The Temples of Goa

Away from the noise of rising and falling waves, from the loud music parties, from the excited cries of the thousands of tourists landing in the state everyday,.. nestled deep in the heart of Goa are the beautiful but less known, symbols of Goan culture. The Temples of Goa. It is mentioned in the history of Goa that the original temples of the region did not survive the Portuguese rule and what we see today are the temples re-built .
To a common eye, all the temples of Goa look alike. But , if carefully observed every temple has it’s distinct style. Usually painted in light colors, the temples are a treat to the eye.
The structural elements common to most temples are the Main tower (Shikhar), the Lamp tower( Deep Stambh), a pond (Taley),..
Here are two pictures of one of these lovely temples.

The one here shows the Main tower of this temple, right above the main deity, right above the main chamber (Garb gudi).



The one here shows the side view of the temple. The structure of the far right end of the picture, painted white, is the Deep Stambh of the temple.

Ganapati Bappa Morya!

I once heard someone say, India is a country where every day is a celebration. It is true. India has about 150 festivals. While some festivals are common to the whole country, some are celebrated by portions like, North/South India, States only, Religions,… Some festivals mark the beginning of a season, harvest, new year,.. And some to celebrate religious occasions like the birth of Gods, Gurus, Saints,.... Festivals are time for people to come together. Each festival in India is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and devotion.
In this post I’m covering one such festival which is celebrated with a lot of pomp and gaiety, not only in the whole of India, but in Goa too. Ganesh Chaturti, also called Ganeshotsav/ Vinayaka Chaturti, is celebrated to mark the birth of Ganesh(god of wisdom and good fortune), son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. The date usually falls between 20 August and 22 September. The festival lasts for 10 days.
A few months before this festival, skilled artisans make Clay idols in the form of Ganesh. These idols are beautifully painted and decorated for the occasion. Ganesh Chaturti can be celebrated among the members of one family or among several families as one. The end of the festival is marked by Ganesh Visarjan, which is the immersion of the idol in the river, well or sea to mark the journey of the lord to Kailash. During the procession that precedes the Visarjan, devotees sing and dance and chant “Ganapati Bappa Morya” in the praise of lord Ganesh.
This picture was clicked at Parag’s home where Ganesh chaturti is celebrated with lot of splendor.



And this was at his cousin Kushal's house.

Harvest...begins.

Looks like the monsoons have finally bid adieu to Goa. And it’s Harvest time. Farmers are breathing a sigh of relief. A few more days of the same incessant rain as last week would mean all the crops would be destroyed. The harvest has begun and these lovely sights are a treat to us who live a little away from the city.

Of bells and Chapels. Weekend Story.

I’ve always wondered how is it that the smallest state in India by area, never ceases to give us new places to discover. Every little village has a story here. A tune of its own. In which you could get easily lost. Surprisingly, not many tourists know that Goa is not all about Sun, Sand and hippies. And that may be precisely why the rural Goa is untouched.

Parag, finds this new place for us to explore. And that’s what the camera and the jeep were looking for.
About 20 kms from Margao, a quaint little town, Sarzora. Paddy fields lining both sides of the road. A few streams dotting the path. And some kingfishers.

We came across this very Chinese-Portuguese style of chapel. My wife is fascinated with the window. And that bell with the Cherub??

We drive further to this final destination(or we thought so then), a hillock with the view of a Dam. We can see the ocean far away, tempting us all the same. Get a good view of the Highway, NH 17.

With daylight still on hand, we then leave to Assolna, another small village whose highlight is the very Roman, magnificent church compound, monument to ‘Cristo rei’. A fine Marble structure.

As if to keep the weekend tradition alive, we headed towards the beach at Sernabatim. The sun was setting on Sunday. Rains playing havoc, we got back and mused on the good weekend that was.

Moss and Hue.

Monsoons might soon wave a goodbye to Goa for the season. But it sure has left its mark for the year. Moss has become a part of the garden. And wild mushrooms of various size, textures and colors too. This vivid one here makes me wonder how tough the job of being an artist in nature could be.

Rains bring curry.

It’s mushroom time for Goa. Locally known as 'Alami' or 'Olami', they are a hot favorite. These wild mushrooms buds are found in Goa only into the mid monsoons. They need to be handpicked and found usually in the forests. And we do wait eagerly for them. They need to be eaten before they bloom. Delicious Xacuti or fried accompaniments is what becomes of them. Lip smacking.

