Food, handicrafts and more at Lokotsav

It’s a

culture

curry with myriad flavours from different parts of India. From craftwork to culinary journeys, artisanship to stage shows — there’s something for everyone at the 20th edition of Lokostav, which is taking place at Darya Sangam, Kala Academy, Panaji, from January 11-20. If you haven’t dropped by already, there’s a wealth of experiences waiting for you at the 500-odd stalls at the festival. Goa Times took and tour and has brought you a sneak peek.
Ghoomar, Bihu and Gaj Nritya
Adding some on-stage action to the proceedings at

Lokotsav

are the performances and cultural programmes. Folk artistes from far-flung areas like Ladakh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have been performing at the festival. Among the many artistes is Neel Kamal, from Haryana, who is performing the ghoomar dance with her troupe. “The dance is about the harvest season, when the husband brings home money from the first crop that’s sold. She wants a new set of clothes, earrings or payal. The song is based on the conversation between the two,” she says. There are also dancers skilled in bhavai (Rajasthani), bihu (Assam), mask dance (Ladakh) and our local gaj nritya from Bicholim.
Rasmalai, ras omelette and more
From Rajasthan and Haryana to Jharkhand and Goa — the rich variety of foods from across the country is represented at the Lok Utsav. Among the most interesting is the stall from Lucknow, which is known for its variety of sweets like the kulfi and rasmalai. “We buy and use local ingredients from Goa, but the recipe is from our hometown. In winter, we have a special dish in Lucknow that is called malai makhan, but we can’t make it here since even in January, it is quite warm here in Goa. But we have some special kulfi this year, which has been made with a lot of dry fruits and nuts,” says Shrishankar Agarwal, who runs the stall at the festival. The specialties on offer include chaat, rasmalai, jalebi and aloo tikki — all priced at `60 per plate. While the stalls from other states were selling their local delicacies, the Goan stalls had ras omelette and bhajas, which drew big crowds.
Sola flowers and longpi pottery
The high point of the festival is, of course, the wide range of handicrafts available from different states. For example, there are bamboo artifacts from Assam, soft pith flowers from Haryana, bead and glass work from Gujarat and Manipuri reed grass bags. Pawan Kumar from Haryana says he gets the raw materials for the flowers from Bangladesh and Kolkata. “We have the skill and they have the material. Sola pith can be easily cut in different shapes and we use it to create flowers and other ornamental décor. We soak the flower in water and it expands. Later, we add colour to it,” he says. The price of the product starts from `20.
Presley Ngasainao, from Manipur has on display Longpi stone pottery, which is made with great precision and care. The range starts from `220. “This is locally known as royal pottery, as only the rich and noble families of Manipur could afford it. The material used to make these pots are weather rocks and serpentinite, which are crushed to powder and mixed with water to create clay, which is shaped into pots. Then it is put in an oven for over seven hours. When ready, they are gas and microwave friendly.”
Food, handicrafts and more
For visitors to the fair, the food on offer is definitely the high point. Vasanti from Panaji has been trying out new desserts every day at the fair. “I love sweets, and since I haven’t travelled to different states, this is the best I can get. I have tried jalebis, rabdi, rasmalai, sweet kachori, kulfi and chaat,” she says. Deepti Thakur, a fashion designer from Mumbai, is often in Goa and ensures that she finds time to attend every time there is a Lokotsav. “There’s music, dance, artisans from all over India showcasing jewellery, clothes, food, accessories, footwear, furniture and more. This year, I’ve got some exquisite lac tea coasters for my home.” Sandra, who is from Margao and works in Panaji, has been waiting to pick up some home décor. “I like how people use wood to make the flowers. I have picked up those and the art is very beautiful.”