Goa's Heritage "When one thinks of Culture and Heritage of Goa, a whole lot of thoughts flood the mind. Over the years, I have interacted with fellow Goans both in Goa as well as those scattered in different parts of the world," says MATHANY SALDANHA, who has been in the forefront every agitation to protect Goa and all that forms its part. This article is an extract from his paper presented at the International Goan Convention.
My observation is that most of the Goans live very individualistically, like little islands of families interacting merely with people belonging to the same strata of society, or shall we call it caste, fcometting that first of all we all belong to that great, collective family of Goans, irrespective of caste, creed or for that matter, where we live. Caste, ironically, is one aspect of our cultural heritage which seems to be vibrant and well preserved today. The well entrenched caste system, which we inherited from our forefathers, is overtly and covertly followed by all Goans irrespective of religion. This, in my opinion, is the strongest and most compelling reason for the sad fragmentation and disintegration of the greater community of Goans--Hindus or Christians. This aspect of our cultural heritage is one of the greatest hurdles to the fostering of unity and homogenous identity of our community. It is a sad fact that most issues in Goa are looked at through the tinted glasses of casteism. The next most important cultural tie amongst Goans, which provides them with identity and bonding, is the language of the land--our Maimbhas Konkani. It is an inescapable historical fact, that throughout the ages Goa has been ruled by alien regimes, all of whom attempted to impose their own language on the Goans. It is also a sad fact that the Goans, with their impressionable minds, were not able to withstand this linguistic hegemony. This is one of the main causes why the Konkani language and identity does not enjoy its rightful place in the sun today. The different periods in our history have all left their repective legacies, which hav become a part and parcel of our culture and heritage. After all, culture and heritage are that which are handed down to us by our ancestors over the ages till date. It is the evidence of the past portraying the characteristic of its time. It is a source of knowledge and information of the lifestyles, attitudes and achievements of our ancestors. As Ketak S Nachinolkar, an architect specialising in conservation, rightly says, "Heritage is a resource and a source of knowledge, greatly responsible for the evolution of the society to present times." Heritage--natural, built up and cultural--has left its mark through times immemorial. In fact, this heritage, which includes a fusion of the Portuguese and Indian cultures, makes Goa unique. The multi-cultural history of Goa, which cannot be denied nor ignored, is what makes Goa significantly different from any other part of India and gives the Goan his special identity. Heritage is that which is inherited by man over a period of not just hundreds and thousands of years but tens of thousands of years. And this includes the natural and man made heritage. Coming down to the natural heritage of Goa, we possess the gifts of nature such as its navigable rivers, bottle-green hills, fertile plains, lush forests, sand beaches, the azure sea, clean air and water. In fact, the first impressive sights on arrival in Goa are the evergreen palm trees and the beaches which are comparable to some of the best known beaches in the world.
We tend to fcomet, sometimes deliberately, that heritage and culture are the pride of our land and it is what differentiates us from others. In fact, our very survival depends on the conservation of our heritage, especially with respect to the natural resources. Conservation of our heritage is not a fad but the need of the hour. The hills--an essential feature of Goa's scenic beauty--were destroyed by excavation for the earth required for raising the embankments for the Konkan Railway. The Konkan Railway also destroyed paddy fields and khazan lands. The massive destruction could have been avoided merely by taking the railway route through the hinterland, as demanded by the people of Goa. Even today, hills are being ruthlessly excavated to fill up low-lying areas to make way for construction sites. No care whatsoever is taken to see that the topography is restored by planting trees to avoid further erosion and landslides. Another major human activity that contributes to a great extent to the destruction of our hills is mining, whose rejects are being washed into cultivable fields and rivers during the monsoons, destroying agricultural land and causing siltation of the rivers. At Kolomb in Sanguem the mining slurry flows towards the Kushavati into the fields cultivated by the Velip (tribals) during monsoons. This has destroyed cultivation--their sole source of livelihood. Today, Goa's forests are destroyed not by tribal Kumeri cultivators but by forest contractors and corrupt politicians. It is appalling to find that 30% of the forest cover of Goa has now been reduced to approximately 19% due to this activity. Teak trees, which are more than 500 years old and are definitely a part of our natural heritage and hence protected by the forest residents for centuries, have been felled flagrantly in Cotigao. Rare species of plants brought into Goa by the Portuguese include amla, jagoma, kormal, custard apple, etc. By a long process of cross-breeding and grafting Goa produced different varieties of mangoes. This segment of our heritage is slowly becoming extinct.
