If there is one singular photographic identity which Goa is associated with the most, it’s got to be the traditional Goan houses. Unique, thanks to the coming together of Portuguese and Goan influence, the traditional Goan home, which was once the pride of a local home owner, is now not only an ambassador of Goa and its culture, but also ranks high on the real-estate shopping list of the country’s rich and mighty.
While you can regularly glimpse these traditional Goan homes as you zip by the roads and the lanes of rural Goa, did you know that there is a museum which is dedicated to the concept of the Goan home, which has evolved as a prime expression of Goa’s identity?
The Museum is built as a traffic island in Salvador-do-Mundo in the village in the Bardez region of North Goa.
For architect Gerard da Cunha, documenting the myriad aspects and influences which go into making a Goan home is imperative. The museum, shaped like a ship, is spread across different levels, which detail the wealth of Goan architecture, including the uniqueness of its doors, windows, railings, construction material, furniture, etc. Those keen on understanding the finer nuances can even avail the opportunity of viewing them on a slide show which is organised every week.
The museum showcases a collection of doors, windows, a rare hat stand, old French doors harvested and restored from a house in Margao built in 1917, old tiles from late nineteenth century, old china mosaic patterns of different houses, 16th and 17th century tiles imported from Europe, old terracotta tiles, religious pictures, altars, statues, and explains how mud walls are built, how shells are harvested from the river, etc. It also exhibits five-hundred-year-old pictures of Goa collected from various sources worldwide, rare postcards of Goa dating back to 1900, giving an exclusive picture of what Goa and its cities looked like a century ago.
‘Houses of Goa’ Museum
Salvador do Mundo,
Open on all days, except Monday
Contact: 918322410711
St. Jacinto Island
This is one for your cameras. So if you are a photo-nutter and there’s a DSLR tucked somewhere in your backpack, take it out now and head for the St. Jacinto island, located on the road from the airport to Panaji.
Surrounded by coral and accessible only by a single bridge, this island is one of the most beautiful haunts the state can offer. Sheer lack of construction or ‘development’ or large buildings on this island, makes it appear to stately in a very rustic way. Come sunset you can click away with your cameras as the sun sets over the Arabian sea and flocks of birds head home. The island is home to a church which overlooks the waters, and adds more character to the already resplendent vista. The island also has a lighthouse from where the view of the Arabian sea and the bay in which the island is located is breath-taking. And if you are looking for refreshment or an early dinner, Sheela bar and restaurant located on the highway just opposite the bridge, sells some of the best sea food on the other side of the Zuari river.
