A kiss of Goa across the border

While the rest of the neighbouring villages slept on a balmy Sunday morning, Dodamarg awoke to the buzz of its colourful and vibrant bazaar. The taluka, which is nestled along the border of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka and comprises almost 56 villages, is approximately 22 km north of Mapusa. Originally called Kasai but rechristened Dodamarg by the Kannadiga population which descended into the area over the years, the taluka has seen a considerable amount of development by virtue of its location along the Goa-Belgaum trade route. In fact, locals say that Dodamargwhich is also home to the Tillari irrigation project and a host of breathtaking mountains and waterfallsis now a Maharastrian district in its own right and no longer falls in the jurisdiction of Sindhudurg.
However, although Dodamarg constitutes a part of Maharashtra, some of its people and practices are kissed with a characteristic Goanness'. So, don't be disheartened by the fact that motorcyle pilots are not typical to Goa. There is a group of them doing brisk business at the Dodamarg market, albeit in "dadgiri fashion", as Anil Gawas, a local, put it. This is evident from the fact that although a group of cheery men insist that they are pilots', the registration plates of their motorcycles don't indicate this. "Their number plates are supposed to be painted differently if they are really into the business, but the fact is that they are not," a lady shopper mutters as she walks past.
The weekly Sunday market at Dodamarg too is seasoned with a Goan quintessence. For one, it blossoms alongside the main junction of the town (which would have famously been known as the tinto' in Goa) immediately upon passing the Goa-Maharashtra checkpost. Incidentally, many Goans know they are nearing Dodamarg as soon as they pass by a tavern on the border of their state. Beyond this, catching sight of such bars is a rarity.
Nevertheless, a bit of Goa is seen in Dodamarg's Sunday bazaar, be it in the fresh seafood or the sundried fish on sale. Gopal Krishna Rawal, a local fish vendor, urges us to buy fresh mackerels which he says he has bought wholesale from Mapusa. "The price of fish in Mapusa is high, I hear," he says. "Come, buy some mackerels. I will give you 4 for Rs 20". Incidentally, one would get the same amount of mackerels at more than double the price in Goa. Successfully luring us into buying fish from him, Rawal puts a smile on our faces when he gives us a whopping 13 mackerels for Rs 50 only!
Subodhra Thakur, a dried fish vendor from neighbouring Bhedshi, also sells her produce at a considerably low price, with rates ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 20 per vantto (portion) of dried fish. Thakur says she gets her stock of fresh seafood from Mapusa and Malwan and pickles them at her home in Bhedshi.
A little ahead, close to where restrooms are proposed to be built for vendors by the Dodamarg municipality, is a small mutton shop run by a local, widely known by his surname, Kudalkar. "He sells the best mutton in the area, that too, only on Sundays," whispers a regular customer, who claims that several staffers of the Goa Police throng here to get their stock of mutton, sold at Rs 200 a kg.
Along the roadside sits Alla Baksh, another resident of Bhedshi, who deals in live poultry. "We collect our livestock from the neighbours in our village and sell these in the weekly markets of Mapusa, Bicholim, Banda and, of course, Dodamarg. While I do business at this market, my 18-year-old, college-going son Satil Nadaf, shares my load by conducting trade at the other bazaars we frequent," he explains.
Although produce is varied and of good qualitymost of it comes in from Belgaumthere are virtually no Goan vendors at Dodamarg's Sunday bazaar. Yet many agree that Goa has had a great influence on this Maharashtrian town. "This area is more Goan than any other in this taluka," agrees Anil Gawas, who himself travels on a daily basis from Dodamarg to his workplacea holiday resort at Calangute.
From the choicest of fresh vegetables, fruit, fish and spices, to tobacco, flowers, clothes and other essential items, the Dodamarg market has it all. Nevertheless, although the bazaar lies in a Maharastrian district which was christened by the Kannadiga population, and is influenced by the Goan way of life, it has managed to retain its own special charm.