Alan Machado Prabhu

Alan Joseph Machado Prabhu is an Indian writer known for his book Sarasvati's Children : A History of the Mangalorean Christians (1999). He has worked in England, Australia, Europe and the former USSR. Alan belongs to the Machado Prabhu family, who came from Aldona (a village in Bardez, Goa) about the 17th century.

They were gaonkars (village community members) of Aldona. The reason for the immigration is not known — epidemics, Inquisition or adventure. He is an engineer by profession. He resides in Bangalore with his wife Zina, and has three children, Akil, Zara, and Alpa; who all work abroad.

Engineer, historian... and passionate chronicler of the past of the Mangaloreans

Interview of Historian Alan Machado Prabhu with Goan journalist Frederick Noronha

Part 1

Part 2

Mangalorean Wedding (Geover Lobo Weds Sarita Gonsalves)

Undir Mama

Undir Mama is a popular Konkani Song. It can be translated as Uncle Rat in English.

The Lyrics of the song are given below,

Undra mojea mama, ani aum sangtam tuca

Tea majorichea pilea lagim, khell mandunaca...

Undir mama ailo, ani pette pondak liplo

Ani mozorichea pilan taca ek ghansan khailo...

Kondo mozo katrun, kondeache kadle xire

Kedem vhodlem bhirem moddgonvkar undramamalem....

Undra mojea mama....repeat

Bondo munon katrun, bondeachi kadli benkdi,

Kedi vhodli xempdi moddgonvkar undramamachi...

Undra mojea mama....repeat

Ambo munnon katrun, ambeache kadle kole

Kedem vhodlem moddem moddgonvkar undramamache...

Click here to download this song in MP3 format (3.66 MB)

Valerian Peris

Valerian Peris © Daijiworld Media
Born	24 March 1954
E-mail	vijesh@emirates.net.ae

  

Valerian Peris is one of the leaders of Mangalore Konkans, a Mangalorean Catholic organization in Dubai.¹ He is also a youth leader, and was the ex-president of Mangalore Konkans.² He was the chief co-ordinator of the Gulf Voice of Mangalore II event held in 2010.³

Geographical Distribution according to Michael Lobo

Michael Lobo in his 1999 book Mangaloreans World-wide: An International Directory of the Mangalorean Catholic Community [Page xiii], says, "If a comprehensive survey of the South Kanara Catholic community, as a whole, were to be attempted, my guess is that about half would still be residing either in Mangalore itself or in one of the smaller towns or villages of the district. Of the remaining half, about 15% would be residing in other parts of Karnataka (mainly Bangalore and the Ghats), another 15% in Bombay and its surrounding areas, another 10% in the Gulf countries, another 5% in other parts of India, and the remaining 5% in other other parts of the world."

Given below is a table for the data,

Region	Percentage
Mangalore and South Canara	50%
Other parts of Karnataka (mainly Bangalore)	15%
Bombay	15%
Gulf countries	10%
Other parts of India	5%
Other parts of the World	5%

St. Aloysius Chapel (Mangalore)

Source: Haydn Blackey from Flickr

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

The Marriage Customs of the Christians in South Canara, India by Severine Silva and Stephen Fuchs

One more great book regarding our historical Marriage Customs by Severine Silva and Stephen Fuchs.

The book can be downloaded here, and it has been made available by Nanzan University (Japan).

The Marriage Customs of the Christians in South Canara (India) by Victor D'Sa

A great book regarding the historical Marriage Customs of our community by Victor D'Sa.

The book can be downloaded here, and it has been made available by Nanzan University (Japan).

Dr. Bernard Moras

                                                          © Archdiocese of Bangalore

Do you recognize this person?

He is Dr. Bernard Moras, the current Archbishop of Bangalore, a Mangalorean ofcourse.

Mangaloreans and St. Joseph's Church (Bangalore)

I just found an article in a book about our community in St. Joseph's Church (Bangalore).

I have posted the snippet of the page below.

Please note that snippet is copyrighted and used under a Fair Use claim.

The book is,

Faces of Goa: 

A Journey Through the History and Cultural Revolution of Goa and Other Communities Influenced by the Portuguese (Pages 369, 370)

and the author is Karin Larsen.

