South Goa is home to sugarcane farms.
Many can be witnessed on a drive along the national highway 66. One such farm is owned by the Velip family of Padi village. Every summer, the family works together for two weeks dividing themselves into teams, towards a common goal of converting all the sugarcane into hundreds of kilos of jaggery. A seasonal occupation that has been running in the family for generations. They work non-stop, day and night till the last cane is juiced and processed into jaggery.
Activities like cutting, cleaning, crushing, boiling, solidifying & packaging are carried out simultaneously.
Temporary shelters are built for those who need rest.
At night when it gets cold, people gather around the fire and sleep for a few hours.
Each batch is boiled for three to four hours forming huge clouds of vapour, a sight pleasing to the eyes.
When the process is entirely finished, the fire is put off, and everyone goes back to their normal lives.
Photos & words by Rahul Nair
Rahul Nair
Rahul is a wicked Keralite born, Bombay raised, Goa based photographer with a keen eye for the often overlooked.
You can find parts 1, 3 & 4 to the series here:
Along with another of Rahul's short films 'Pilots of Goa' over here.
And be sure to follow Rahul for more visual stories on Instagram @rahulnaayar
& Youtube.
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