Aamhi East Indian!

It was the 11th of May 1661, the grand marriage of Charles II of England to Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King John IV of Portugal took place with great pomp and show, and as part of the marriage treaty, placed Bombay in the possession of the British Empire, as part of Catherine's dowry to Charles. Following that on the occasion of The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the Christian of North Konkan, who were known as "Portuguese Christians" discarded that name and adopted the designation "East Indian”. By the adoption of the name "East Indian" they wanted to impress upon the British Government of Bombay that they were the earliest Roman Catholic Subjects of the British Crown in this part of India, in as much as Bombay, by its cession in 1661, was the first foothold the British acquired in India.

Thus the East Indian community in Mumbai,?is considered to be the city's original inhabitants. 'City' is not the right word perhaps: the East Indians, or 'native Christians' as they were known before the 1800s, were the earliest residents of the islands of Bombay, Salsette and Thana. As the children of the soil, they urged on the Government, that they were entitled to certain natural rights and privileges as against the immigrant Catholics from Goa and Mangalore. The name East Indian is in no way associated with any sort of geographical location.

The company, in turn, was named so for an interesting reason. India was forever desirable to the European powers for the novelties it provided them with. The rule of the Ottoman Empire in Asia Minor led to road blockages and taxes so the folks in Europe had to get creative and find a sea-route to India. A lot of expeditions were funded and one of them, trying to circum-navigate to India from the West, landed in the Americas (Caribbean Islands to be precise) which they mistook for India (they even mistakenly and permanently called the Native Americans, Red Indians). Once they realised their folly, they called their American colonies West Indies and kept looking for the East Indies. So the company that finally began to trade here called themselves the East India Company.

Coming back to the East Indians and the culture that they practice which is an amalgamation of Maharashtrian, Portuguese, Hinduism and Christianity, you will realise how eclectic they are.?Although, they have preserved their pre-Christian Marathi culture and traditions, many Portuguese and influences have been absorbed. They speak in exclusive East-Indian marathi dialects. Most of them are fluent in English as well. A village of East-Indians who to this day speak Portuguese. The language of the Kupari Christians is a dialect of Marathi known as Shamedi. The East Indian cuisine is a unique blend of Koli, Marathi, and Portuguese cuisine. They still retain many of the practices of pre-Christian tradition.?

At one time, there were more than 300 gaothans and 100 koliwadas in the region; now there are only 189 of the former and about 43 of the latter. The East Indian community may not be as strong in numbers as it was once, but it is still holding on to its unique traditions. One such tradition is the day before the wedding known as ‘Umbracha Pani’. Here a few unmarried girls carry a ‘kalshi’?(small pot) with mango leaves in it and go to a nearby well, accompanied by musical band and other relatives. Only one ‘kalshi’?has a coconut on the top. At the well, the water is filled in the?‘kalshis’?and the people pray for the to-be-weds. The papries are fried. A coconut is broken and its pieces are served to the relatives. The girls carry the ‘kalshis’?back to the ‘mandav’ which is a (pendol). The ‘mandav’?is made of bamboos, a decorative cloth and a garland?of marigold flowers along with mango leaves. The bamboos are covered with banana leaves.?The Saturday night ends with a buffet dinner. On the day of the wedding the bride/bridegroom’s ‘maushi’?(mother’s sister) applies turmeric on the face and back of the to-be-wed. Then the bride/bridegroom bathes with the well water?brought?the?previous?night.?

Before?he/she?comes?out?of?the?bathroom,?it’s customary to keep some money in the ‘kalshi’?or bucket for the ‘maushi’.?Traditionally they would keep 1 rupee?and?4?anas. Today the amount is kept as per their choice. ?

There's so much more to the East Indians like their clothing, food, feasts, customs and houses. But just like the East Indians, their most famous Bottle masala, is the most laid-back of spice blends, ready to help make almost any dish taste good, but never by dominating, instead always working in unison with the other ingredients, harmonising for real food happiness.