The East Indian thanksgiving: How 115 gaothans in Mumbai will celebrate Agera this October

East Indian women wear their traditional attire, the lugra, during past Agera festivities in Marol (left) and Uttan

Every first Sunday of October, the gaothans of Mumbai spring to life with the vibrant celebration of Agera, an East Indian harvest festival that transcends agricultural celebrations and serves as a beacon of cultural identity. As urbanisation threatens to diminish the community's rich traditions that were once deeply rooted in the farming heritage of Mumbai's original inhabitants, locals are now reviving this festival of thanksgiving.

On October 6, around 115 gaothans will mark one of the most expansive observances in recent memory. Advocate Mogan Rodrigues from Uttan says, "Agera has been celebrated in Uttan by the Kulbi East Indian community from time unknown, thanking God for the new harvest. There was a time when the priest would go into the fields and cut the paddy with a silver sickle. In 2002, as part of our revival efforts at Uttan, we initiated the first Agera bullock cart and brass band procession. The cultural parade starts from the Big Cross and ends at Uttan church, followed by feast mass and thanksgiving."

Once the blessings are bestowed, the community serves traditional dishes like fugias, sorpotel and more in a buffet

Historically, Agera heralded the arrival of the harvest season, when farmers would gather sheaves of paddy and other crops from the lush fields and transport them in beautifully adorned bullock carts to the local parish church for blessings. The festival was a time of joy, with traditional East Indian bands filling the air with music as families gathered to partake in food, song, and prayer. However, as farmlands began to vanish over the years, so did this cherished tradition. To safeguard this vital cultural legacy, several churches around the city are dedicatedly reviving Agera.

Advocate Mogan Rodrigues and Sachin Pereira

The East Indian Villages on Dharavi island, such as Gorai and Manori Dongri, celebrate it with much pomp. Rodrigues feels that since the East Indian community is evolving from being primarily agrarian to taking up white collar and professional jobs, "Agera acts as a beautiful connect with our cultural heritage and our homeland Mobai [Konkani for Mumbai], no matter which part of the world one is in. In Uttan, we even changed the time of the feast mass from 7 am to 9.15 am to encourage participation from the younger generation and children. After mass, the community dances to the band's tune while marching to the village square at Big Cross, where greetings and refreshments are exchanged. It promotes community spirit and brotherhood. On the same evening, we have cultural activities and community get-togethers."

In Marol - where the bylanes are filled with parishioners in pink and green East Indian traditional attire lugra - Sachin Pereira from St John the Evangelist Church shares, "Our Agera procession commences at the Villager's Cross in Marol gaothan. Revellers fill the streets, adorned with harvest-themed decorations and marching joyfully to the church, where we carry our harvest for blessings. Following mass in East Indian Marathi, we enjoy an evening filled with food, song, and dance. The paddy will be sourced from nearby farms in Uttan, Manori, and Dharavi islands, and local bands will play traditional music during the processions, rekindling the festival's spirit."

Once blessings are bestowed, the atmosphere transforms into a jubilant celebration. Families prepare traditional dishes such as fugias, sorpotel, and more, filling the air with the delightful aromas of rich culinary heritage. This act of gratitude and prayer honours the land and reinforces the community's connection to nature and its agricultural heritage. The revival of Agera is not merely a nostalgic return to the past - it is a statement of cultural resilience.