                                                                        © 

                                                                 © 

Balthazar of Belthangadi

Balthazar of Belthangadi was taken prisoner during the 1784 captivity. As the food in the camp was sub-standard, he offered to make a chutney for the captured Mangalorean Catholics. This came to be known as the legendary "Balthazar Chutney". 

It is said that Tipu liked the chutney, and Balthazar spent the rest of his days in comfort.

Konkani poet V. J. P. Saldanha also wrote a novel on him named Belthangaddicho Balthazar in Konkani.

Accounts of Captivity by James Scurry

Now, for those who are not much aware of who is James Scurry, I would request you to check his article on Wikipedia.

As per Wikipedia,

James Scurry (1766–1822) was a British soldier and memoirist. He was held captive by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan for 10 years (1780–1790) at Seringapatam.

James Scurry

The important part about him is that the when the Mangaloreans arrived in 1784 at Seringapatam, he was there to witness the atrocities. I have mentioned his own account below on the atrocities committed on our community.

Now followed the fate of the poor Malabar Christians, of which I shall consider myself the innocent cause, in reading what was written by General Mathews, as stated in the preceding note. Their country was invested by Tippu's army, and they were driven men, women and children to the number of 30,000 to Sirangapatam where all who were fit to carry arms were circumcised and forwarded into four battalions. The sufferings of these poor creatures were most excruciating: one circumstance which came under my immediate notice, I will attempt to describe: when recovered they were armed and drilled, and ordered to Mysore, nine miles from the capital, but for what purpose we could not learn. Their daughters were many of them beautiful girls; and Tippu was determined to have them for his seraglio; but this they refused; and Mysore was invested by his orders, and the four battalions were disarmed and brought prisoners to Sirangapatam. This being done, the officers tied their hands behind them. The Chambars or Sandalmakers were then sent for and their noses ears and upper lips were cut off. They were then mounted on asses, their faces towards the tail and led through Patan, with a wretch before them proclaming their crime. One fell from his beast and expired on the spot through loss of blood. Such a mangled and bloody scene excited the compassion of numbers and our hearts were ready to burst at the inhuman sight. It was reported that Tippu relented in this case, and I rather think it true, as he never gave any further orders respecting their women. The twenty-six that survived were sent to his different arsenals where after the lapse of a few years I saw several of them lingering out a most miserable existence.

§                    No doubt many of them survived the downfall of Tippu and I should have been proud to hear that the Company had done something for those brave unfortunate men, and particularly so as all their miseries originated from an English general. The prison from whence the Malabar Christians were brought to have their noses and ears cut off for refusing their daughters when Tippu demanded them for his seraglio was a horrid dismal hole which we named the Bull, as there was an image, considerably larger than life, of that animal on that building, which was originally designed for a Hindoo place of worship, but by Tippu converted into a dungeon. This prison we frequently passed and expected sooner or later to occupy some part of it. Very few who were so unfortunate to be confined here, escaped with less punishment than the loss of their nose and ears. The Chambars by whom the operation was performed are held in abhorrence by the Mahomedans, and, on that account they were consigned to this office; and such was their brutality that they frequently cut, (or sawed rather), the upper lip off with the nose leaving the poor unfortunate wretch a pitiable object, to spin out a most miserable existence, being always sent to Tippu's arsenals to hard labour on a scanty allowance. 

His narrative contains some more interesting accounts. His narrative is published in his book The Captivity, Sufferings And Escape of James Scurry Who Was Detained a Prisoner During Ten Years In The Dominions of Hyder Ali and Tippu Saheb (1824)

If you wish to download the Narrative, please click the below links,

• PDF format
• Text format
• Other formats (Please select the format from the page)

Mark S. Noronha

Mark S. Noronha, a member of the Kanara Catholic Association of Bombay, had established the Mangalorean Review in 1920.

Mangalorean Review

Well, I guess not many may be aware of some periodicals started by our Mangalorean Catholic community in Bombay in the early 20^th century.

Well, one such periodical was the Mangalorean Review established in 1920 by Mark S. Noronha.

It kept our community members in Bombay in touch with Mangalore.

It was established on the Silver Jubilee of the Kanara Catholic Association of Bombay. It continued till 1941, when under the stress of World War II, it was stopped.