Picture this: a burly giant trampling down the street of a quaint Goan village, with a musical instrument at his hip and a mountain tied to his back, enveloping everything in his path with the melody of holy hymns. Sounds bizarre? It sure is. Myths of this kind abound about a particular section of society that held sway in large parts of the Goan hinterland during the Portuguese rule. This is the story of how the Paulists of the Colégio do São Paulo came to be immortalized in myths and legends of local folklore.
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Gujirwada, Jainkot & Bandivade: The Forgotten Jain Heritage of Goa
Jainism, one of the lesser-known Dharmic religions of India, played a central role in the development of the socio-cultural, spiritual and philosophical landscape of ancient and medieval India. It reached its peak under the Mauryan Empire where, quite notably, Chandragupta Maurya during the latter part of his life is said to have handed the empireContinue reading “Gujirwada, Jainkot & Bandivade: The Forgotten Jain Heritage of Goa”
Ribeira Grande: The Royal Dockyard of Goa & Medieval Shipbuilding
How long ago do you think the first ship was built? When humans were still hunter-gatherers? During the Agricultural Revolution? Maybe the dawn of civilization? Well, according to archeological evidence and early cave paintings, the first ship was most likely built when we weren’t even the only human species around – nearly 100,000 years agoContinue reading “Ribeira Grande: The Royal Dockyard of Goa & Medieval Shipbuilding”
Madhav Mantri, Manchalapur & Brahmapuri: The Preservation of Knowledge in Medieval Goa
Since ancient times, education was seen as a way to carry forth knowledge and ideas of the past to the future. It began initially through oral tradition, gradually growing more institutionalized as methods of recording information grew more advanced. Religious organizations came to dominate the sphere of education all across the world in ancient asContinue reading “Madhav Mantri, Manchalapur & Brahmapuri: The Preservation of Knowledge in Medieval Goa”
Anjuna, Arabó & The Interconnectedness of the Medieval Indian Ocean
Contrary to popular belief, the medieval world was surprisingly well connected much before the colonial powers arrived onto the scene. We often think the medieval “Dark Ages” was a homogenous age of ignorance and isolationism due to a lack of written records and horrific living conditions in some parts of the world, but that couldn’tContinue reading “Anjuna, Arabó & The Interconnectedness of the Medieval Indian Ocean”
The War for Salcete: The Rekindling of the Rachol Fort
The word fortress is derived from Latin fortis meaning ‘strong’, an adequate name. You might think that the purpose of these fortresses was purely for defending territories or borders, but the more significant reason for constructing such marvels of engineering was to instill fear into enemies, and to deter an attack from ever happening. YouContinue reading “The War for Salcete: The Rekindling of the Rachol Fort”
The Dutch Blockade of Goa: The Death of Dourada
War of the Sea What is the first thought that pops into your mind when you think of naval warfare? Pirates in the Caribbean Sea? The gargantuan warships of the two World Wars? Vikings? The fact is that naval warfare has been prevalent ever since the dawn of civilization. The greatest calamity of the ancientContinue reading “The Dutch Blockade of Goa: The Death of Dourada”
Rajvithi: The Royal Road of Centuries Past
“All roads lead to Rome”, so goes the saying that captures the extent of the once mighty Roman Empire. The Romans during their peak had built large networks of roads that stretched all across their Empire, from London to Damascus. This wasn’t just them being indulgent as the most powerful Empire at the time however,Continue reading “Rajvithi: The Royal Road of Centuries Past”
História de Goa: An Introduction
History, to me, is an intricately woven fabric that illustrates the human condition. It is the greatest Epic ever told, of everyone and everything that came before us – all the sorrows and all the triumphs of our species. In this blog, I intend to focus on a tiny piece of this vast and ever-expandingContinue reading “História de Goa: An Introduction”
História de Goa 