Media Release
Doha, Sep 29: Mangalore Cultural Association (MCA) - Qatar celebrated Monti Fest with great splendour and grandeur recently at the Indian Cultural Centre Doha. This Monti fest celebration was a very significant one as it was one after three years.
The programme began with emcee Ancita D’Souza’s hospitable welcome to the gathering. The committee members presented a traditional welcome with paan pod and water. In order to seek the blessings of the Almighty on the auspicious programme, MCA's anthem was sung by the members.
After the prayer and welcome dance, Spiritual director of the Qatar Konkani speaking community Fr Anand Castelino was invited to the stage to bless the corn (Novem) and the home cooked meals. Roce with the blessed corn (Novem) was served to the gathering.
MCA advisory members, Felix Lobo, Jerry Pinto and Wilfred Fernandes along with guests of honour Ravi Shetty, managing director of ATS Group Qatar and patron and former president of Bunts Qatar, Simon D’Silva, president of Goa Welfare Association, and Fr Anand Castelino were escorted to the dais by president Aloysius D’Souza and vice-president Sandeep Noronha for a short stage programme. Guests of honour, Ravi Shetty and Simon D’Silva hailed the service rendered by MCA and called upon the gathering to keep striving towards the betterment of the community and the society. MCA’s ladies throwball team was launched on the occasion. Sports coordinator Dorothy Quadros invited the players of the throwball team that will be participating in the first-ever open throwball tournament to be hosted by Indian Sports Centre for ladies on October 14 and 15, to the stage. MCA men’s volleyball team that bagged the first-runners up trophy at the maiden men’s volleyball tournament organised by Bunts Qatar recently was recognised and the trophy was displayed in the presence of sports coordinator George Menezes.
Advisor Felix Lobo addressed the gathering and further edified the gathering on the mission of the club and the importance of the celebration of Monthi Fest.
MCA honoured its members’ children who have academically excelled in the 10th, 12th and bachelor’s degree exams as an encouragement and appreciation to them. Names of the children are as under:
1. Ashwell Ben Dsouza - Scored 89.6% in Class X CBSE, DPS Modern Indian School, Doha – Qatar
2. Elvin Joshua Pinto - Scored 96.2% in Class XII CBSE, DPS Modern Indian School, Doha – Qatar
3. Jewel Henrita Pinto - Scored 85.4% in Class XII CBSE, Ideal Indian School, Doha- Qatar
4. Clarissa Neolla Pinto- Scored 86% in BBA Professional Course, St Aloysius College, Mangaluru, India
MCA will be organising a blood donation camp on September 30 and as a preparation to this, an awareness talk on importance of blood donation was delivered by Dr Glen Fernandes, consultant in the department of Anesthesia and Peri-operative medicine at Hamad Medical Corporation. He was felicitated on the occasion by MCA.
Joint-general secretary Melita Lobo thanked all the sponsors for the Monthi Fest celebration and all those who prepared the scrumptious traditional Novem jevonn.
A short cultural programme that consisted of melodious live solo, duet and group singing by talented singers, elegant dances by youngsters and children and rib-tickling Konkani comedy skit written by Naveen Fernandes Bahrain and directed by Sandeep Noronha was held thereafter.
The highlight of the evening was traditional home-made novem jevonn served on shirothis (banana leaves). This was for the first time that Novem Jevonn was served on banana leaves in Qatar.
Aloysius D’Souza welcomed the gathering and Sandeep Noronha proposed the vote of thanks. While Ancita D’Souza compered the entire cultural programme beautifully in immaculate Konkani, Westrin Lasrado took reigns of the stage programme and managed it efficiently.