Mangaluru: St. Sebastian Church, Bendur celebrated “Pavsa Gammat 2026”, a vibrant traditional food and cultural festival, on July 26 at the Platinum Jubilee Hall, bringing together parishioners to celebrate the rich heritage of the region.
The programme began with a colourful procession led by the St. Sebastian Church Children’s Brass Band, followed by farmers, Gurkars, parish representatives and the clergy. A traditional welcome was extended by Parish Pastoral Council Vice President Deepak D’Souza, while members of the Women’s Commission presented a prayer dance. Rev. Fr. Joel Monteiro, Assistant Parish Priest, offered a special prayer seeking God’s blessings for timely rains and a good harvest.
A special highlight of the evening was the celebration of Grandparents’ and Elders’ Day, during which senior citizens were honoured with roses and invited to cut a celebratory cake.
The festival was inaugurated in a unique traditional manner by Very Rev. Fr. Walter D’Souza, Parish Priest, by cutting a banana bunch from a banana plant. In his message, he encouraged families to preserve traditional food culture by preparing healthy homemade dishes and passing these traditions on to the younger generation.
The Parish Priest also blessed and inaugurated the food stalls, where parish wards served a variety of traditional delicacies including Patholi, Pathrode, Manni, Kube Mutli, Pork Indad, Mutton Boti, Chicken Kebab, Moog Ani Kirl and Payasa. A lively auction of banana bunches, jackfruit, homemade wine and other farm produce conducted by Loy Rego drew enthusiastic participation from parishioners.
The cultural programme featured a special song by the priests composed by the Parish Priest, energetic dance performances by the Catholic Action League (CAL), Young Christian Students (YCS) and senior citizens, besides competitions such as Traditional Dress, Group Singing and the zone-wise Baila Song and Dance Competition. Winners were felicitated with prizes.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Royston Farias, Secretary of the Parish Pastoral Council. The entire programme was compered efficiently by Nihal Rego and Anna Patrao, whose lively presentation kept the audience engaged throughout the evening.. The celebration successfully promoted traditional cuisine, culture and community bonding while encouraging younger generations to cherish their heritage.