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GOA - 10 GREAT WALKS

10 Great Walks In GoaBy Heta Pandit

Goa lives in its villages. And all its villages have a rich history replete with

legends, tales of bravado and plain old yarns. Walk though the vaddos of a Goan

village to get a glimpse of her soul. You can do this courtesy a few Goans who

share their love for their land with all who want to appreciate the finer details of

Goan life. They take visitors on leisurely walks through some of Goas most

colourful villages. All you need to accompany them is a sun-hat, a packed lunch,

binocs for the birding areas and a pair of listeners ears

Walk 1 The Calangute Walk

The story of the vaddos

Highlight Along the beaten track too, there is a world waiting to be discovered.

Find it on this walk.

Location Calangute Village is located in Bardez Taluka in North Goa, 20 mins

away from the market town of Mapusa and 40 mins from the capital, Panaji.

Calangute Village is home to Goas most famous beach and biggest tourist

destination

Arrive At starting point by bus or car and alight at St Alex Church in Calangutes

Umta Vaddo

Walking time 30 minutes

Besttime to walk Well before sunset

TIP To get the best out of this walk, get in touch with Ana Maria de Souza

Goswami. Call her on 2417847 or 3126586. She charges between Rs 100-150 per

head for a guided walk, and between 10 and 15 people can accompany her at atime. Kids are welcome to join in and theres no charge if theyre below 12. During

the peak season (November to January), you need to give her at least 2- to 4-

days notice

Begin at St Alex Church in Calangutes Umta Vaddo. The church is the lynchpin

of the street. Spin around and look at the hillock facing the church. During the

monsoon, you will see sheets of green paddy at its feet. The foothills lead to a

natural freshwater spring locally known as Mottant, an ideal spot for picnics and

bathing. The water here is believed to be medicinal.

The name Calangute comes from koli gutti, or ward where the fisherfolk live. It

became Kolyangutti, Kalangutti, Kolngutt, Kongutt and would have remained so,

had it not been for the Portuguese. They corrupted the name to Calangute, for

want of the letter k and the half-nasal nnh sound of the Konkani language.

The old name of the village, Kalyangutti, comes from the word kala or art,

harkening back to the time when Goa was called Kalyanpur, during the rule of the

Kadambas. Konvallo ghott was also the word for a coconut tree with a strong pith,

ideal for boat-building, a vital asset for fisherfolk.

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Long before the Portuguese arrived in Goa, every village was like an independent

republic. The village had its own set of rules and a unique code of conduct. Every

village in Goa is divided into vaddos or wards to make management easy. The old

systems have all but collapsed but the vaddos remain an integral part of the

village, as in Calangute.

So if you walk through a Saunta Vaddo, be it in Calangute or Curtorim, you know

that the Sawants once lived here. Untta (now Umta) Vaddo is named after the

camels that were brought in from Carambolim Village in the Tiswadi during a

plague epidemic. Porba Vaddo is named after the Prabhus, Agar Vaddo after the

salt pans, Naika Vaddo after the Naiks, Tivai Vaddo because it is near theseashore, Madda Vaddo after madd, or coconuts, and Gaura Vaddo after the

Gauds, or dairy farmers. Baga is named simply after the Bhagavati River that

flows through.

Umta Vaddos St Alex is the third incarnation of the church in Calangute. The

Franciscans built the first one in 1595, paid for by the gaunkars (original founders

of the village republic) and the second one was built in 1741. Its beautiful towers

were erected in 1765. The cupola was rebuilt in 1916 with the faade built in the

Indian Baroque style of architecture. The side altars are dedicated to Our Lady of

Immaculate Conception and Bom Jesus, and the grotto in the garden holds a

statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. The church was built where a temple once stood

and the property behind the church is still called deula passolem in Konkani. This

simply means by the temple. The sthan, or plinth, and the tollem, or templetank, got buried. Temple performers or kolvants once lived in Gaura Vaddo. The

bylanes of this vaddo still survive under the name of Kolvantanchem Bhat.

You can now walk past the church building round the back, or come out in front

and walk on the main road to the side lane behind the church. Take a right turn

into Calangute Tinto (Portuguese for market) until you face the Shri Shantadurga

Mandap (temple canopy). They say the original temple here was destroyed and

the idol transferred to Nanora Village and is now called the Nanora Shantadurga

Mahamai. This one is in Naika Vaddo.

The original founders of the village, the gaunkars, were Naiks or Kshatriyas. Post

conversion, they have surnames like Proena, Lobo, Pires, Correia, Fernandes.

Go past the temple and walk up to the boutique hotel, Pousada Tauma. Look left.

