Saligao Serenade

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

Saligao is a well-known village in Bardez, Goa. The people from neighbouring villages refer to Saligaokars as Uxellantle Kole or, nowadays, simply Kole (foxes). How did this nickname originate? Let me tell you the interesting story:

Many centuries back it was rather difficult for people in Saligao to travel from one ward to another, especially during the monsoons when the fields were usually submerged in water. In several places there were ponds, streams and even fountains. Read the rest of this entry »

[This article was initially written in 1992-93 by a team from the ward Mollebhatt in Saligao, in association with Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas, and published in the Souvenir of the sesquicentennial celebrations of St Anne’s Chapel (1843-1993). The team comprised Idalina Rego, Lucy Cordeiro, Cassiano D’Lima, Eleuterio Remedios, Vanessa Godinho, and Sylvia & Joaquim Vaz. The version reproduced below was modified and updated by Fr Nascimento in June 2004]

How did the ward Mollebhatt in Saligao get its name? One version is that the place known as Diulacho Sorvo (property of the temple) was a sacred place dedicated to Lord Vetal in the Pre-Portuguese era. In order to have sufficient flowers for the daily morning puja, every house had a flower garden known as fulancho mollo, hence the name Mollebhatt. Some people refer to the ward as Mollembhatt or Mollembatta. There is a traditional dulpod sung in this ward and it goes as follows: Read the rest of this entry »

 [This article was initially written in 1992-93 by a team from the ward Tabravaddo in Saligao, in association with Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas. The team comprised Idinha Remedios, Brigida Vaz, Vanessa Godinho, Preciosa dos Remedios, and Mr & Mrs Joaquim Vaz. The modified version reproduced below also contains inputs from Jose Remedios (Tabravaddo/Mumbai) and Olinda Remedios (Tabravaddo)]

Tabravaddo, a ward in Saligao located in the north eastern portion of the village, was known in the pre-Portuguese era as Oddleam Maddachem Bhatt or Lamb Maddachem Bhatt. The name was changed to Tavoravaddo, some time in the early 18th century, because it was home to the growing clan of the family that used the name Tavora. There is a good possibility that the first Hindu member of the family—probably Sinai Salgaokar—converted to Christianity and was baptised during the reign of viceroy Rui Lourenco Tavora (1609-12). The surname of the viceroy, Tavora, must have been given to that first member of the clan during baptism, as was the custom prevailing at that time. The name Tavoravaddo in all likelihood got corrupted to the current Tabravaddo over time. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas

[This piece was written by Fr Nascimento in May/June 2004. It’s possible that much has changed since then. Please do pitch in if you have any updates - Val Souza]

The famous CHOGM Road beginning at the Airport in Vasco Parish passes through the villages of Chicalim, Sancoale, Cortalim, Agassaim, Goa Velha, Siridao, Bambolim, Santa Cruz, Panjim, Alto Porvorim, Sangolda, Saligao, Calangute, Candolim and ends at Sinquerim. During my sojourn last week in Saligao, I walked along a part of this CHOGM Road, beginning at Reddeachi Xim in Mollebhatt, until the end of Pequeno Morodd (Dakhtem Morodd).

This road from Saligao passing alongside St Anne’s chapel towards Sangolda was called Estrada de Dom Pedro during our younger days. On the left hand side of Reddeachi Xim there is a muddy road leading one to ‘Aquem Zor’ and a board indicating the way to Club West End. On the right hand side is the Ximecho Khuris, followed by a shop of Diogo Fernandes and Remedios Industries. The vast fields extending up to Monte de Guirim and beyond brought old memories of the green vegetation and plenty of rice and Congueo and other vegetables that we ate when we were kids. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

Have you ever had the opportunity to observe a beehive at close quarters, watching those industrious creatures going about their business vigorously and tirelessly? With our own busy lives these days and also the rapid spread of urbanisation, even spotting a beehive is a rarity. But when I was a young lad growing up in Saligao, things were different. The beehives on the belfry of the Saligao church were a treat to watch.

Our “gang of four” – Salvador Mascarenhas, Johnny Machado, Dominic Andrade and myself — focused our eyes on the hives, waiting for honey to fall into our mouths. Of course nothing of that sort happened. The bees swarmed around unconcerned, their rhythmic buzzing adding to the bel canto of the Saligao choir singing inside the neo-Gothic church led by our famous choir master, the late Eustaquinho D’Souza from Dakhtem Morod. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas 

As I wrote in an earlier essay, when I was a young lad growing up in Saligao, the children always waited eagerly for the onset of the monsoons. The pitter-patter of the first rains on the tiled roofs was cue enough for us kids to run under the gógó of our house for an impromptu bath-acid rain would be something that future generations would have to contend with! Friends from the neighbourhood such as Mohan, Naran and Surya joined me in singing their version of the rain song in Marathi: “Êrê êrê pausa, tula detô paisa, paisa zala khota, paus zala motta. Ega ega sari, mhajê moddkê bari, sar allê dhauvun, moddke gele vavun.” The magic of the first rains also inspired Oslando de Souza from Arrarim to compose his immortal song, “Poilo Paus“. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

As a young lad growing up in Saligao in the 1940s and 50s, I remember fondly what a joy it used to be frolicking around in the village, soaking up the sights, sounds and smells of nature—all yet unsullied by the trappings of urbanisation and modern-day encumbrances. Mother Nature provided us young folk much pleasure and entertainment and pretty much was central to my life. This despite the fact that we did have a well-kept playground at the Mater Dei Institution and other playgrounds in the village, where organised games of football, hockey, cricket and other sports were a frequent occurrence. Read the rest of this entry »

[Fr Nascimento says: It is so interesting to walk through Arrarim in the company of erudite and knowledgeable Yvonne Vaz Ezdani, author of the book 'Songs of the Survivors'.  She describes this walk in her own inimitable style.]

by Yvonne Vaz Ezdani

Another pleasant evening. The walk today is through different wards in another part of Arrarim. This quaint and winding road branches off from CHOGM Road at Calangute Police Station. I pass Hillside Restaurant which serves delicious Goan cuisine and also caters for parties and functions. A little further on the flour mill advertises itself with the racket of the grinding machine which can be heard from a distance. To my left two small stores and a telephone booth have come up and serve as a meeting place for the people of Bairo Alto. Previously this ward was also known as Marod. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

It was a warm, sunny day in Saligao. At the seminary, it was business as usual for us seminarians. The staff were going about their daily routine and the seminarians and priests were either attending classes, or studying/praying, as was their wont were they to have an hour or so free between assignments. Suddenly, one of the kitchen helpers spotted a large snake – a cobra – slithering across one of the corridors. He shouted out loud to draw the attention of the others and soon there was quite a commotion all around. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

Not far beyond, a spring flows

And it is there I oftimes go

To see reflected in the stream

The beauty of this placid scene

In Saligao there are two beautiful natural springs. One is the Salmona spring in Arrarim and the other is the Aquem (Akhem) spring in Mollembhatt. The water of these springs is sweet and fresh, not brackish. The Aquem spring-referred to in Konkani as Akhenchi Zhor-is well known, even in the neighbouring villages of Nagoa, Parra, Guirim and Sangolda. This spring emerges from hard and compact rocks and the villagers bathe in its waters with a strong belief that the spring has medicinal properties. Indeed, legend has it that the spring waters have cured people with poor eyesight and certain skin ailments. Read the rest of this entry »