Today, our last day in Goa, had so many wonderful moments.
The day started early for our booked heritage walking tour with the company Make It Happen. I totally recommend them should you ever want a tour in Goa. Like Khaki tours in Mumbai, their mission is to connect Indians and others to the history and heritage of the area. We learned many more details about the history of Goa from our guide, Hinaz.
The area was ruled by the Bahamani Muslim kingdom before the Portuguese arrived to build the spice trade, gain power, and spread Catholicism. Initially the Portuguese were willing to work with the kingdom, but were rebuffed, hence the battle for control which Portugal won in 1510. Historically, Goa has always been a powerful trade center starting at least in the 4th century when the Bahamani kingdom traded with the Arab world: spices for horses. Horses were in high demand due to all the turf wars, but did not handle the climate of India well. Archaeologists have discovered 900 horse stables in Old Goa (reasons to return keep adding up!). Hinaz had a funny joke about the Portuguese in India, they were very stubborn: the first to arrive and the last to leave’! Adding to my knowledge of how Goa joined India, I learned Nehru sent troops in 1967 which ‘convinced’ the Portuguese to leave. Goans did participate in the earlier Independence Movement (but were not able to get Portuguese to leave) and when the Portuguese left, residents were about 60/40 in favor of the move.
With many Portuguese arriving in Goa (by the way, the word Goa means ‘new’ in Portuguese), the problems of Europe became the problems of India with the huge influx of people resulting in overpopulation and all the expected problems, especially the Plague when the population of Old Goa went from 200,000 to 20,000. The government forced the move to Panjim and while there was resistance at first, the ‘incentives’ (including burning homes) were strong enough to ‘persuade’ everyone. People had to abandon everything and arrived penniless and without homes, resulting in many residents returning to salvage what they could from burned out homes.
The Mandovi River is called the Great River because so much local industry depends on it (fishing and farming) and the river allows for the critical ecological balance. Originally Panjim was marshy, and the land was reclaimed and built to resemble Lisbon (that would be the part on the hill where the nobles lived). On the flats near the river, Carmelite priests leased the land to carpenters, fishermen, etc. but did so in a disorganized manner which is why the old part of town is so haphazard – but a lot more fun to walk through! The name of Panjim was found on Sanskrit stone belonging to the Kanandum dynasty and means ‘the city that never floods’, hence the name change. And yes, the city has lots of floods during Monsoon season!
We met Hinaz at the local post office which shares a zip code with the Indian station in Antarctica (a nod to their homeland by Indian scientists). The post office is located on Ghandi Road, a road name every city has. Located in Tobacco Square, where tobacco trading happened, the post office is a now a smoke free zone!
Across the road we looked at the Diaz house, which was originally the coin mint, but now is owned by one of the original families of Panjim. The original Diaz was a farmer who wanted to be a doctor. To curry favor with the Portuguese he converted to Catholicism in 1904 and was sent to Lisbon to study medicine. Upon returning he did a lot to benefit his community, from founding the oldest medical college in Goa to bringing modern medical treatments. His methods and diligence were responsible for getting rid of the Plague in Panjim, the first city in the area to do so. Almost every decedent since him are doctors who like to marry doctors….as Hinaz told us.
This chapel is dedicated to St. Thomas the Apostle, built in 1814. St. Thomas proselytized in this area around 52 AD and was martyred in another part of India in 72 AD. He is considered the Patron Saint of India.
We then started learning about the architecture of Panjim. Why do so in front of a run-down home? Because many of the lovely homes in Panjim have a ‘do not photograph’ sign. Why would one do this when living in such a picturesque city? Because certain tourists have been known to peek into private homes, enter homes to explore, disrupt the peace and quiet, as well as block roads and walkways to take selfies. Since learning this, I respected the ‘do not photo’ signs.
Slave trade was big in Goa back in the day and the molded roof tiles were shaped on the calves of young male slaves. Knowing this took away some the charm for me. Since that style of tile broke easily, another style was developed.
A typical home of the wealthy will have large windows and ornate designs and motifs. Houses with fish and floral motifs mean they once belonged to a very wealthy family. The rising sun is another popular motif.
Tidbit: Cashews were brought here by Portuguese from Brazil to help with soil erosion!