You will see two very fine examples of mid-18th century Goan domestic

architecture. Leave the hotel on your left and take a right turn and you will see

two houses on your right. Admire the trimmings on the roof, the low roof covered

in Mangalore tiles and the wooden railings on the veranda. Walk past these, turn

right and keep looking at the houses. End your Calangute walk in Porba Vaddo,

at the lotus-filled pond.

Walk 2 The Saligao Walk

Bangles on the Mother of God

Highlight Steeped in history and architecture, this walk is a splendid

amalgamation of a rich past and a vibrant present

Location Saligao Village is very close to Calangute, just 10 mins east of it in

Bardez Taluka in North Goa, 20 mins away from Mapusa and 30 mins from

Panaji, by roadArrive At Saligaos Mae de Deus Church, your starting point

Walking time 1 hour

Best time to walk Anytime before the sun sets

TIP Dont miss the vicious-looking lions on the gate posts of the house that once

belonged to Rose and Fausto de Souza and was later sold to the Araujo family.

To find it and know more about this walk, call Ana Maria de Souza Goswami on

2417847 or 3126586

Start at the Mae de Deus Church but dont say a word about its faux Gothic

characteristics. The village is passionate about it and any hint of ridicule will get

you into t rouble.

Saligao could have been named after the salli or jeera sall rice variety that grows

here. Or it could have got its name from the sal tree, a hardwood species. Orperhaps its name is a corruption of Saogaon, or the village with sweet fresh water.

Whatever the origins, the village is a beehive of activity today. It has a culture

club, a sports club and its own pool of musical talent. The church was built

between 1867 and 1873. On its 100th birthday, in 1973, a hundred priests

celebrated mass on its grounds. Walk into the church and admire the golden

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statue of the Mother of God [Mae de Deus]. It was rescued from the ruins of

Daugim in Old Goa, after the former capital fell to disease and ruination. Notice

the Indian style dress and bangles on the statue.

Erected on the site of the earlier Holy Trinity Church, this was the first church to

be built in Bardez Taluka after the one at Reis Magos in Verem Village on the

Mandovi River. The church had four villages in its jurisdiction Nagoa, Parra,

Arpora and Saligao. The earliest mass conversions took place here in the 17th

century under Franciscan missionaries. Prayers, sacrifices and discussions were

used to effect these mass conversions. The mass conversion in 1602 was the

most dramatic in the history of Goa. Thirty-five general baptisms and 23,584catechumens (Catholic religious studies) took place between 1563 and 1676.

The Franciscans thought it wise to divide the parishes on the basis of the old

village communities, or ganvs. Later, they must have realised that further divisions

were necessary for better administration. Parra was separated from Nagoa in

1649. Saligao would have gone the same way but the village mobilised an

agitation against the Franciscans in 1776. The Franciscans were removed from

here but the Saligao parish took years to build a church, until Salvador Pinto, a

local convert, spearheaded the movement in 1873. Interestingly, the entire village

converted to Christianity but for three Saligao Hindu families who were forced to

flee the village.

Walk past the paddy fields and head towards Cruz Vaddo. The first house on

your left is where Francis de Souza and Verodina Ferrao, both artists, live. Nextis the Souza Figueiredo House. Built in 1940, it sports characteristics of both

Goan domestic architecture as well as Indian art deco. Pick up a snack at the

Yummy Store on the left.

Spot a sign saying Franciscan Hospitaler Sisters. Take the alley the sign points

to and head towards the home and studio of well-known photographer Dayanita

Singh. Spend time on her black and white photographs. The photographer travels

a great deal and may not always be available to entertain visitors but the chance

of seeing her outstanding collection of black and white pictures of Don Vaddo,

Saligao, is certainly worth a visit. Step out of this little dirt lane and turn to your

left towards Casa Madura, the Madura Coats guest house with its typical Goan

balcao or porch seats. The house is not open for viewing but you can observe the

way it is perched on a raised plinth from the street itself.

Next, look at Casa Wolfango, further to the left of Casa Madura, and admire its

mother of pearl shell windows, an idea that travelled from Cambay (Khambat) in

Gujarat to Diu, then via Daman and Bassein (Vasai) to find expression in Goa.

Stroll through this street and savour every bit of its architecture and art.

We used to walk to Calangute from here as children, Ana Maria de Souza

Goswami will tell you if you are walking with her. That would be three

kilometres.

Walk 3 The Arpora Walk

The prettiest primary school

Highlight This walk is tailor-made for the visitor in search of idyllic village life inGoa

Location Arpora Village is also close to Calangute in Bardez Taluka in North

Goa, just 10 mins north of it, 15-20 mins away from the market town of Mapusa

and about 30 mins from the capital of Panaji, by road

Arrive At starting point by bus or car and alight at the Sodders Resort


Best time to walk Anytime during the day

Nearest shopping Calangute market, 10 minutes away

TIP Walk with Ana Maria de Souza Goswami (Tel: 2417847, 3126586)

Start at the chapel right next to Sodders Resort in Arpora Village. Take a right at

the Dena Bank. The origin of the name of this village is a bit of a puzzle. Could it

be after aar, or river in Tamil, one wonders. Pass the house that has a sign

saying DSouzas Caje, Rose and Alex. Admire the scroll capitals on its

gatepost. Then walk ahead to what is the prettiest primary school in the state onyour right.

