I showtime visited Goa every bit a pupil of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. The students of exclusively 1 region (Urban as well as Rural Community Development), were privileged a instant written report tour. Almost everyone who heard, including within as well as exterior of TISS chuckled “Goa, yeh, written report tour!?” This close universal expression, nosotros the privileged (URCD-ies) interpreted every bit envy, a instant written report tour that too Goa!
Like many other, the practiced matter nigh the tour was also the background work. We read upwardly Fish Curry as well as Rice past times Claude Alvares, nosotros read upwardly nigh Du Pont as well as the controversial Asia’s largest Nylon 6.6 plant, tourism as well as how it impacts local culture, five-star hotels, as well as what they are doing to the line-fishing based livelihoods, the sea, the waste matter they generate, privatisation of mutual properties similar the body of body of water human face upwardly as well as the beach as well as most importantly the projected icon of Goa “Wine, Women as well as … (song, food, sun, beach, drugs..You rear it), as well as why that is only non right.
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| Paddy Fields inward the rain |
We conduct keep been in that location 1 to a greater extent than fourth dimension after almost to a greater extent than than a decade amongst friends as well as stayed closer to the beach. Contrary to the Sun, Sand as well as the Sea, this fourth dimension nosotros went to experience the rains, forests, rivers as well as peace.
Our see inward early on July was to sentinel it rain. Once you lot dear the rains, you lot volition sentinel them, withdraw heed them as well as experience them rattling differently. The rains modify from identify to place, the audio they brand on the roofs, tin or clay, on rivers, on hills, on roads is thence rattling different. From the tiniest drops that stick to your pilus similar sparkling diamonds, the large fatty drops, to the sheets of pelting that come upwardly crashing downward to encompass the earth, they select such joy as well as happiness.
So, nosotros followed the progress of monsoon (been inspired past times Chasing the Monsoon/ Alexander Frater). Sadly in that location was rattling piddling to follow. It had rained before on, but every bit nosotros got closer to the appointment of travel, in that location was non fifty-fifty every bit much every bit a drizzle, neither inward Hyderabad nor inward Goa! We were waiting similar the Chataka plane (as nosotros telephone telephone it inward Odiya – the cuckoo, Clamator jacobinus), that waits for rains to quench its thirst.
Still, nosotros went amongst hope.
As your cab turns inwards leaving the coastline behind, as well as you lot go into into the inside, curved roads, leaving the urban nub behind, you lot know you lot conduct keep chosen well. The lush greenish of paddy fields, shadowy trees, cashew plants engulfs you lot into a different side of Goa.
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| Arco Iris |
We were staying at a identify called Arco Iris (which is Portuguese for rainbow) at Curtorim. H5N1 200-year-old Portuguese solid renovated every bit a homestay. The solid faces the unending paddy fields. The walk about is surrounded past times similar former houses, some abandoned as well as dilapidated, some locked upwardly as well as some beingness nonetheless lived in, surfacing issues about property, ownership as well as the migratory condition of most of us. We create non know where nosotros belong; whether where nosotros physically are or where our pump yearns to be.
The placidity that our countryside offers is amazing. No audio of vehicles, hardly whatever honking as well as 1 tin walk miles without beingness interrupted past times whatever audio that is non local. There is the local fish man/woman who brings inward fresh fish. There is also the local breadstuff (pui) which is delivered twice daily.
There is a peaceful musical rhythm to life. The paths, the river, the cats, dogs, birds brand for splendid walking as well as living companions.
At Arco Iris, likewise the lovely identify unit of measurement of four, in that location is also Feni, a beautiful Labrador. The showtime fourth dimension she saw us, she barked as well as and thence at nowadays became friends. We also bribed her amongst tiny bits of pui every day, thence that nosotros develop affinity quickly, without wasting the brusk opor-garai fourth dimension of 2 days, expecting she volition come upwardly as well as sit down amongst us inward the balcao as well as walk amongst us.
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| Rain-drenched Sunday |
As it happened, Curtorim is a practiced friend’s hamlet as well as this fact added to the fun, that nosotros were going to survive staying inward her village, walking those same paths! On a Dominicus forenoon nosotros went to run into the former hamlet church, overnice atmosphere of familiarity of Dominicus mass. Since Dominicus is also church building day, when everyone steps out to become to the church, I noticed during our walks, 2 persons on the route who looked mentally challenged. But different inward urban areas, where nosotros run into them uncared for, destitute as well as living off the road, these persons looked similar they were beingness taken tending of. Struck me what nosotros had studied as well as experienced inward community organising (TISS course of pedagogy work) that a unopen knit community takes tending of its difficulties as well as problems together. It may only survive out of charity, but inward a province similar ours, amongst multiple as well as multi-layered issues, nosotros quest to exercise both, Charity as well as Rights.
It rained that night, thence nosotros woke upwardly to the pelting washed surrounding, looking at the plants as well as trees, holding final night’s pelting drops on their leaves. In no time, it poured! Lovely lovely heavy rains! Our friend (Gouthami works on Responsible tourism as well as has laid up, , she suggested experiencing this side of Goa, other than the beach as well as sand) drove us about inward pouring pelting through overnice long undulating empty roads. That displace is etched forever every bit 1 of the bright drives spent inward the rain.
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| Rock Paintings |
Since nosotros were that side, nosotros drove about looking for Usgalimal stone engravings, which is 1 of the most of import prehistoric sites inward western India. When nosotros got there, nigh 1 km downward from the primary route betwixt Rivona to Neturlim, on the banks of river Kushavati, the river was flowing total since the rains, it took us sometime to uncovering the engravings, but every bit shortly every bit nosotros figured out one, nosotros constitute them all! These petroglyphs (rock art) are unopen to 20,000 to 30,000 years former as well as belong to the Upper Palaeolithic or Mesolithic eras. More than 100 distinct figures inward an expanse of 500 sqm, amongst images of bulls, labyrinths as well as human figures are carved on laterite stones. The fun business office was that in that location was nobody around; and jamun (Syzygium cumini) trees inward enough laden amongst fruit, no 1 to consume or guard. Feast!
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| Wonder what they were trying to draw? |
We also stopped at the beautiful Braganza Mansions, nice, former furniture, knick knacks, the mansion presenting bygone days as well as ways of a household.
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| An former bathroom at Braganza Mansion |
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| At Braganza Mansion |
I conduct keep frequently longed for Rain tourism! May survive for us, Rain has come upwardly to hateful either floods, when too much, or drought when none. But to become from identify to place, to survive inward the rains, to cleanse the summertime dust, to create total the lungs amongst the fresh aroma of moisture Earth as well as to sit down downward as well as watch, to balance as well as to survive inward peace, ah!
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| Anu as well as Dilip amongst Feni inward the balcao |
Thanks to as well as Gouthami, as well as Arco Iris, it was wonderful 2 days spent inward a renovated Portuguese house, amongst Goan nutrient as well as Feni.
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Anuradha Pati
July 2014