Where the door’s always open

The door to the Mhamai Kamat house, across the Abbe Faria statue in the heart of Panaji city, is always open. Tourists walk in with the same ease as they would enter a museum. College and research students loiter around unmindful of the fact that it is a private residence. Used to the commotion, family members continue with their daily chores unperturbed, even as they welcome people to share the heritage of the house.

Shankar Hari Kamat Mamai, a son of the house, is usually the designated guide, his enthusiasm to entertain queries unaffected by the endless stream of visitors and the host of books already written about the house.
“What to do?” he laughs, waving through the window at a passerby. If he is unavailable, his sister-in-law Shobha steps in, says Shankar, a former employee of the directorate of archives and archeology. The 17th century structure that has hosted people from all walks of life is also home to one of the oldest surviving joint families, comprising 50-odd people. However, many of the family’s members now stay elsewhere, pursuing their professions and chasing their dreams.
At the heart of the building is a squarish inner courtyard lined with corridors on all sides. In one of the corridors lies a rusting Luna moped, a remnant of the two-wheeler revolution that swept through the country in the eighties. In another, stands a long table, a reminder of a business the family once ran. “We had a glass shop here some years ago. The table was used for cutting,” says Shankar.
In another corridor is a long bench, usually used by the women of the house when they meet to plan out the day’s activities and catch up.
Further down is the kitchen, which has three chullas and two stone structures attached to the floor, one each for making papads and mirchi powders, the traditional way.
Also laid out in the traditional way is the kitchen floor—with a coat of cow dung. But most of the old equipment there is no longer in use, except the four chullas. The number of chullas go up three times on Anant Chaturdashi, when the family hosts its traditional dinner that is open to everyone, irrespective of religion or caste. The increase is not surprising given the fact that the serpentine queue outside starts from around 5pm and stretches right up to the Secretariat.
But ultimately, everyone gets a chance to savour the pure vegetarian delight. “We start cooking from morning for about 1,500 guests,” says Shankar. As is the tradition, food is served on plantain leaves and everyone sits on the floor to eat. On Anant Chaturdashi, the prayer room is decorated and an image of Lord Anant is taken out and placed in front of the sanctum sanctorum. At his feet is placed the famed right-handed conch, studded with pearls, gems and gold. “All temples have a left-handed conch. This one is unique because it is right-handed. It’s one of the prized possessions of our ancestors,” says Shankar.
Ganesh Chaturthi at the household sees a paper Ganesha idol brought out. “For years now, a new paper idol is supplied to us for every Chaturthi by a family from Reis Magos. We resorted to using a paper idol because in ancient times, idol worship was prohibited. A paper idol could be hidden easily in case of a raid,” says Shankar.
During Diwali, the variety of fovs that the family makes, are a craze. “We make different kinds of fovs. This time, a friend brought over two foreign tourists who wanted to experience Diwali in a heritage home. They liked the idea of sitting on the floor and eating,” says Shankar.
Apart from celebrations, the Mhamai Kamat house is famous for another reason—the rosewood and ebony furniture which you will see if you climb up the wooden staircase to the first floor.
But as is the case with most old houses, this structure also comes with its share of problems. “Maintenance is difficult but we choose to pump in the money ourselves,” says Shankar, adding that he received proposals from different agencies, including the state tourism department, for its maintenance. “We said no. Once you accept money from someone, you are under their control,” he says, leafing through the report of a research project on the house some students had carried out. And then he walks away, nodding to and greeting people who have come visiting.