After mishap, Rajesh Faldessai promised bigger, better wooden canoes for next year’s Cumbarjua Sangodd

After mishap, Rajesh Faldessai promised bigger, better wooden canoes for next year’s Cumbarjua Sangodd

PANAJI: Cumbarjua MLA Rajesh Faldessai on Friday promised bigger and better wooden canoes (vodde) for the 350-year old celebration of the Cumbarjua Sangodd, a traditional festival celebrated on the 7th day of the Ganapati festival in the village. He also assured to personally bear the cost towards procuring the new canoes.

Minister for Tourism Shri Rohan Khaunte and Cumbarjua MLA Rajesh Faldessai attended the Sangod Utsav in Cumbarjua where he awarded prizes to the winning teams.

Speaking after news of the main canoe capsizing spread, Faldessai thanked the gods that there was no loss of life as a result of the incident and praised the police and the bystanders for quickly rushing to the aid of those who fell in the water.

“As per tradition the wooden boats have to take seven rounds of the island and it had completed all the seven rounds, but when it reached the final few metres, it tilted to one side and turned over. The Chief Minister has inquired about the incident. The police responded quickly. The Police Inspector took off his clothes and jumped in the water to rescue people,” Faldessai said.

“I have promised that this, which has never happened in the last 350 years, will never happen again. We will be bringing bigger wooden boats from Karwar since for the prasad Sangodd we have to only use the wooden boats,” he added.

Faldessai also appealed to the Goa government to declare the Cumbarjua Sangodd a state festival pointing out that the expenses of the festival have grown over the years.

“Even if the government sponsors the festival it should be one in which the state government allows the local committee to retain control of managing the festival,” he added.

Team 45 Sports Club secured the 1st place with a prize of ₹1 lakh, followed by Sarvajanik Saraswati Utsav Mandal Golwada, in 2nd place with ₹60,000, and Patric Group Rambhuvanwada, in 3rd place with ₹40,000. Additionally, three consolation prizes of ₹20,000 each were distributed, and every participating group received ₹10,000.

All the prize money was sponsored by Hon’ble MLA Rajesh Faldessai.
Boys of Chincheshwar won the 1st consolation prize, Dynageet Kala Mandal won the second consolation and Sai Cricketers won the third consolation prize.