You will now be entering Viegas Vaddo. This vaddo has a fine collection of small

and large houses, displaying a curious mix of old and new. Look out for the

Vijaya Home for Senior Citizens where you can get a Sweedish massage. Turn

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his Colonial Photo (Tel: 0832-2277699, 2282408; Email: silviogoa@yahoo. com),

Silvio Clancia does exquisite work on photographs dating back to colonial times,

and boasts a large collection of Bollywood posters. Prices for the prints and

photos range between Rs 300 and Rs 2,000. Silvio also has a stall at Ingos

Saturday Night Flea Market. Across the road from Colonial Photo is artist Shireen

Mody, known for her feisty work on Goan rural life. Look out for the terracotta

frogs on the gate posts of her home. You can view her house even when she is

out of station (April to October), so long as you call ahead and make an

appointment (Tel: 0832-2276759, 09890009117). Mody holds exhibitions of acrylic

on canvas paintings between December 15-March 30. The paintings, exclusively

on Goa, cost between Rs 45,000 to a lakh.

Observe the Tabra House (1894), 33, Viegas Vaddo and 39, Viegas Vaddo. Now

head to the main road towards Goas first English medium school, St Josephs

School. The hill in the background and trees in the compound of the school are a

photographers delight. The road past the school on the left goes up to Nilaya

Hermitage, an exclusive resort.

Spare a moment to watch the pond herons (also called paddy birds), brilliant

flashes of white against the surrounding emerald fields.

Walk 4 The Assagao Walk

No place as cool as this

Highlight With its combination of wetlands, hills, woodlands and birdlife, this

bougainvillea-draped walk is known to outsiders as the land of flowers

Location Assagao Village is very close to Mapusa in Bardez Taluka in North

Goa, just 10 mins away by road, and about 30 mins from Panaji

Arrive At starting point by bus or car and alight at the DMC College (at the top of

the hill on the road that takes you from Mapusa to Anjuna via the Mapusa suburb

of Khorlim)

Walking time 2 hours

Best time to walk Anytime during the day

TIP Walk with horticulturist Daniel DSouza to discover plant and bird life on this

walk. Call him on 09822139922. Hell take you across Assagao on weekends and

public holidays only, charges Rs 150 per person and can handle a 10 to 15

person group. Kids can join in, at half the charge. Our walk begins at DMC

College, but Daniels starts at St Annes Chapel.

Start at the DMC College on a hill-top on the boundary of Khorlim-Mapusa and

Assagao. Begin a slow and steady descent into the village of Assagao. Legend

has it that the village was so well-hidden under a carpet of green that people

began to wonder if there really was a village under the thicket. Assa rey ganv? or

Is there really a village here? has been attributed to some thieves who sought a

safe place to hide their booty and were scared out of their wits by the crowing of a

cock in the morning.

The fact is that the village gets its name from the asson (Pterocarpus Marsupium)

trees that abound here. Etymologists believe that the villages of Assolna in the far

south of Salcete and Assonora in Bicholim also get their names from the same

trees. When you get to the bottom of the slope, you will see the cluster of newlybuilt houses of Dr Ambedkar Colony.

The road does a somersault here but defy gravity and turn to the right. A small

statue of St Anthony in the niche in the wall guides your way. You are now

walking into the pretty vaddo of Vale, named after the vav, or natural stream

nursed by the forests on the hill. Walk up to the end of the road till you reach a

chapel.

This chapel was built on June 6, 1676 and renovated in 1902 with an annexe

added in 1998. The heritage house across, originally built by a Fernandes family,

was once called the Natividade. Legend has it that the priests that served the

chapel came from this house when Vale was heavily populated. No one quite

knows why people left this vaddo and moved down to the main street in thevillage. Whatever the reasons, the original residents have left their homes to more

gentle inhabitants with names like grey hornbills, peacocks, red-vented bulbuls,

golden-breasted woodpeckers, paradise flycatchers, yellow backed sunbirds,

purple rumped sunbirds and at least another 35 bird species that defy the word

shy. Sunbirds peck the rice off the kitchen counter, says Daniels wife Marjorie.

While at the chapel, look out for the delicate carvings on the front faade, the
mailto:silviogoa@yahoo


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cor e s un er e roo o e u ng, e sp ers on e grass a mar e

closing of Goas monsoons and the wild daisies on the floor in the compound

outside.

