NT NTWORK
MARGAO: ‘Purumentachem fest,’ the name conjures rows ands rows of spices, salt fish, tamarind, cocum…all with their distinctive and always interesting smells and colours…  and colourful people haggling over stuff that they would consume over the monsoon.

Even with the proliferation of fridges, housewives still take this opportunity to stock up their larder. Sadly though, today these fairs also have their share of plastics and readymade goods.
‘Purument’ is said to come from Portuguese meaning collecting material for the monsoon. And the two Christian feasts known as ‘purumentachem festam' are the feast of the Ascension of the Lord celebrated in Panaji and the feast of the Holy Spirit at Margao. Both take place back to back towards the end of May or in early June, but just before monsoons.
This Sunday saw the Purmetachem fest celebrated at Margao, with the main celebrant being the Goa Archdiocese, Chancellor, Fr Manuel Ubaldo Dias. In his homily, he spoke of the need for the inspiration of the Spirit in our decision-making. We ought to put ourselves and our talents at the service of our brothers he felt.
After mass the people poured out and headed for the fair. Salted fish is supposed to be the best bargain here and people from all over especially come to stock up for the lean period that the rains will usher when fresh fish will be few and expensive. Kite fish (‘solve’), ‘sukhi sungtam’, ‘galbem’, ‘sukhe bombil’ - delicacies that keep the traditions of making parra, balchao and molho still alive – filled the market.
Besides, salted fish, Goan onions and other cooking ingredients like cocum and tamarind vied for space with wooden furniture, both from traditional carpenters and outsiders too - the latter a recent phenomenon, and all time favourites - kaddio-boddio, ladoos, revddios and chonne and bhinknam.  
Also seen were the traditional rogddo, which impart the distinctive flavour to masalas though electric mixers are more convenient.