Kochi :

“Patre nosso que estais Ceus, santificado seja ta nome; venha a nos o ta reino, seja feita a ta vontade…” (Our father in heaven, holy be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done …). The voices of elderly members of Nossa Senhora de Esperanca (Our Lady of Hope) ring aloud as the procession comes out from the church. The youngsters, dressed in their fashionable best, walk beside them, struggling to pronounce the Portuguese prayer.

For generations, the Anglo-Indian community has kept alive the traditions of their Portuguese forefathers. They faithfully adhere to the rituals of ‘thocha’ (the carrying of ornamental long silver candle sticks) and ‘cyrial’ (ornamental silver cross) wearing the ‘opa’ and ‘moosha’ (a long white cloak like garment and a brightly coloured collar or bib worn over it) while taking out the procession reciting the rosary in Portuguese.

These are one of the many dying rituals practiced solely at the church by 52 families who are members of the Anglo-Indian community in Vypeen. The dependents of Europeans are planning to record these prayers and hymns in Portuguese and Latin used in the church for posterity, led by the Anglo-Indian Association of Vypeen.

“Even if the young generation does not follow these rituals, these records will help to keep them aware of their cultural heritage,” said Lester Concesso, president of the association. “I have two little girls. It is important that they know what we’ve been practicing for centuries. We will explain the rituals, their relevance and how to practice them. We are the custodians of our culture and it is our responsibility for the future generations,” he added.

The community elders are not sure whether the new generation would practice these rituals and traditions. “I am the last survivor of my generation. These rituals were passed down by our forefathers. We cannot merely rely on an oral narrative as a means of passing on our traditions. So, we have decided to document hymns and prayers in Portuguese and Latin used in the church,” said 93-year-old Winnie D’Souza, a patriarch of the community.

The migration of community members and their assimilation into mainstream society are the main reasons why the younger generation have moved away from traditions. Anglo-Indians of Vypeen are no longer in the majority in the parish, leading the curtailment of their English services and festival masses. A festival which went on for a whole week is now limited to just three days.

Eric Hendricks, a youth familiar with the Portuguese traditions, says that each ritual and rite are intricate. “Many youngsters do not know rituals as simple as genuflecting (kneeling and bowing at the same time) at the altar before carrying the ‘thocha’ or that the bell has to be rung thrice while they pray the ‘devata’ (a ritual practiced during lent),” he says.

The lack of clergy, who are aware of these rituals and practices, has also hit the community hard. According to Anglo-Indian MP Charles Dias, unlike the Jews of Kochi, whose culture has been well documented by scholars, there have been hardly any initiative to document or preserve the practices and rites of Anglo-Indians.

“The Indo-Portuguese Cultural Centre and the Bishop’s House in Fort Kochi have taken initiative to teach Portuguese to those interested,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / November 18th, 2014