By Ananya Ananthkrishnan
The Government of Goa has proposed a financial assistance scheme to revive and uplift the ancient maand culture that is indigenous to the region. The scheme, which will go into effect in April 2019, is designed to inspire local artists and to help preserve their historical art forms.
What is the maand?
Historically, maand was the name given to a place where the people of Goa assembled for recreational activities, including, singing, dancing and other performing arts. Dances performed included folk dances like zagore, ranmalle, kallo, shigmo amongst several others.
It was considered to be a sacred space where the shigmo, dhalo and any festivity associated to a village started from, said historian Prajal Sakhardande in an interview with The Navhind Times.
What is the aim of the scheme?
Although the maand was once a prominent area in every village in Goa, the maand culture has now died out in several villages. The new scheme aims to revive the culture and thus enthusiasm for it amongst the youth of the state.
The maand also served an important purpose of bringing the people of the village together. Music and art provide an excellent platform to unite; a common ground for different people to bond. Maintaining this bond is another motive of the scheme.
The revival of Maand culture will attract the young generation to preserve their original cultural bonding and to keep their traditions alive, said Govind Gawade, the state Minister of Art and Culture, at a press conference.
What assistance will the scheme provide?
As a part of the scheme, village artists will receive training in various art forms and music native to the region that are on the verge of extinction, added Gawade. The government aims to provide both the infrastructure and financial assistance necessary to meet this goal.
Under the scheme, maand trainers will be paid Rs 9,000 per month, while their assistants will receive Rs 6,000. Trainees will also be granted a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 to encourage more people to undergo the training.
Additionally, maand groups that have been actively performing folklore, music and dance for at least 30 years will also be eligible for financial assistance for the purchase of new instruments, costumes, drapery, as well as for the general upkeep of the maand place. The government also plans to organise district and state level maand festivals to keep the tradition and culture alive.