Dear readers, we have a confession to make. Our team ofreporters walked into the premises of three of Goa’s most ancient heritagechurches and walked away with priceless artifacts, only to prove that theArcheological Survey of India or our protectors of heritage have left ourpriceless history to be robbed. They are with us, safe. It has been six monthssince the Museum of Christian Art at Old Goa was robbed. Priceless stolenvaluables have not been returned. Self-appointed heritage and cultureambassadors refused to accept blame. The Goan, kept ego and sentiments asideand did what it did. Here’s the story…
Visit 1: July 3, 2012 - 6 pm, Church and Tower of St.Augustine “ The Church and Tower of St. Augustine lies right across the road tothe Museum of Christian Art. The Goan’s reporters drove past a lone PoliceControl Van parked outside Basilica of Bom Jesus.
“The lane leading to the Museum of Christian Art wasdeserted. We opened the gate of the St Augustine heritage site and a lone guardshowed us around. The visiting hours were long over. We roamed through the siteand picked up a small part of a capital. The capital is a part of a tall columnfrom within the old church. Can I take it back as a memento? The man wasreluctant at first but then said, “Please keep it”. As we searched around formore artifacts we came across a one feet high spire from one of the towers, amarble plaque and a fresco inside a glass case “ everything available to us. Wedecided to take the Capital out and walk past a beat police constable and hiscolleague driving past us.
The piece is about five kilos heavy and carved in stone. Westarted our bike and drove off unchecked.”
Visit 2: July 15, 2012 - 6 pm, Church and Tower of St.Augustine “ This time another team from The Goan traveled and picked up a smallcross from the site. “The modus operandi is the same, this time there are nopolice personnel near the Basilica to check us.”
Visit 3: August 2, 2012 “ 6 pm, Church of St. Cajetan “ Thistime our team travelled on the other side of the Old Goa Heritage Zone. “Theroad leading to the Church of St. Cajetan has a statue of St. Paul on the lefthand side. We roamed around looking for a security guard to stop us.
There was nobody. We picked up a cannonball, a pricelesspiece that would have protected the Church complex in the past. For thepresent, it’s with us. Safe.”
The Old Goa Church complex has a number of churches, chapelsand residences but equally large number of artifacts that are available foranybody who understands the value of history “ for the romantic it ispriceless, for the history robber it is worth in gold.