Industrial estates are mindlessly created in the midst of residential areas, posing a serious threat to life and environment for quick gains. These evils can be avoided and our heritage protected very simply, by laying down definite criteria in regard to the choice of industries which are to be permitted in the State, after considering the smallness of the State. The siting of these industries should be away from human habitation. As an unpleasant fallout of indiscriminate industrialisation a growth of slums all around the industrial estates, now forms a very vivid but most undesirable addition to our heritage on public and Comunidade land. Another part of our vital natural heritage--the rivers and the sea-too needs adequate protection. However, imprudent dumping of effluents and and release of sewage into the water bodies goes on abatedly in Goa. Many species of shell fish are already extinct from the Mandovi and Zuari rivers. This is often attributed to both mining and industrial effluents. Oil spills by anchored ships at Mormugao Harbour also play their part in polluting the water bodies. "MV River Princess" is another ticking bomb where our natural heritage is concerned. It has been predicted that future wars will be fought for water. Goa is endowed with abundant ground water resources thanks to its undulating topography and the forest cover of the land. Our forefathers conserved these vital elements, ensuring that these resources were not exploited indiscriminately. But today the all sorts of factories in Goa's various industrial estates suck the ground dry without any thought given to its replenishment. The natural growth rate of Goa's population is the lowest, comparable to 0-level growth rate of Scandinavian countries. Yet the ever-growing population of new settlements creates a lot of comanic waste, which is pumped into the ground in the form of septic tanks, without are dug up without a thought for the conservation of ground water purity. The only reason for this is the lack of long term planning in developing proper sewage system and treatment plants, especially in the densely populated areas like the major towns and the coastal areas of Goa. Goa is blessed with endless stretches of golden, sun-soaked sands and sky-blue waters. This is part of our heritage, to be enjoyed by the young and the old. Goa's 100-km coastline consists of a series of long, undulating beaches separated by rocky headlands and the estuaries of rivers and backed by lush coconut plantations. However, in the name of development or under the garb of tourism, inspite of the CRZ notifications, encroachments on the beach land continue and the greatest predators are the five-star beach resorts. The latest move of the BJP-led government, is to privatize Ga's prime beaches for commercial purposes, starting with the Miramar beach. This is being done in the name of beach management, with the main stated objective being to clean and preserve the pristine nature of the beach. However, a careful analysis of the Project Plan reveals that the true objective is the outright commercialisation of the beach. The Government plans to permit the private company to remove natural vegetation, grow lawns, construct jogging and cycling tracks, bathing rooms, toilets, entertainment parks, restaurants, security structures and parking areas on the beach. This may attract a lot of visitors for temporary gains to the State but will obviously destroy the sand dunes and reduce the beach area, totally changing the natural environment and the local ecology. Progress and development should not be opposed per se. However, it is to be seen that the need of the hour is to set up a systematic and planned development, with due respect to the laws of conservation of our natural heritage. We have the Town and Country Planning Act 1974, the CRZ notifications and other innumerable laws and regulations, which empower the Government to ensure the planned development of the State without compromising its natural resources and heritage. We even have a Regional Plan to regulate development, but unfortunately its amended time and again to fulfill the vested interests. Built Heritage Goa's distant historical past is said to have begun around 2000 BC, when the Neolithic settler dwelt in rocky caverns and used stone axes as implements. Then followed the Buddhist influence around 200 AD. The later dynasties were the Kadambas, the Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas and the Shilaharas from 540 to 1008 AD. The Muslim interlude lasted from 1310 to 1367. Then followed the Hindu revival from 1367 to 1472 under Harihara, the Emperor of Vijaynagar. Under the Vijayanagar kings, Goa flourished commercially. Subsequently, followed the Bahamani invasion until in 1489 when Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur ruled the island of Goa and in 1510 Afonso de Albuquerque gained possession of Goa. The Portuguese enjoyed their unyielding hold on Goa for four-and-a-half centuries, until 1961. And now, after ousting the Portuguese, we have experienced, for the first time, 40 years of our own, Goan rule. The purpose of mentioning the various historical periods is to emphasise the fact that the Goan culture and heritage is an outcome of a range of varied influences. The khazan lands, the salt pans, the Comunidades, ancient houses, historical institutions and monuments, Buddhist caves, temples, churches, chapels, mosques, etc are all a part of our built or man-made heritage. The architecture of the colonial period, important events and individuals, whose lives and actions have shaped the history and culture of Goa, also forms a part of this heritage. The khazan lands are a total creation of man, and trace their origins even before the onset of the colonial period. They have been built over a period of time by constructing bandhs and waterways, controlled and regulated by sluice gates in order to keep out the saline water and thereby increase the area of cultivation. The khazan lands were properly cared for by the Comunidades and used exclusively for the sole purpose of cultivation and for the catch of fish. The introduction of the Land to the Tiller Act changed this forever. By that Act, the land was handed over to the tiller, without