Goa
Goa 1
Title and authorship of the original article(s)
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Understanding Goa By Rabail Qadeer Baig, Dawn, January 14, 2007 |
This is a newspaper article selected for the excellence of its content. |
AN ancient Konkani saying goes, “Goa tum Roma Udentichem” meaning “Goa, you are the Rome of the East”. One can only agree. Goa is a haven of beautiful islands and exotic beaches. And like they say, throw a stone behind your back in Goa and you would either hit a musician or a tourist. Goa is India’s smallest yet most internationally renowned state for it provides over 50 miles of beautiful, warm, inviting sandy beaches on the Arabian Sea. While Goa’s cities, inland scenery, food and culture are all worth visiting, Goa’s beaches attract hundreds of thousands of foreign and domestic tourists each year, making it one of the most popular holiday destinations.
So here’s a little bit about the land of islands. With a population of 1.344 million residents, making it India’s fourth smallest, the state is divided into two districts: North Goa and South Goa. Besides its beautiful beaches, Goa has a long rich history stretching back to the 3rd century BC. It is also known for its world heritage architecture, of which the Bom Jesus Basilica is the most famous. The church is located in Old Goa and has emerged as a landmark in the history of Christianity for it contains the body of St Francis Xavier –– a member of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). Once every decade, the body is taken down for worship and for public viewing. The last such event was in 2004.
Goa has been invaded many a time and the invaders can be described as the Portuguese, the Indians, the loud tourists from the North of India, the crowd that suddenly appears in large numbers on the weekends, and the rich from big cities like Mumbai and Delhi who are literally gorging on property in Goa. Each of them, however, has left a mark on Goa, though it is the Portuguese colonial influence that is foremost in the popular imagination. Apart from that, Goa also has rich flora and fauna owing to its location.
A native of Goa is called a Goan in English. Western English songs have a large following in most parts of Goa. Traditional Konkani folk songs too have a sizable following. Manddo, the traditional Goan music which originated in the 19th century, is sung and danced on special occasions. Goa is also known for its Goa trance music.
Jerry Pinto’s Reflected in Water is a mesmerising compilation of short stories, poems, essays and extracts from various published works which bring out the real Goa, which is more than just the world’s favourite holiday destination –– the Goa we hardly know.
“Goa has surprised me … I know that each time I leave, I feel I have left a little of me behind,” writes Pinto in his introduction to the book. With writings, both old and new, by 44 different writers, the book gathers together interesting historical, autobiographical and anecdotal pieces on Goa.
It begins with an eccentric yet captivating Konkani song, representing an attractive mixture of folk culture and western music. The first essay is on how the Indians got rid of the Portuguese nearly five decades ago, and how some of the natives still resent them for they hold in their hearts the memories of the ancient regime.
William Dalrymple rediscovers the remnants of “one of the greatest cities of the Renaissance world” during his conversation with the ancient Donna Georgina, resident of Lutolim, a small village in Goa. “We Goans have a different mentality, a different language, a different culture,” she rails to the bemused British author. One can also find extracts from the works of 16th-century voyager John Huyghen van Linschoten, along with the writings of the 19th-century Orientalist Richard Burton.
The most interesting is a story-cum-comic-strip –– ‘Three Goan death stories’ –– told by some “old crone”, in which three women die horrific yet comical deaths.
Reflected in Water brings to life both the natural beauty and the changing social and political philosophy of Goa. “The azure seas of Goa yield a variety of fresh, tasty seafood and fish. With a pleasant climate and diverse flora and fauna, Goa is a haven of peace and a mix of laziness and nonchalance, a mixture of the past and the future, where beautiful palm-fringed beaches glitter on its shores. Flouring plants and trees grow lush, verdant and fast. Fat ripe fruits like mangoes, papayas, cajus and many others abound,” writes Anibal da Costa, in ‘A Goan potpourri’. Some of the writings also portray the Goans to be very warm, passionate and hospitable people who know their rich historical background and celebrate the beauty and richness of their home. Like they say, you can take the Goan out of Goa but you can’t take Goa out of the Goan.
From Mario Cabral e Sa’s amusing take on the earliest Portuguese women to come to India to Gita Mehta’s description of hippies at Calangute, the book takes the reader on a trip down Old Goa. Prabhakar S. Angle’s essay ‘Misunderstanding Goa’ makes for interesting reading as well. Angle lists all the common mistaken beliefs about Goa which include “overemphasis on the Portuguese connection and the clichéd images” that make it to the media, for example the drinking, the leisurely lifestyles and, most of all, the fun-loving nature of the natives. From Alexander Frater’s interesting account of Goa in the monsoon to Manohar Malgonkar’s limerick about the Mangeshi temple, this compilation marks the “irreverent and the sacred” in equal measure.
Teotonia R. de Souza’s profile of the little-known “opium smuggler who tried to liberate Goa” is as captivating as Frederick Noronha’s portrait of Abbé Faria, 18th-century priest, mesmerist and revolutionary, and one of the region’s most famous sons.
Delightful essays, lyrical poetry and captivating fiction as fascinating as Goa itself are what make Reflected in Water unputdownable. Goa is not only beautiful but also a culturally and historically rich state which is reflected in the thoughts and writings in this compilation. The book is definitely not for someone planning a vacation or a honeymoon to Goa, for it brings out various cultural and social aspects which are more disturbing than mesmerising. ________________________________________
Reflected in Water: Writings on Goa Edited by Jerry Pinto Penguin India www.penguinbooksindia.com ISBN 0-14310-081-5 295pp. Indian Rs395