Down the li ttle pathway (pai vatt in Konkani) is the zor, or spring. Retrace your

steps and return to the main pathway. Daniel says that the micro temperature in

his village is 2 degrees lower than the rest of the region. Our village functions as

a green lung for Mapusa, he says. The village reservoir is to your left. This is not

the reservoir that gives the vaddo its name. That one, located up in the hills, goes

by the full and formal name of Apurbaincho Vav or the pet or beloved spring. Walk

past the Harijan cluster and on to the tarmac of the main road in the village. Every

house here is half-storeyed and we wonder if, like the neighbouring village of

Anjuna, a curse prevents people from building more than one floor. No such

curse, says Leao Alberto Gines DSouza as Rita DSouza welcomes you into

her more than 100-years-old home.

If you have any thoughts now of making Assagao your home, think again. To a

Goan, making a village your home does not make sense. You have to be born

here and you always belong to a village. You can, of course, like a lot of

outsiders buy a house but your home will always be somewhere else. Look for

names and signs on the gate posts of houses but very few people in the village

know a house by its formal name. Every house has a pet name. So you have to

ask for Voddlem Ghor or the Big House; or for the Didh-lakhi Ghor or the House

Where They used to Dry Paper Money in Lakhs Out in the Front Yard.

For more memories, walk further up the road to the house of ABC Paes. Meet

Uncle Maxine whose full name happens to be Maximiano Caetano Rufino Paes.

He tells you, I have travelled all over the world, gone from the right hand side

around the world and then again from the left hand side but Assagao was the best

place in the world then and it is still the best place in the world.

Walk further up the road to see High View and the house that says Fred Vaz and

Amfred Farm on its gate. The house belongs to the Joao F DSouza family and

was built in 1945. Walk past to look at Souza Villa, Villa Souza, Jerry House, T

Nobay 1900, the Holy Cross Chapel with its fine Italian tiles. Also Rainbow

House, El Shaddai Homes for children with special care needs and the Casa

Maieutica, a birthing centre. Now walk towards Casa Palotti and the Palotti

Institute of Philosophy and Religion with its breath-taking library. Next door, theVivenda dos Cordeiros has recently undergone restoration. Relax on the bench

that hangs over a stream.

Walk 5 The Aldona Walk

More than just hook, line and sinker

Highlight This is a perfect walk for the person who cant get enough of Goas

scenic beauty or the angler on the lookout for good fishing

Location Aldona village is located by the Mandovi River east of Mapusa in

Bardez Taluka in North Goa, 20 mins from Mapusa near the border with Bicholim

Taluka and about 40 mins from Panaji. The Corjuem Fort is a short drive away

upriver

Arrive At starting point by bus or car and alight at the Aldona Tinto, or village

market square


Best time to walk Early morning or late evening

TIP To enjoy this walk, get in touch with village buff and angler Xisto

Mascarenhas. He charges Rs 100-150 per head for a 30-min walk, and 10 people

can accompany him at a time. Kids are welcome to join in, and theres no charge

if theyre below 10. You need to give him 24 hrs notice. Call him on 0832-2456110

and...

Begin at 431, Udoim Vaddo, Xistos family house, located to the left of the village

market. We are in Vaddeant, a sub-vaddo of the main vaddo or village ward. No, I

do not know how the vaddo got its name. Perhaps it was from udok or water in

Konkani or from uday or sunrise. Bathed in sunshine from the inside, this house

is a fine example of 18th century Goan domestic architecture. Its typical features

are a front porch or balcao located dead centre, seats crafted from locallyavailable laterite and polished to a shine, reception rooms on the left and the

masters bedroom to the right, a large dining hall, a courtyard aligned with the

entrance and bedrooms on one side. The kitchens and other service areas are

typically located at the back of the house, not usually shown to visitors.

Call Xistos sister-in-law Veronica Mascarenhas (Tel: 2293348, 2411856) and ask

her if shed like to show ou around the house and share her uota of memories.


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Admire the exquisite furniture. Typically, furniture for the house was crafted by

village craftsmen in the home and supervised by the head of the family. Look out

for family monograms, favourite family motifs and reflections of plants and trees in

the garden.

Ask Xisto or Veronica to take you to the village bakery where the most divine

samosas, mutton patties and chicken rolls are made. Walk up to the main road

and look at the house on the right. Called the Casa do Dr Amancio Alvares (Dr

Amancio Alvares house), it belongs to Amelia and Damasceno Soares and

overlooks one arm of the Mandovi River before it sweeps into its basin at Panaji.

Further up, is the house that used to give Xisto and his friends goosebumps.Take a left turn at the bus stop after the Ghosts House. You will now see a

house with the date 1895 on it.

