This is the launch of a new series – the photographic documentation of the ancient Vetal idols of Goa. A few images have been included in earlier posts; those and the ones to follow are now consolidated at this link. In the village of Amona, the idol is fitted with a gleaming shell and wrapped…
In Hindu tradition, Nagesh is a manifestation of Lord Shiva, and one of the 12 jyotirlingas. The ancient shrine of Nagesh in the village of Bandivade (also known as Bandode) in Goa probably dates as far back as the 5th C. Its interior location saved it from the depredations of the early Portuguese conquests. Historically…
Greetings to all on the occasion of Diwali. This year the Hindu Festival of Lights falls on October 26. Hindu tradition admits several interpretations of Diwali. All of them project a unified theme, one of renewal and optimism, symbolizing the triumph of the human spirit over the forces of darkness. In Goa, we have historically…
In the Valþjófsdal valley in Önundarfjörður in the Westfjords of Iceland. Originally built in 1886, the church was redone in 1978.
The Church of St Anne, located in the village of Talaulim not far from Panjim, is the most imposing church in Goa. Its architectural style is classified as Indian Baroque (vide Churches of Goa by José Pereira, Oxford University Press, 2002), and was conceived by Father Francisco do Rego who traced his roots to a…
