
The glorious Kadamba dynasty, which ruled Goa hundreds of years ago, was a rich period in terms of cultural and socio-religious history. The state abounds in ancient temples which were founded during the flourishing reign of the Kadamba kings who ruled Goa and parts of present day Karnataka. 
One such temple is the Brahma temple, now located in Nagargao, Valpoi, completely off the mainstream tourism circuit. 
The unique aspect of this temple is the form of deity Lord Brahma, which is carved into an exquisite stone sculpture dating back to the 12th century. A view of the stunning sculpture alone makes the 50 kms odd trip to Nagargao from the state capital worth it. 
Lord Brahma is considered the God of knowledge and the maker of the universe and is usually depicted as an integral part of the divine trinity along with Lord Vishnu and Lord Mahesh. 
Historians say, that originally the deity was housed in a temple in Karmali village near Panaji but the advent of the Portuguese forced the worshippers to re-locate the deity in the remote Sattari region, in north-east Goa, which had still not been conquered by the Portuguese rulers.
Striking the right chord
He may be more commonly associated as a keyboard player, but for 21 year old Ian de Noronha, the organ wasn't his first choice of music instrument. “ I actually began playing the mouth organ first at the age of four. My grandfather used to play the mouth organ and it really fascinated me. Being his first grand child I spent a lot of time with him and he started teaching me to play it too. In fact, at the age of six I played on Doordarshan and All India Radio,” says Noronha,…