Most of the houses in this vaddo were built towards the end of the 19th century

and hence display a variety of architectural features including the highly

improvised Indian art deco. Take a look at 86-P and the house that says JMF

1845, Francisco Xavier Rego, Saraswati Sadan and a few other houses that make

up the cluster.

You will now come to the high point of social life in the village. The fishing bridge!

The panoramic view that this manos (sluice gate) offers from its stone bridge is

unmatchable. The water forms a mirror for the coconut palms and wooded hills.

Anglers in gumshoes and T-shirts fill their nylon bags with red snappers, mulletand shrimp.

Xisto will also introduce you to Shyam who owns a traditional ramponn, a boat

carved out of the sturdy pith of an old coconut tree. For a token amount, Shyam

will take you in his boat and help you talk to the river, or simply feel.

Sit on the little bridge, which has smooth edges. The bridge was designed for

anglers, allowing one to sit on the wall for hours in comfort.

The pathway from the bridge takes you to the main road. The road is a loop and

ends in the backyard of House No. 431, from where you began the walk with

Xisto.

Golden sheaves of paddy greet you on both sides of the road if you are walking in

the months of August and September. A single tree is festooned with the hanging

nests of the Indian weaverbird or baya, the subject of Indias most famous

ornithologist Dr Salim Alis doctorate. Abandoned nests make good scrubbers for

tired feet. Walk up to the tree and take your pick.

They grow vegetables in these fields after paddy is harvested. Come during the

season, just before the rains begin and partake of some, he says. You are not

surprised by this generosity. After all, the name of the village of Aldona is a

corruption of the original Voddlem Dan, which means large benefaction or gift in

Konkani.

Walk 6 The Chandor Walk

The Jesuit trick or teak

Highlight This walk is for the visitor who wants to delve into Goas pre-

Portuguese history

Location Chandor is in the far east of Salcete Taluka in South Goa. It is 40 mins

from Margao via Maina-Curtorim and about 1 hour, 15 mins from Panaji, by road

Arrive At starting point by bus or car



TIP Walk with homeowner Sara Fernandes. Call her during daytime hours on

0832-2784245. She charges Rs 50-100 per head, and 10 people can accompany

her or her son Rajeev at a time. Kids are welcome to join in, and theres no

charge if theyre below 5. You need to give the Fernandes 2-3 days advance

notice (email her at [email protected])

Chandor or Chandrapur was the capital of Goa in the 3rd-4th century when the

Bhojas ruled this region. It became the capital again during the 11th and 13th

centuries, under the rule of the Kadambas of Banavasipuram, Karnataka.

If you are doing the walk sans Sara, drop off at the road that forks off to Quepem

from Chandor. You will see a rather gaudy fence that encloses the ancient 11th

century Shiva Temple site. A headless Nandi bull faces the north. Apparently the

head of this second largest Nandi figure in India was rescued from the temple well
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Xaviers College in Mumbai some years ago. Archaeologists excavated the site

and have covered it now, saving it for future excavations. A detailed sign outside

the temple tells you that it is dated to the 3rd-7th centuries; later changed in the

8th-13th centuries and that the temple mandapa had 14 pillars.

What Sara will tell you, however, is invaluable. She was present when the site

was excavated, the Nandi head rescued with the help of 12 labourers and the St

Thomas Cross found. Did Goa have a Christian population long before the arrival

of the Portuguese?, is a question that some scholars are asking today. Fr

Cosme, curator at the museum, Pilar Seminary found a similar stone cross in thevicinity of the seminary some years ago. The stone has an inscription in

Portuguese forbidding people to worship the icon. This perhaps begs the question

that there were Marthoma Christians here before the arrival of the Portuguese.

Besides, the Portuguese are believed to have arrived here in search of souls and

spices. Who were these souls they were looking for? Early Christians? It is a

matter worth investigating. Walk past the temple site now and go past a house

named Santhoms. A cross marks the site of the old Bri Tollem, or temple tank.

Walk further up the road and off on to the dirt track and you will see the ruins of

the old Chandor fort walls. Walk back to the Shiva temple site and sample a few

leaves of basil, growing wild on both sides of the road.

The small square where the road branches off to Quepem and Curchorem, is the

old temple maand or hallowed ground reserved for ceremonies and performances.

The amazing thing is that the tradition of holding the village performance of thefamous Mussel Khel, also called fell in Konkani, dating to the Vijayanagara

period of Hindu Revivalism has been kept up in the village of Chandor even after

Christianisation. Dont miss watching the Mussel Khel if they happen to be

playing it in the village. The Khel is usually held in January but has no bearing on

the Feast of Three Kings held on the 6th of the same month.

The dance begins at the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the maand, an open ground

traditionally used by villagers for all religious and semi-religious performances.

Look out for the angels carved on the stone columns on the rotunda, then stop for

a snack and soft drink at the Anthony Bar and Juliet General Store (two signs for

the same shop). You are now in for a treat on both sides of the road that is

officially named the Rua de San Tiago [Street of St James].

