St Mathias, Goa
Encyclopedia
St Mathias also known as Malar is a village on Divar
island, Tiswadi
, in the India
n state of Goa
. The island is located upriver 10 km from Panaji. A ferry connects Malar to the island village of Vanxim; also part of the Malar Panchayat
. The Konkan Railway
passes through Malar, the nearest stop on the mainland is the train station at Karmali
. Ferry Connection from Narva to Narva- Bicholim,
also Ferry Connection from the Island to Old Goa, and Ribander.
The St Mathias Church was built by the [Portuguese]] over 400 years ago. The St Mathias Sports Club is situated on the main road of the village. Malar also has a temple and a chapel.
and attended by thousands of tourists and locals. The festival is held in memory of the dispute and the fury of the villagers over the Portuguese system of resolving the disputes. The villagers on Divar Island often indulged in fights over the matter of ownership of their lands. To stop the disputes, the Portuguese put up flags at the boundaries. The villagers did not like this system and so they protested against the Portuguese by throwing stones at the flags. On this day a carnival ambience is created. Each section of the village has a float at the parade. Melodious music is played throughout the village. The gaily colored floats accompanied by colorfully dressed youngsters make a pretty picture.
/Ash Wednesday
, where local youths wear home made masks, costumes and cow bells, venturing around the village, receiving and demanding snacks and drinks from locals, and have licence to frighten the village children.
Divar
The island of Divar lies in the Mandovi river in the Indian state of Goa.-Location:...
island, Tiswadi
Tiswadi
Tiswadi is a taluka of North Goa district of the state of Goa, India.The word Tiswadi itself means thirty settlements. It refers to the thirty settlements in which the Goud Saraswat Brahmins settled when they migrated to Goa. It is geographically an Island with the Mandovi river forming its...
, in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. The island is located upriver 10 km from Panaji. A ferry connects Malar to the island village of Vanxim; also part of the Malar Panchayat
Panchayati Raj
The panchayat raj is a South Asian political system mainly in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. "Panchayat" literally means assembly of five wise and respected elders chosen and accepted by the local community. Traditionally, these assemblies settled disputes between individuals and villages...
. The Konkan Railway
Konkan Railway
The Konkan Railway is a railway line which runs along the Konkan coast of India. It was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation...
passes through Malar, the nearest stop on the mainland is the train station at Karmali
Karmali
Karmali is a village in North Goa district, Goa, India.-External links:* *...
. Ferry Connection from Narva to Narva- Bicholim,
also Ferry Connection from the Island to Old Goa, and Ribander.
The St Mathias Church was built by the [Portuguese]] over 400 years ago. The St Mathias Sports Club is situated on the main road of the village. Malar also has a temple and a chapel.
Bonderam
The famous Bonderam festival is celebrated in Malar a week earlier than in Divar, at the end of August during the monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
and attended by thousands of tourists and locals. The festival is held in memory of the dispute and the fury of the villagers over the Portuguese system of resolving the disputes. The villagers on Divar Island often indulged in fights over the matter of ownership of their lands. To stop the disputes, the Portuguese put up flags at the boundaries. The villagers did not like this system and so they protested against the Portuguese by throwing stones at the flags. On this day a carnival ambience is created. Each section of the village has a float at the parade. Melodious music is played throughout the village. The gaily colored floats accompanied by colorfully dressed youngsters make a pretty picture.
Potekar
The Potekar festival is celebrated across the island for three days before the start of LentLent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
/Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
, where local youths wear home made masks, costumes and cow bells, venturing around the village, receiving and demanding snacks and drinks from locals, and have licence to frighten the village children.