Grotto altars are very common for worshiping and this tradition started when believers couldn’t go to the crowded church during the plague. The tradition of passersby praying to these altars continues to this day. Even Hinaz, who is Muslim, was told by her mother to pray to St. Anthony of Padua when she lost something, as he is the patron saint of lost items. During the annual festival of St. Anthony, the entire city is closed and the whole community comes together to honor and celebrate. This happens mid-June so off my tour list, but maybe on yours?
Note the sign…this whole area is supposed to be vehicle free, even for residents….being India, you can see how well the rule is adhered to:
Over time, smoking balconies evolved into end-to-end porches with supporting beams. Many of these homes have courtyards in the center (as the name of our restaurant last night implied). This house, which I photographed the day before, belongs to a prominent family. One of the ancestors made sure Goans had civil rights during Portuguese rule. Antonio Xavier Gomes Periera a used pen name when writing and was also devout Ghandhi follower (there is a bust of him in their courtyard). When Ghandhi was assassinated, there was a distribution of his ashes. This man fought long and hard to get some ashes (refused since Goa was not a part of India) but he persisted and received them, scattering them on the Mandovi River. He died in 1957, just short of learning Goa got the independence he fought so valiantly for.
Original homes had windows with shells. This was used because glass was very expensive and imported. The shells would allow the light to go through and made a beautiful ambience in the room, but also gave you a lot of privacy. It’s not allowed to be used anymore because these particular oysters are endangered species (only found in the Phillippines and India). The irony is that now glass is so cheap, and the shell is so expensive.
Next up was a visit to the oldest bakery in the area, opened in 1930, where the wood fire oven is still used. This gem is hidden behind a store but there is a sign directing you, the name being Confeitaria de 31 de Janeiro. We were given 5 traditional Goan sweets to try, all of which were delicious.
Starting at the top going clockwise: 1. Perad (brown colored) is a jelly type treat made from Guava. It is also known as Guava Cheese and can also be made from jackfruit or mangoes. 2. The black Pinag (which looked least appetizing but was tasty) is make of chick peas, cardamom, coconut and palm jaggery that gives it a bit of a molasses taste. This is traditionally used at weddings. 3. Bolinha is a traditional Goan cookie made from coconut, semolina, eggs and cardamom. 4. Then comes Lynn’s favorite, the local version of a coconut macaroon. 5. Last is Doce de Grao, which is made from coconut and chana dal (split Bengal gram flour, whatever THAT is!), with cardamom and is considered like a fudge.
Roosters are seen all over Panjim and are the national animal of Portugal. There is a lovely myth associated with them, about a man who was wrongly accused of a crime and the judge, who was in the middle of a meal didn’t want to be bothered and just ordered him to be hung. The man said, ‘I am as innocent as rooster on your table and as I am hung, this rooster will come to life to prove to all of you that I am innocent’. Of course, everyone laughing at him, but later during the meal the rooster crowed three times and disappeared. The judge ran to free the man, and while he had alsready been hung, he was alive due to a poorly tied noose.
Now we were walking on a quiet, back street called Rua de Natal. The road, obviously, was inaugurated for Christmas and so every year the families host a big Christmas festival. There are 70 homes on the street, so you have a turn every 70 years. There is a lot of competition to make it an amazing event.
The next part of the tour consisted of two magical moments. First was visiting the 187-year-old house, still owned by the original family. It was built in 1837, the first two story house in the area. At the time it had unobstructed views. There are gun holes for protection and defense – but not on the back wall of the house because it was facing the hill! This family owned the first pharmacy in Panjim and were politicians. The house is like a museum, filled with antiques, including furniture from Macau due all the trade. Since were allowed to take photos I indulged because I want to remember all the stunning items they live with!
The tour focused on the main room and balcony.
Being able to look closely at the shell windows was fascinating, especially as one got a sense of the ambiance the light gave a room, as was learning that the way the kitchen window opens (sliding up) is the original design and never needs repairing!
The family is extremely proud of their house altar.
The host makes his own wine, which we were able to taste. The first, made from Jamul, tasted like a nice port and the second, made from Kokum, had an interesting flavor. I bought one of each and have been slowly enjoying them!