The first house on the left is a twin bay wing, illustrative of the early 20th century

style of houses in Bombay and Goa. Admire the seats in the balcao and the

Travancore-style slats that shade the veranda from the harsh glare of the

afternoon sun. The next house, also on the left, has been seriously modernised.

All the original lime plaster on the walls has been scraped off and replaced with

cement. But the mouldings remain, on the columns in the porch and over the

windows facing the road. The fence is also an artist ic scallop that is level with the

road.

Next comes the Communidade House where all the business of the Cotta Ward

of Chandor was once conducted. House No. 112 is an aberration and is best

bypassed as it no longer retains any of its original characteristics. Vivenda

Fernandes, which comes next, has lions sticking their tongues out. The rest of

the house is Indian Baroque. Look for the indigenously crafted columns that have

something of the Corinthian style but do not follow any purity of style or order.

The railings too look like a forced fit instead of the usual relaxed and easy flow

that is so typical of the houses of Goa.

Teak trees flower in the months of August and September in this neighbourhood

and remind you of the trick that the Jesuits once played on the community.

Teakwood furniture, the community was told, made you i ll and the trees must

therefore not be felled for furniture for the house. It was to be reserved only for the

heavy beams and trusses that were required for the building of churches and

chapels! So we went ahead and made furniture from sisso, the hard and heavy

rosewood instead of the lovely light teakwood, says Sara.

Walk past the ZA da Silva House with its typical features of a modest example ofGoan domestic architecture; the Revenue Collectors House is the oldest in Cotta

and dates to the 16th century; the Carvalho House with its French windows in

bamboo green, pilasters and terracotta t iles and finally to Saras Casa Grande.

Casa Grande has a unique history. The house belonged to a now-forgotten


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,

Goa. It faced the Khushavati River that empties into the Zuari even today but was

then much wider and larger than the river that runs past the backyard of the

house today.

The front of the house has no bolt to lock the house from the outside and no

doorbell, only a hand crafted knocker. We got power in our village as late as

1972 so there is no electric doorbell. Besides, there was always someone in the

house in the old days, Sara says.

Walk into her makeshift museum. You will see Shiva lingams found at the house,

machilas or travelling chairs, samples of the costume worn by the boys whocarried these chairs on their heads and precious vestments worn by priests from

the house. Ask Sara to point out the fine Chinese embroidery on one particular

vestment, dated 1664.

In the reception room or sala of this grand mansion, you will see exquisite

furniture. Ask Sara to show you the Chinese blue and white baby bath, the

wardrobes with the secret chambers, and the carved four-poster bed that is a fine

example of Goan artistry. Also ask her to show you the secret passage to the

river from the house, the holes made by the Hindu owners of the house to use as

arrow slits or shooting slits. And also ask to see the family collection of 300

medallions of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour safely stored near the family altar.

The statue of Our Lady of Bon Parte or Safe Delivery dominates the altar. Sara

will tell you that the statue is loaned to families in the village where a baby isexpected so as to provide moral support and courage to the expectant mother

and the family.

Walk 7 The Colva Coastal Walk

House proud in Goa

Highlight This is the ideal walk for the visitor in love with rural Goa and seeking

more than just sand and sun on Colva Beach

Location Colva Village is in Salcete Taluka in South Goa, 20 mins north-west

from Margao and about an hour from Panaji, by road. It is home to the busiest

beach in South Goa

Arrive At starting point by bus or car and alight at the Colva church square


Best time to walk Before sunsetTIP Best enjoyed on your own, this walk is best started by learning that every

village in Goa has a name with its roots in Konkani, Kannada, Tamil or Sanskrit

and that...

...the name Colva comes from Kol Vaddo or Koli Vaddo, the ward inhabited by

the Kolis or fisherfolk. Visitors to Goa are often surprised to hear that until the

1960s, Goas beaches were practically empty. The only people on the beaches

then were members of the fishing community and toddy tappers. That is one

reason why the finest Goan houses are not located on the beach but leeward in

the village where good folk lived.

Start at the Colva church crossroad that leads you to Colva Beach (westward),

Benaulim (southward), Betalbatim (northward) and Margao (eastward). If you want

to shop a bit, the road to the beach is excellent. You will find pottery from thenorthern regions of Bicholim Taluka in Goa, embroidered work from Kashmir and

good leather handbags. There are lots of little cafs and teashops if you need to

stop awhile.

Now, take the narrow road northwards from the Colva church crossroad towards

the village of Betalbatim, named after the ancient local deity of Betal or Vetal. It is

one of Goas greatest tragedies that very little of its pre-Portuguese period

architecture survives. All that remains today is the ancient temple of Mahadeva at

Tambdi Surla and the temple of Shri Gomanteshwar in Old Goa (Brahmapuri).

