Page 29 - FlipBook

Experience a unique blend of east meets west in Goa, the sun-soaked western state where Indian culture intertwines with centuries of Portuguese influence. India’s smallest state, laid back Goa is loved by the young, the retired, honeymooners and families from across India and around the world
for its beaches, lush landscape, temples, churches, fascinating architecture and rich flora and fauna. Tourism is Goa’s major industry, but its original charms are intact if you know where to look.
By Anne Chamberlain
This page clockwise: Tropical view to the Sweet Lake on Arambol beach at purple sky in Goa. Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Old Goa, India. The only remaining Mahadev temple the XIII century in Tambdi Surla.
LAYERS OF HISTORY:
The streetscapes and architecture hint at Goa’s history, but head to a museum for
a deeper insight. Traditional Goa is best represented at the private museum Goa Chitra in the coastal village of Benaulim, with more than 4,000 implements, tools and items that evolved over centuries in households, farming and traditional trades. Museum founder Victor Hugo Gomes has collected, saved and salvaged examples
of local pottery, farming tools, musical instruments, kitchen utensils, altarpieces, ancient carts and palanquins. Hundreds
of tillage implements point to the time when agriculture was Goa’s mainstay. The grounds showcase vegetables, herbs, spices, sugarcane, and rice, allowing visitors to comprehend the use of old technology
and artefacts on display. Even the complex housing this precious collection has been built from salvaged materials from 300 demolished old Goan houses.
For hours and directions: www.goachitra.com
In contrast, find artefacts from the Portuguese rule of Goa and from pre-historic to late medieval periods in the Archaeological Museum in the convent of the church of St. Francis of Assisi. Set up by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the museum displays portraits of governors and viceroys, wooden sculptures, pillars, architectural pieces and other objects from the Portuguese period, including two very large bronze statues and Portuguese firearms, swords and daggers. Treasures also include sculpture fragments from Hindu temple sites.
asi.nic.in OPEN: 10-5. Closed Friday
For an insight into Goa’s Hindu history,
visit the only remaining temple of its type that survived demolition by Muslim and Portuguese occupiers – the Hindu Shri Mahadeva Temple at Tambdi Surla, 12km north of Molem. The oldest temple in Goa, this example of 12th-century Kadamba- Yadava architecture has survived in almost perfect condition in its remote jungle setting in the Mollem National Park at the foot of the Western Ghats. In lush green surrounds in a clearing next to a stream, a visit to
this small, beautifully carved and perfectly
ENDLESS VACATION 29