any safeguards or assurances that the land would be used for the purpose it was meant, namely aquaculture farms. The Konkan Railway is also partly responsible for this destruction. It may be recalled that khazan lands also helped to develop the salt production economically, and Goa was known as one of the major suppliers of salt to distant lands like Japan. Today, Goa's salt industry has been virtually viped out. The Comunidade system originated in the State of Goa much before the advent of the Portuguese and stood the test of time by fulfilling the needs of the village community in terms of food production, housing, maintenance of temples and churches, desilting of waterways, maintenance of bandhs and many other functions. But faulty, short-sighted and populist legislation like Land to the Tiller Act, amendments to the Code of Comunidades to legalise encroachments, etc, has made this age-old useful, heritage institution of Goa non-functional and impotent. Some of the ancient houses in Goa, specially those having the well-known "rozangon", are heritage houses and need to be preserved. Several palatial houses of the colonial period which adorn almost all the villages of Goa, are in a state of decay. Many of them are demolished due to lack of finance for their maintenance. Though there are conservation zones declared by the government, such as Fontainhas in Panjim, the Church Square in Margao and others, all of these face a similar plight. These houses should be free from Rent Control Act in order to make it viable for the owners to maintain the houses. They should be permitted to carry out internal modifications, without disturbing the external façade of the structures, thus preserving the architectural heritage of the land. Yet another solution to this would be to provide financial assistance for their restoration. These mansions could be then converted into guesthouses, which in turn would generate revenue for the State as is done in most parts of the world. Being dotted with churches and temples, Goa has often been called the 'Rome of the East' and the 'Kashi of the South'. Some of the temples, here are over a thousand years old, like the Shiva temple at Tambdi Surla in Sanguem, so also the one located at Opa in Ponda and another in Kurdi in Sanguem belong to the Kadamba period, and many others. Similarly, we have the Buddhist caves that need to be taken care of. The innumerable churches and chapels in Goa are unique examples of intricate and different architectures--Manuelline, Mannerist, Rennaissance and Baroque. Many of the chapels, being non-functional, are also in the process of decay. These forms of architecture influenced the domestic architecture in later stages, combining with the native forms thus creating its own identity. Fundacao Oriente (Goa) needs to be highly commended for its serious efforts in restoring and preserving the heritage of Goa in a systematic and scientific manner. It is not enough to merely restore or conserve these structures. The Planning Department has to designate areas around thee heritage structures as preservation zones and impose restrictions upon building of any modern structures/buildings in these areas. Goa has a large number of forts at strategic points like the Fort Aguada, Reis Magos Fort, the Fort located at Cabo de Rama, Tiracol Fort and many others built during different periods by different rulers in Goa. Some of these forts can and should be restored to preserve the historical heritage of Goa. Most of the present old Government buildings, including the former Goa Medical College, Provedoria, Customs House and the Secretariat (Adil Shah's palace) are historical institutions, where pioneering activities in Asia were conducted. Historical monuments, buildings, and houses of historical personages need to be restored and conserved to give a sense of continuity, identity and pride to the Goan community, which has evolved under their influence. The houses of personages like the Ranes in Sanquelim, Pintos house at Candolim, Francisco Luis, Gomes, TB Cunha, Daji Bhau Laad, Varde Valaulikar, Juliao Menezes, Jack de Sequeira, Dayanand Bandodkar and many others need to be preserved and many of them to be restored as these are connected to inspiring historical personalities and events in Goa's checkered history, greatly responsible for the Goa of today. Many of these personages ought to be the role models for our society today and inspire a sense of pride in each and every Goan, particularly our youth. One cannot deny nor discard them as these monuments all played a role in the historical evolution of Goa.
Heritage as a subject is vast. However, conserving the heritage means preserving our past, which is greatly responsible for our present identity and has a meaningful bearing on our future too. Moreover, Goa has opted for tourism as its major industry and source of economic activity. Hence heritage conservation will help boost this industry, generate employment, enrich Goa in its cultural aesthetics and most importantly, inculcate a sense of pride in the people of the land. The protection of heritage has to be a combined effort of the government and the people. For this, it is imperative to impart the knowledge of the history of the land and the need for conservation of the heritage right from the school level. About the Author:
Bibliography: |
WHEN one thinks of Culture and Heritage of
Goa, a whole lot of thoughts flood the mind. Over the years, I have
interacted with fellow Goans both in Goa as well as those scattered
in different parts of the world.
It is from
these natural resources that various traditional occupations and
crafts of the land have evolved. You have Goans who are farmers,
fishermen, carpenters, masons, toddy tappers, potters, bamboo
craftsmen, miners, etc. These occupations were conducted with the
greatest respect to the concept of the conservation of nature. This
is evident from the fact that Goa remained pristine form from times
immemorial until recently. However, in our desire to achieve
development and progress to fulfil the ever increasing needs and
greed of man and society, we have gone ahead and forsaken old
traditions without a thought for the protection and conservation of
our natural resources and heritage.