KOCHI: She was born more than six centuries ago when nature performed a C-section on a sand bar to tame the roaring waters of the Periyar during the cataclysmic flood of 1341. Later, she grew in stature to become the graceful Queen of the Arabian Sea.
While many a trader and conqueror fell for her seductive charm, her maternal embrace provided solace to the displaced - be it the Jews fleeing persecution or the Konkani Hindus escaping the Goan Inquisition. Today, Kochi is a multi-coloured tapestry of different cultures and languages woven over the centuries. It has a mystique, weaving a spell on visitors, especially those on a historical and cultural quest like Nalini Elvino De Sousa. A Portuguese national of Goan origin, Nalini is a language teacher, an award-winning documentary-short filmmaker and an activist who is passionate about culture, education and the environment. Figuring prominently in the cultural circuit of Panaji, she has screened some of her short films at the International Film Festival of India and even abroad. She is also the manager of Panaji-based Communicare Trust, an institute teaching several European and Indian languages, including Portuguese and Konkani.
Express caught up with this multi-faceted personality who was in Kochi recently to explore its centuries-old ties with her home state through the prism of Portuguese culture and the vibrant Konkani diaspora settled around Mattancherry.
“This place is amazing,” she says, sipping espresso at a cafe overlooking one of the rain soaked streets in Fort Kochi. “Any Portuguese national will be happy when they set foot here and realise the Portuguese cultural imprint is not just limited to Goa, but to Kochi as well. Being a Goan, I’m also thrilled to learn about the people from my land who settled here ages ago.”
Braving the rain, she and her team - project coordinator Namitha Nair and cameraman John Lino - scout the quaint alleys, recording its sights and sounds. “Whatever we shoot here is for my latest venture, ‘Travel and Learn’. This web-based channel of Communicare provides lessons in Portuguese and Konkani. The travel videos uploaded on Youtube will be viewed by global Goans. Those planning a visit to Goa will know the Kochi connection and come down to Kerala,” says Nalini who conducts the Portuguese classes.
“Every street has a story and we collected plenty of fascinating information to share with our viewers. For instance, we came to know this building used to be the residence of St Francis Xavier - Goa’s patron saint - during his Kochi visits,” she says pointing to a heritage hotel.
A street of surprises
Leaving behind the European legacy, Nalini, her children Maya and Anish and the team members traipse through Cherlai in Mattancherry to get a feel of Konkani culture with a Kerala twist. Keeping their ears tuned to the different dialects, they stop occasionally to strike a conversation with locals.
“It is great to hear this version of Konkani with a heavy Malayalam accent,” she says. They get a chance to experience the hospitality and savour some ethnic delicacies at one of the homes near Tirumala temple.
At the T D High School in Mattancherry, they are welcomed by Sarala D Prabhu, headmistress of the senior section; Jyothi R Kamath, head of the primary section; faculty member Venkatesh and PTA president Dinesh R Shenoy, who explains the nuances of the Konkani spoken in Kochi. The visitors get a taste of popular Konkani folk songs which the students of Class VIII belt out with gusto. They also watch a Konkani class in progress.“It is heartening to know Konkani is still loved and taught in this part of south India,” she says.