These images made at daybreak on the Chapora river in the Goan village of Colvale exude an air of serenity. Mornings here are indeed refreshingly calm and punctuated by birdsong. But they also reveal a dark side. Seen on the canoes are the hordes of migrant labour brought in by the criminals builders to service Goa‘s destruction construction boom. This sand mining of the river bed has already destroyed the fragile riparian ecology.

Mornin' on River Chapora, Goa
5D Mark II, 135L

Sand mining
5D Mark II, 135L

Colvale
5D Mark II, 135L

Ensconced in an orchard in the Goan village of Advalpal, an old and precious temple of Hanuman lies in a state of criminal neglect. Physical decay of the structure has taken hold, inside and out. This corrosion of the land’s cultural soul is a corollary to the ecocide underway in Goa.

Inside the shrine an exquisite image of Maruti greets the visitor. But there is more – the entire temple is embellished with kaavi (sgraffito) and represents one of the finest examples of its kind in Goa, as seen in the photographs below.

Ravaged by destructive mining the settlement of Advalpal is under severe pressure from rapacious miners and their political enablers. The future of this temple is highly uncertain – it is located on private property and the owner has had ‘offers’.

Hanuman of Advalpal, Goa
5D, 85L II

Hanuman temple in Advalpal, Goa
5D, 24-105L

Kaavi art on temple façade
5D, 24-105L