on bird watching trips, while his wife conducts cooking classes for the tourists in Colva.

Antonio Alvares and his family just could not ignore the salutations addressed to them by the tourist guides the moment they alighted from their car at Colva beach in South Goa. Among them was a slim, medium height person who was trying to draw their attention, at one of the Goan beaches, which is frequented by foreigners from different regions, speaking a host of languages.

 The guide started with French, followed with Italian and tried his luck with Portuguese. Alvares hearing his native language from a guide could not hold back for a moment and wanted to know more about the shabbily dressed man. Alvares replied back in Portuguese and what surprised him was the fluency and command that the beach hawker, Shiva had over the language.

 French, Spanish and Portuguese were not the only languages that he could speak and write. But he has also the knowledge of twenty-five different languages.

At first sight, one might dismiss Shiva as a man who has mastered the craft of salesmanship, but you cannot dismiss a beach hawker trying to draw the attention of the foreigners by speaking in their native tongue, in order to promote his sales of post cards.

Wearing short pants and long-sleeve multi-coloured shirt, Shiva carries two jute-made hand bags. One of the bags hang to his cycle hand bar, while the other hangs from his shoulder. He seemed to be out of the place where tourists with bermuda shorts and T-shirts is a common sight.

Unshaven face and brownish tint on his teeth, Shiva carries post cards and books in his bags, which he sells to the foreigners. But this is not the only thing he was associated with. Renting bicycles, cooking classes and guiding tourists on bird-watching trips, were some of the tourism related activities in which he has divided his time.

 “I speak English, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Kannada, Konkani, Marathi, Urdu, Swedish, Hindi, Norwegian, Finish, Danish, Polish, Welsh, Gallic, Spanish, Basque, Hungarian, Mouri, Japanese, Slovenian, Russian, Hebrew and a little bit of many other languages. In school, I studied Hindi, Kannada and English. Since 1992, I started coming to the beaches and started learning the languages taking notes and frequently practicing the languages with the foreign tourists”, said Shiva.

Shiva’s story is not only a story of a migrant who made his way to Goa in search of employment in the year 1985, but what follows is a story of struggle against all odds for the next seven years. He slept on the streets and his home was the old Margao Railway Station.

“I came to Goa on 14th May, 1985, and started working on a building construction site in Ponda city. I was paid Rs 12 per day. After a few days I came to Margao City and spent my nights on the streets until I got a room in Colva village in the year 1992”, Shiva revealed.

Shiva says that before he came to Goa he went around to some other cities in search of a good place where he could work and earn a livelihood. He preferred Goa and he has never regretted his choice. “Goa is a nice place to stay and many people have helped me to survive in the past few years. Most interesting thing about Goa is its good people and natural beauty”, added Shiva.

Recollecting his business of selling newspapers at Colva beach he said, “I loved reading newspapers since my childhood and the idea to sell newspapers was evolved due to my interest. In 1992, I started buying the newspapers from Margao city and cycled my way to Colva beach to sell them to the tourists.

In 2003, I stopped selling newspapers. The business was good till it lasted. With the advent of the internet, a few people were interested in newspapers. Hence, I stopped selling newspapers”.

While selling newspapers for a period of eleven years on the Goa coast, Shiva diversified his trade to sell post cards, books and later trained himself to be a guide for bird-watching trips.

Sleeping on the streets of Margao city and all the other hardships that Shiva faced could not stop him from pursuing his education. He enrolled himself for the XII standard in July, 1989 and finally passed out in April, 1992. He has more plans in store. Being a master in twenty-five languages, Shiva’s immediate plan is to learn more German and French. He also wants to complete his graduation in Arts stream and to complete his masters’ degree in French language.

Selling newspapers on Goa beach changed his life

Universally, newspapers serve the role of disseminating news and help in opinion making. But hold on, they serve yet another purpose, if one follows the life story of thirty-nine year old, Shiva Mandre, who has a fluency in twenty-five languages.

 UNIVERSALLY, NEWSPAPERS serve the role of disseminating news and help in opinion making. But hold on, they serve yet another purpose, if one follows the life of thirty-nine year old, Shiva Mandre, changing the course of his life from a homeless construction worker in 1985 to a bird watching guide in 2003.

