Legend has it that a group of sages on the island of Divar in Goa undertook penance to propitiate Shiva. It took seven crore (sapta-kot) years for the Great Yogi to take notice of their exertions. When He finally showed up, the sages petitioned Him to take up residence in the village of Naroa (also…
The Church of Nossa Senhora de Saúde (Our Lady of Health) in the village of Sancoale, Goa, was built in 1606 and destroyed in a fire in 1834. All that remains today is the shell of its façade. It enjoys a delightful setting by the Zuari river, and the ruins provide clues to what must…
The mere mention of jackfruit stirs fond childhood memories of Goan summers. The baby jackfruit meant breakfast to us brats unshackled from the tyranny of the school year. You slit the fruit open with your hands, scooped up the fleshy nuggets and then spat out the seed. The Konkani word for jackfruit is the same…
In one short verse, the great Goan poet Bakibab Borkar (1910-1984) captured the essence of what it means to be Goan1: Please Sir, God of Death Don’t make it my turn today, not today There’s fish curry for dinner. [1] Great Goans by Mario Cabral e Sa and Lourdes Bravo Da Costa, N.N.A.P. Publications, 1991….
These are candids of Goan ladies taken during a leisurely morning spent in the villages of Narve and Chorão.