And then… it got even better. On the balcony we were given some Kokum juice to drink and had a special treat – a mini concert by this friend of the host who sings and plays the guitar (in 9 languages!). He has performed around the world and recently won a local contest. It was magical and I took some videos to remember this moment. I hope the specialness of the performance comes across.
The last part of our tour was visiting a small gallery called Fundacao Oriente, honoring the local artist Antonio Xavier Trindade (1870-1935). This is reason #6 why I want to return, to spend quality time in this museum (we were way over our allotted tour time). His most compelling works focused on common people. The additional bonus was his daughter Angela Trindade’s (1909-1980) work was exhibited here as well, and one could see the evolution of her style which started by mimicking her father’s style and then her style evolved into spectacular pieces that combined cultures (a theme of hers). For example, using an Indian style on Christian themes and portraits and evolving her style to include Abstract Expressionism. She was the first woman to be a professional artist in India. Apologies for the poor quality of these photos but we were rushing.
We parted ways with our exceptional guide and headed for a traditional Goan meal. On our way to lunch, luck was on our side. Up until now all the chapels and churches were closed so we were not able to enter. At the exact moment we walked by St. Sebastian’s church (probably for the 10th time) a tour group was going inside…it was opened for them. We immediately went in and enjoyed this lovely chapel. Earlier in the tour Hinaz taught us this chapel was built in 1849 and was moved to its currently location piece by piece. It is famous for the Crucifixion statue with Jesus’ eyes open. Very powerful.
On a sadder note, we learned that during the Inquisition (it happened later here) Goans were forcibly converted. Some practiced their religions secretly but were discovered and killed. At least 16,000 Goans were murdered this way. During earlier difficult times many persecuted Jewish families moved to Goa but then all the synagogues were destroyed, none remain.
Viva Pankim is situated in a heritage house and is a family run business. I was hoping for some more crab, but the delivery man was on his way and wouldn’t arrive for 30 minutes. So I opted for traditional Panjim fish curry (which was delicious and made to my level of spice).
At this point, Lynn and I separated to do the last items on our to-do list. Mine was to visit the Goan history museum and buy some pottery.
When I arrived at the museum, it was closed for lunch (opening in 10 minutes). I think the guards felt bad for me and said could start looking around. I limited myself to the first hall, which was situated next to the entry door. Once the opening time arrived, I walked up to the desk only to find out entry was free! The only requirement was to sign the register and explain why you are visiting the museum. While a tiny museum, I feel it did a good job of giving a glimpse into the culture and history of the region.
The first two rooms focused on ancient and pre-Portuguese Goa, with lovely stone and wood carvings.
Sati stones are memorials to the widows of warriors killed in battle who sit on top of their husband’s funeral pyre. Sad.
Recently carvings from the Stone Mesolithic Ages have been discovered in Goa. Reason #7 to return!
The next room focused on glimpsed into Goan culture (pre the Portuguese era).
These wooden pillars are from the 1800s.
I learned the drum I saw at the house is called a Ghumat.
I loved these small statuettes.
The next section of the museum focused on ‘the Portuguese Phase’ with household and life items, as well as relics related to the Church. I found some of the religious carvings to be stunning, a unique naïve style. I wonder if it is unique to the area or era?
The last room was dedicated to the Independence Movement and contained some powerful photos. There was also this cool, old lottery draw ‘machine’.
I relished my walk to the pottery store (located next to the hotel) knowing this was my last glimpse of Panjim. Included in these photos is some fascinating information about the pottery I purchased and that I noticed the store has an old, shell door!
On the way to the airport, we asked the driver to take us around the hillside, where the previous nobles lived. We saw houses looking over the lower city, the archbishop’s palace, and like I saw in Dharmsala, the houses of high ranking government officials identified.
The ride to the airport hinted at how far we will fly to Mumbai….and a sweet reminder of this lovely place.
The 8th and 9th reasons why I want to return to Goa: Joseph’s Bar, a landmark we passed but should have entered which has a drink called the Rosa. If you’re a woman you get a rose plus Joseph is an iconic, award-winning bartender. Plus, there is A LOT more of Goa to see. We just scratched the surface.
As usual I end with the street art of Panjim and the stunning art in the baggage claim area of the Mumbai airport welcoming me ‘home’.