Sadly, the beautiful temple dedicated to Gopinath in the middle of the Neturli

forest, was only recently demolished. Often, it is only the name of a place that

tells you that there was once an ancient temple here. Bet or Batim probably

comes from Kannada for island. Was the ancient temple dedicated to Betal orVetal located on an island or sandbar off the nearest beach in the village? We just

dont know.

The first house coming up is yellow with a prominent corner stone at its front

door. Every Christian house in Goa sports such a stone bearing a cross. It is the

relic of a groundbreaking ceremony wherein a sliver of gold, freshly-minted coins


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w a a e on em an a ew o er o ens are ur e . s a so a ec ara on o

the faith of the owners of the house. Compare this with the tulsi vrindavan or

sacred basil outside a house, signifying that it is a Hindu home.

Now look for a sign saying Nosso Lar, visible from the first house. Right across

the street is a pretty house with fine wooden railings. It is what is called a half-

storeyed house in architectural parlance. A half-storeyed house or meio sobrado

is a Goan house set on a plinth so high that it is almost like a double-storeyed

house. The high plinth then necessitates lots of front steps, giving the house

posture and the illusion that it is a very important house.

The other houses on this road could be called cold blooded murder. There are

hundreds of examples all over Goa where new houses have been tagged on to old

ones haphazardly. But if youd rather not dwell on the problems of heritage

conservation, go past the coconut warehouse on the right, up the road past the

green house on the left with its Rococo columns showing creeping vine motifs,

past the collapsed ruin on the right till you arrive at an illusion on the left hand

side.

What looks like three separate houses is actually one house carved into three

separate homes. Walk the entire length of the front faade to appreciate its many

facets gabled roof, perforated ceilings, high plinth and mouldings over the

windows. Stop at the pub named the Fork & Spoon. Like any other family-run

restaurant, you can expect outstanding Goan fish curry and rice here.

Casa Mesquita up the road has indigenously crafted columns. It offers rooms for

rent. Casa Goa Mestre Compos has beautiful windows. The house with JAF on

its gatepost has some stern lions keeping vigil. Solar Silva Pereira, however,

takes the cake. The former owner is believed to have brought back influences

from his many travel experiences abroad. The dormer window (a window or

ventilator set inside the roof over the front door) is probably one such expression

brought back from the English countryside.

Walk 8 The Utorda Walk

A dip into t ranquility

Highlight Heres an ideal walk if youve fallen in love with Goas domestic

architecture (houses) and want to seek beautiful lotus ponds. This is the walk forthe lotus watcher and, we dare say, the lotus-eater too

Location Utorda is further north from Colva via Betalbatim and Majorda in Salcete

Taluka in South Goa, 30 mins from Margao and about 1 hour, 40 mins from

Panaji. If youre coming from Panjim, turn right off NH17 at the Tata Indica

Showroom and alight at Turning Point Communications after Verna


Best time to walk Anytime of the day

The village of Utorda is named after Uttar Vaddo, or ward in the north. Begin your

walk at the Godinho-Jacques House, geographically located in the village of

Majorda. The road up ahead of you leads you to the Majorda Beach resort. The

Godinho Jacques house is to your left and Utorda to your right. Look for windows

covered in mother-of-pearl, clusters of coconut palms and lush green paddy. Look

out for the house with the blue and green railing on the left just before the road

veers off towards the now famous Zeebop by the Sea, a popular venue for

weddings and lunch parties. Zeebop has the finest Goan cuisine in the South not

counting the fare offered by Martins Corner at Betalbatim. Retrace your steps

from Zeebop on Utorda Beach and walk towards the village square. From

Braganza House, turn left towards the lily pond.

Villa Philip has fine coleus plants, which have foliage ranging between yellow, red,

crimson and pink. The plant was brought to Goa from South America, and has

then spread all over India. Go past a restaurant and bar named Three Flowers,

121 Utorda and Kamaxi Bar. Once you cross the resort, enjoy the sights of

village housing, thatching and coconut groves. Look out for washing stones where

laundry is done in full view of passersby. Then spend a moment by the village

lotus pond.