On that hill top

Armed with a friend and a camera, i set off to the hill top I'd frequented as a kid. 'Chandreshwar Parvath' it is called. The view from the top is beautiful. A few kilometers from the hustle bustle of the Margao city, you almost feel disconnected from the noise. And to top it all, a temple of historical importance. A must visit.

Longuinhoes ... Can't miss this one out in Margao

Probably the only place in Margao that has survived any absurd modernisation and has stayed the typical taverna style. Known for the famous Goan sausages and loads of portuguese style food.. If you are in margao don't miss this one
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Goa landscapes

Driving thru the stone quarry I captured this stunning horizon.
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Road to nowhere

New jeep and new places to find... Drove across the south belt of Goa from west to east in anticipation of nothing and I found it. It was a nice sunday drive. Waiting for Anup to come in from Hongkong and I will hit a newly discovered waterfall and an ancient ruins. Will be up soon..
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St Jacinto Island

If you land up at Goa airport and take a drive out of the airport town via the old road winding past river zuari you can't miss this island. Well vested interests have got a bridge across the water connecting it to the mainland. If rumours are to be believed you could soon stay at a 5 star hotel on this island. Goa save the world.
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Object of desire

After waiting for a while I got this JEEP. Well it has some offroading capacity. Let's see what I make out of this wild beast. Let me go places and post them up.
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Some more green :)

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The Green gets greener

Its amazing to watch the brown parched summer dried landscape taking shape in Goa. This is just the beginning but its beautiful.
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Field Job

With the monsoons setting in Goa you will notice the traditional farming activity pacing up. What you see here is the farmers planting the paddy saplings. They are manually placed in a definite sequence which gives space for the paddy to grow and mature. It is sometimes a very colorful sight when you see the women bending in a straight line in colorful rainwear.
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Woa..that's the rough beach in Goa during monsoons

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Travel Avenue Favourite Blog 2010

Hey guys.. This blog gets selected as the favourite by Travel Avenue. If you are looking at good travel information log into www.travel-avenue.com.

Well I am a little excited about the recognition... It feels good you see.
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Now that is what we need.. Some water laden clouds.. I m waiting

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No signs of rains jus da clouds

Nature is playing real dirty. We deserve it I guess. We been exploiting nature in all possible ways.. What goes around comes around. Right now lakes are drying, fishes dying and clouds passing by. I am waiting.
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Monsoon clouds invade Goa

Finally we have the first sight of monsoon clouds. I guess a lot will happen with the changing season and will get me to blog up. Its been a boring super hot summer. For once airconditioners are cooling. Will keep blogging thru the transition.
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Amazing Creation of the Gods...

Pandava Chapel or the St Sebastian Church @ Aquem

This place holds few of my Grandpas memories. My grandpa lived close to this chapel. What you see to your right is the Pandava Chapel and the one to the left of this picture is the new church - Thank God they did not demolish the old chapel. They say that the Pandavas from the Mahabharata lived in a cave behind the chapel - Now this was ages ago. There has been evidence of network of tunnels in and around this place. Whatever the history - my history with this place is that my grandpa used to sit with me on the stairs of the chapel while I was between 2 and 4 yrs old. This place did not have as much hustle bustle as it is now. One could sit peacefully around and enjoy you twilight time. Things have changed today, there are so many vehicles using this junction, you wouldnt want to be there even at midnight. :)

The same casino at Night Time...

Casino Royale in Goa

For all those pseudo Bonds who want to blow up their easy money. Goa Govt in the recent past started issuing casino licence to anyone who could keep them happy. So we see loads of offshore casinos floating on river Mandovi and acting to be offshore. For those who cant afford the gambling, pictures keep them fancy.

The Faces of Carnival Floats Parade GOA

Faces of Carnival........

CARNIVAL in GOA

Its Carnival time in Goa. Time for fun frolic and loads of Parades. I got some pics for you all here. Keep following and catch up with Carnival in Goa

Super Dinner

Hey guys drool... Pomfret tandoori by the beach. I m having a nice mid week end. Ahhh lucky me huh... :) u all enjoy ur time.
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Another Sunday Sunset....

The sunsets while the boatman awaits business for his ride.