JENIFER FERNANDES
joseph@herald-goa.com
ALDONA: Diksha Shirodkar, a resident of Lozar in Quitla, Aldona, has spent over 20 years dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Goan products through her market stall. Selling homemade items such as chillies, kidney beans, raw mangoes, hog plums, pickles, various masalas, dried mango, kokum, and more, Diksha’s mission is clear: to champion the benefits of healthy, chemical-free, gaunti products.
“I sell items made at home and grown in our village fields,” she said proudly. “These are not just healthy and chemical-free; they are part of our Goan heritage. People who know the value of these traditional items buy them without bargaining because they understand what they’re getting.”
Diksha has watched the tides change as Goan families gradually turn to packaged, processed items and fast food. She worries about the impact on health, especially among children. “These days, children are drawn to fancy, colourful items without realising the health risks. They’re losing out on the flavours and benefits of traditional Goan products,” she said. “Goan food has a unique taste and quality when prepared with seasonal ingredients. Our ancestors used spices and homemade remedies not only to cook but also to treat common ailments like stomach pain, fever, colds, and body pain.”
She notes with some sadness that very few villagers continue to use traditional items, even as they hold onto the memory of these goods being an everyday part of Goan life. “Once people realise the value of these items for their health, they will look for them again – but by then, it may be too late,” she remarked.
Diksha’s day at the market starts early, with her husband dropping her off and picking her up around 1 pm. As she sits manning her makeshift stall, often in the sun, awaiting customers, Diksha holds firmly to her purpose. “I may not have the rush of people buying in large quantities, and there are supermarkets and malls attracting shoppers away, but I am firm. Whether it rains or the sun is high, whether people buy or not, I am here to keep this tradition alive. I want people to understand the benefits of these products.”
She’s concerned that with increased dependence on goods imported from other States, locals are unaware of how they’re made and
buy them because they’re cheaper than Goan products. “It takes hard work to grow and make these items.”
As long as her health
permits, Diksha plans to continue selling her products in the market.
The generational shift worries her, as she doubts that future generations will continue her work. “Our children are too busy with their mobile phones and too shy to sit under the hot sun in an open market. They won’t carry on this tradition,” she observed. “At my age, I can’t do other types of work, so I make and sell what I can. I only studied up to Standard IV in Marathi medium, so my options were limited.”
Reflecting on the youth who have studied further but struggle to find jobs, she sometimes wonders how her life might have been different with a higher education. “If I had studied more, maybe I could have found a job elsewhere,” she said. “But I don’t regret not working in an office or earning a big salary. This hard work pays me a lot, not just financially, but in blessings.”
She recalls her childhood with nostalgia, when Goan families ate kanji (gruel) in the summers and rice-based dishes daily, and even traditional Goan snacks fried at home were relatively healthier than packaged junk food consumed these days. “Our traditional snacks like chaklis, chiwda and shankarpali are made by hand without chemicals, and they last longer without preservatives. Our children now don’t enjoy these foods, but if people want good health, they must stop relying on fast food and chemical products,” she stressed.
Diksha feels deeply grateful for her customers, who have remained dedicated to Goan products. “I don’t believe in easy money,” she said. “The money I earn from my hard work is a blessing to me and my family. We are happy with what we get, and I thank all my customers who continue to support these traditional Goan products.