Walk 9 Divar Island Walk 1

Far from the madding crowd

Highlight This walk is special for the tourist who wants to experience life on an

island in Goa

Location Ver few eo le who visit the erstwhile ca ital of Old Goa realise that


10/11



the green hill they see across the Mandovi River is actually an island. Divar Island

is located in Tiswadi Taluka in North Goa, 20 mins by road and ferry from the

present day capital of Panaji. You have to take a ferry from St Catherine Quay in

Old Goa (near the Viceroys Arch) to get to Divar for there is no other way, save

for another ferry from Ribander, en route to Panjim, since Divar is truly an island

TIP You can take your car or motorbike on any ferry in Goa

Arrive At the starting point of this walk by bus or car and alight at the Piedade

Vaddo Point

Walking time 1 hour


TIP I took this walk with village activist and socialite Christopher Kit Heredia andwe began at his 100-year-old home at 19, Saudades, or Nostalgia. But you can

do this walk alone. Kit is a traveller and may not be available to take you around

Turn right from Our Lady of Divar Church or Nossa Senhora de Piedade. Start

your heritage-house watching at the 1940s art deco house on the right that once

belonged to the illustrious Albuquerque family. This land-owning family had many

connections with other well-known Goan families, especially in the villages of

Moira, Ribander and Old Goa. On the right stands the Vivenda de Sa and the

ancestral home of the Baretos, one of the islands oldest families. Admire its

beautifully crafted railings and its high plinth. A high plinth, as we have seen in

Betalbatim, showed off a house from the street, enhancing its social value and

lending it dignity.

The houses on Divar are particularly delightful during the months of November

and December, says Kit. That is when all the houses are white-washed in time

for the Christmas season and families come together for the celebrations from all

over the world. The Castro House, a yellow house on the same street belongs to

the Castro family from where two bishops were appointed. The first was Most

Reverend Dom Fr Mateus de Castro, who was appointed a bishop at the age of

28 in 1637 and the second was a nephew Dom Fr Thomas Castro, appointed in

1671. However, both were not bishops of Goa but elsewhere in the vast

Portuguese Empire.

Now follow the road as it swerves to the left and see what the Bridgetine Sisters

have done with their property, once a home for the aged. They have made rough

expansions to include some rooms that they let out at a nominal rent of Rs 250

per person per night. Unfortunately, the nuns do not take bookings over the

telephone.

The name Divar, says history professor Prajal Sakhardande, comes from the word

Divadde, or Div Vadde, the island of lamps. It was also once called Dwipa Vati or

place where many lamps were placed and Dwipa Vatika or the garden island of

many lamps.

You now come to the prettiest part of the walk, Kit points out as you pass a hill

with a private chapel dedicated to St Anthony. The chapel once belonged to the

Cunha Gonsalves family whose male descendants were all very famous jurists in

Portugal starting from the early 20th century. Subsequent progeny married into

the Pereira family and the name changed to Gonsalves Pereira. Some

descendants have been ministers of the Portuguese government.

The hill here also provided soil to build embankments for the Konkan Railway

some years ago. Luckily, the village reacted quickly and put a stop to that, says

Kit. Divar is not free from the problems of rapid urbanisation. There is a bridge

being planned to bring commuters across the river to and from Panaji. There is

the perceived threat of tourists spilling over from Old Goa onto this tiny island.

Sluice gates that have taken a thousand years to reach perfection have all but

been destroyed and fish are often dynamited out of the river basin.

But just as the grey cloud of depression descends over you, you come upon an

expanse of the green. That is Chorao on the right... Old Goa on the left... Panaji

rising above the morning mist in front of you and paddy fields all around... this is

paradise, this is it... this is it... this is it, says Kit.

Walk 10 Divar Island Walk 2

A neighbourhood with one name

Highlight This walk is, in a sense, a continuation of the previous walk. It goes

past spooky banyan trees and a village that carries one surname



11/11


TIP This walk can be done in conjunction with Divar Walk 1

Take the ferry from St Catherine Quay or from Ribander and start, once again,

from Our Lady of Piety Church. The view from the church is one of the most

spectacular you can find in Goa. Go down the slope towards Christopher Kit

Heredias house, 19, Saudades, and then to the temple on the hill. Allow yourself

to get spooked by the two banyan trees at the foot of the temple. I remember

visiting these two trees as a child, says Kit. My favourite story is about the

manservant who was once despatched with a large jackfruit on his head to a

neighbours place one evening. He came back, with the jackfruit undelivered,

terror stricken saying that the banyan tree ghost had pushed him off the road.

What had happened was that the rope that tied the fruit had come loose, fallen on

the man and tripped him. So much for the banyan tree ghost!

Even so, nobody in the village (except perhaps Kit) dares to go past the two

banyan trees after dark. Past the trees and Kits home, turn left towards the

panchayat of Malar or St Matias. Take a look at St Matias Church and the row of

houses on the street in its neighbourhood of Amboi. Every family home on this

street carries the name Menezes. It is possible that all the families in this village

ward were converted to Christianity in one mass and given the same surname.

Perhaps they took their surname from a wealthy sponsor who paid for the

ceremony synonymous with the conversions. Or perhaps they took their surname

from the parish priest who effected these conversions.

This article a ppears in Outl ook Travelle r Getaways Goa State Gui de. For more about the book, andmore excerpts, click here.

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