Canacona: A unique ran-bhaji or wild vegetable festival was held in Canacona on Saturday, showcasing over 550 dishes made from wild and seasonal vegetables.Scores of people thronged the third successive edition of the ran-bhaji festival in Canacona to sample the dishes, many of which are on their way to extinction.As many as 182 different groups, comprising 139 self-help groups, 20 anganwadis, and 23 high schools, participated in the festival, with each group presenting a minimum of three dishes. The IIHM with its Young Chef Olympiad 2025 team also took part in the festival. Hundreds of visitors followed the chief guests, and such was the demand that within no time most dishes were sold out, with only a few remaining with the participating groups at the end.Some of the interesting preparations included ran-bhaji cake, ran-bhaji pulao, ran-bhaji momos, and ran-bhaji cutlets. Many counters also offered different types of ran-bhaji in raw form for sale at reasonable rates.Earlier, power minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar inaugurated the event in the presence of BJP state president Damodar Naik, speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar, Padmashree awardee Chaitram Pawar, and Canacona municipality chairperson Sara Naik Desai.The festival was organised by Shree Balram Charitable Trust in association with the Goa Biodiversity Board, department of agriculture, and department of tribal affairs. It aimed to popularise traditional wild and seasonal vegetable preparations consumed in Goa, which also offer various health benefits.