Shiva’s habit of reading newspapers got him into the business of selling newspapers at Colva Beach in Goa from 1991, a move which has brought about a sea change in the life of Shiva. This Karantaka-born has also attained amazing mastery over twenty-five languages, thanks to his interaction with foreign tourists and his determination to overcome all odds.

 Since 2003, he has stopped selling newspapers and started to sell post cards and books. He also gives bicycles on rent and guides tourists on bird watching trips, while his wife conducts cooking classes for the tourists in Colva.

Antonio Alvares and his family just could not ignore the salutations addressed to them by the tourist guides the moment they alighted from their car at Colva beach in South Goa. Among them was a slim, medium height person who was trying to draw their attention, at one of the Goan beaches, which is frequented by foreigners from different regions, speaking a host of languages.

 The guide started with French, followed with Italian and tried his luck with Portuguese. Alvares hearing his native language from a guide could not hold back for a moment and wanted to know more about the shabbily dressed man. Alvares replied back in Portuguese and what surprised him was the fluency and command that the beach hawker, Shiva had over the language.

 French, Spanish and Portuguese were not the only languages that he could speak and write. But he has also the knowledge of twenty-five different languages.

At first sight, one might dismiss Shiva as a man who has mastered the craft of salesmanship, but you cannot dismiss a beach hawker trying to draw the attention of the foreigners by speaking in their native tongue, in order to promote his sales of post cards.

Wearing short pants and long-sleeve multi-coloured shirt, Shiva carries two jute-made hand bags. One of the bags hang to his cycle hand bar, while the other hangs from his shoulder. He seemed to be out of the place where tourists with bermuda shorts and T-shirts is a common sight.

Unshaven face and brownish tint on his teeth, Shiva carries post cards and books in his bags, which he sells to the foreigners. But this is not the only thing he was associated with. Renting bicycles, cooking classes and guiding tourists on bird-watching trips, were some of the tourism related activities in which he has divided his time.

 “I speak English, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Kannada, Konkani, Marathi, Urdu, Swedish, Hindi, Norwegian, Finish, Danish, Polish, Welsh, Gallic, Spanish, Basque, Hungarian, Mouri, Japanese, Slovenian, Russian, Hebrew and a little bit of many other languages. In school, I studied Hindi, Kannada and English. Since 1992, I started coming to the beaches and started learning the languages taking notes and frequently practicing the languages with the foreign tourists”, said Shiva.

Shiva’s story is not only a story of a migrant who made his way to Goa in search of employment in the year 1985, but what follows is a story of struggle against all odds for the next seven years. He slept on the streets and his home was the old Margao Railway Station.

“I came to Goa on 14th May, 1985, and started working on a building construction site in Ponda city. I was paid Rs 12 per day. After a few days I came to Margao City and spent my nights on the streets until I got a room in Colva village in the year 1992”, Shiva revealed.

Shiva says that before he came to Goa he went around to some other cities in search of a good place where he could work and earn a livelihood. He preferred Goa and he has never regretted his choice. “Goa is a nice place to stay and many people have helped me to survive in the past few years. Most interesting thing about Goa is its good people and natural beauty”, added Shiva.

Recollecting his business of selling newspapers at Colva beach he said, “I loved reading newspapers since my childhood and the idea to sell newspapers was evolved due to my interest. In 1992, I started buying the newspapers from Margao city and cycled my way to Colva beach to sell them to the tourists.

In 2003, I stopped selling newspapers. The business was good till it lasted. With the advent of the internet, a few people were interested in newspapers. Hence, I stopped selling newspapers”.

While selling newspapers for a period of eleven years on the Goa coast, Shiva diversified his trade to sell post cards, books and later trained himself to be a guide for bird-watching trips.

Sleeping on the streets of Margao city and all the other hardships that Shiva faced could not stop him from pursuing his education. He enrolled himself for the XII standard in July, 1989 and finally passed out in April, 1992. He has more plans in store. Being a master in twenty-five languages, Shiva’s immediate plan is to learn more German and French. He also wants to complete his graduation in Arts stream and to complete his masters’ degree in French language.