Situated in Mapusa which is about 12 kilometres from Panaji, the temple has a small shrine dedicated to Kanakeshwar Baba or Bodgeshwar locally known as Bongini. Lord Bodgeshwar is considered as the guardian of Mapusa city. In fact it is believed that Mapusa owes it's importance as a market centre because if Lord Bodgeshwar's blessings. It is believed that the vows that a devottee makes here are fulfilled and hence Bodgeshwar is regarded as Angavani. Once these vows are fulfilled the people visit the shrine to offer presents in thanksgiving. Lord Bodgeshwar is also said to help lost people reach home. After that, as a sign of relief the Lord bangs the shaft on the floor and then disappears.
The festival of the God Kanakeshwar Baba is usually celebrated in December / January i.e. on Paush Shukla Paksha Chaturdasi or the fourteenth day during the waxing phase of moon as per Hindu lunar calendar followed in Goa. Special lighting is arranged during this festival. The celebration sees large number of locals and tourists flocking here for the annual fair or zatra which spans over five days.
Shri Bodgeshwar Temple
Mapusa
‘Houses of Goa’ Museum
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
