09-23-2006, 04:54 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-23-2006, 07:18 AM by acharya.)
RESEARCH IN PROGRESS
http://www.geocities.com/teodesouza/
Goan Mangoes
Daughters of the Cross among the Siddis of Yellapur
Foral of Afonso Mexia; Goan Charter of Rights and Obligations (1526)
Konkani Language: Myths & Reality
Earliest surviving Konknni publication in Roman Script (1622)
Is it really Konknni? Please check!
GOA'S PREHISTORIC PAST
MARATHI RECORDS FOR GOA'S HISTORY
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/15...earch.html
BOOKS ON GOA
RAJHAUNS VITRAN (SWAN PUBLISHERS) is a small publishing firm run by Mr. R. Bhidye of Panjim. He has been doing yeoman service to Goa, by publishing (against the odds, one feels, as a reviewer of Goa books) a number of titles related to this tiny region, in Konkani, English and Marathi. For these titles, the market is small. When a book is published, nobody seems interested. By the time interest is built up, the book is out of print. There is not much money in this. These are the travails which people like Bhidye have to put up with. To add to the problem, many Goans don't seem to think its worth investing in books (and relevant information). Rajhauns offers a mail-order service. If interested, contact them directly:
Rajhauns Vitran, 1 Meenakshi Building,
Dr. Wolfango da Silva Marg,
Panjim 403001.
It is located just opposite Junta Building, in the heart of the capital.
The Government Printing Press in Panjim also has a large amount of old books, dating back to the Portuguese regime, and offered for sale at prices as ludicrously low as Rs 1 or 2 each. Worth checking out too.
Research publications on Goa's History produced by the Xavier Centre of Historical Research may be obtained directly from that Institute at
Alto Porvorim,
Goa 403 521
(Fax: +91-832-217772),
or from
Concept Publishing Company,
A/15-16,
Commercial Block ,
Mohan Garden,
New Delhi 110 059
(Fax: +91-11-559 8898).
Goa University and Konkani Akademi also have their publications, including an excellent first volume of the Konkani Encyclopaedia (Konknni Vishvakosha).
The other great distributor of many reprints of valuable books on Goa is
Mr. J. Jetley,
Asian Educational Services,
C-2/15, S.D.A.,
Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110 016
(Fax: +91-11-6852805).
A detailed catalogue may be ordered.
A wide spectrum of books on Goa may be ordered by e-mail from The Other India Book Store (Mapusa, Goa). For a catalogue on books available at this store, check out http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex/i_oibs/OIBS.html
The last Portuguese naval action in Goa (1961)
For those who do not have easy access to what is being published in Portuguese and in Portugal, here is a reference that could fill in more details about the 1961 military action that led to the end of the Portuguese rule in India. The Vol. VIII (1808-1975) of "Batalhas e Combates da Marinha Portuguesa" by Saturnino Monteiro (Lisboa, Liv. Sá da Costa Editora, 1997). The author is a retired Naval Officer (Capitão-de-mar-e-guerra) and former professor of Naval Academy.
Pages 149-182 cover the Goa event (including the naval encounter at Diu). The author presents a very objective picture of the Portuguese political and strategic weaknesses at the time. Refers to the Portuguese complacent attitude vis-a-vis the post-World War II hegemonic tendencies and decolonization process. Quotes on p. 150: "This has nothing to do with us. There is no racism in our colonies. Our blacks (pretos) are happy with us and the idea of becoming independent is nowhere in their heads".
The book describes in quite some detail the military (particularly naval) strength and weaknesses of India at the time. Describes how Salazar relied in vain upon the diplomatic support of USA and UK, and had requested Pakistan and China to create border pressures. The author praises the last Governor General of Goa for ignoring the instructions of Salazar to resist till the last man. According to this account, two batches of artillery men were sent at the very end disguised as football teams. They were to handle the two obsolete anti-air guns the Portuguese had in Goa.
A request from Goa military asking for sausages (meaning ammunition for these artillery pieces) was responded literally by Lisbon authorities with various brands of Portuguese sausages! It became a joke among the Portuguese during a long time to come. Not many in Goa are aware of it as yet.
The book provides a very detailed description of the strategy and action (with maps indicating the battle positions) that ended the last Portuguese naval battles at Mormugão and off Diu. The names of the Portuguese officials who participated in these actions and lost their lives get a due mention.
There is reference to Indian navy having sensed the presence of a submarine. This was later confirmed to have been a British submarine on its way to Far East. The Indian navy was prepared for such an eventuality and several anti-submarine frigates, such as "Trishul", "Kuthar", "Kirpan" and "Khukri" were inducted in the operation. This book should be read alongside the "Operation Vijay" published by the government of India (ed. S.N. Prasad, National Archives of India) with details of Indian military documentation.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1503/goan_soc.pdf
CHECK THE LINKS BELOW TO KNOW ABOUT GOAN IDENTITY
If you come across other interesting and relevant links on this them, or if you have a contribution of your own,
please send it to teodesouza@netcabo.pt to add it to this list.
http://www.rajannarayan.com/archive/18-1-2004/
http://www.goanews.com/jose.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/15...oraes.html
http://www.goacom.com/culture/religion/gch/
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//articl...0,prtpage-1.cms?
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/2003011.../book8.htm
http://www.goacom.com/goanow/2001/jan/goanidentity.html
http://www.goacom.com/goanow/2001/feb/goanidentity.html
http://www.lusotopie.sciencespobordeaux.fr/souzaT.pdf
http://www.goa2u.com/food&drinks.htm
SOME WONDERS OF GOA
Even 36 years after Goa´s Liberation, 22 years after the formation of the Goa SSC & HSSC Board of Education, 12 years after the establishment of the Goa University, there is still no Atlas of Goa, neither a good (1:50,000) wall map with standard geographic details available anywhere.Government officials, teachers and students are managing with tourist-maps of Goa!
The Survey of India maps are classified and are not available to the public. The best map is the regional map of Goa, which is a colour-coded, foldable wall map, stressing on the land utilisation pattern as envisaged in 1989. There are no contours or hydrographic or physiographic features in the map. Even then, for Rs 30 it is a buy.
With all these difficulties in mind, Dr. Nandakumar Kamat compiled one thousand geographically interesting facts about Goa. This article deals with seven. These have been selected not necessarily because they are the best natural wonders of Goa. Many of these "wonders" are everyday features, to the people who take them for granted.
Let each of these wonders tell you an interesting story. Each wonder has its secret. Let us explore these wonders, one by one:
MARINE FOSSIL DEPOSITS OF CHICALIM
Some 10,000 to 25,000 years ago, the sea-level must have been higher than it is at present. As you travel by the Cortalim-Vasco road, after crossing Sancoale, wherever the road has been widened by cutting the laterite, a continuous winding deposit of white marine shells is seen exposed.
This marine fossil bed is sandwitched between two layers of lateritic soil. The upper layer seems to have been formed recently. Similar fossils are found on the other side of the Zuari river at Siridao on the paddy fields, which are at almost the same level.
These marine fossil-beds are not only interesting, but could also tell us much more about ancient climate and sea-recession. The best of these deposits are exposed at Chicalim.
SOUTH-GOA'S STRAIGHT COASTLINE
A look at the map of South Goa district with draw your attention to the peculiar liner shape of the district's coastline from Majorda to Betul. Such linearity represents uniform seaprecession and a young coastline.
As compared to the interior areas of Goa, this coastal stretch seems to have been formed recently (6,000-15,000 years ago). Majorda, Varca, Betalbatim, Colva... many famous beaches are located on this linear coastline -- a trekker's dream- stretch.
This linearity was a function of protective sand- dunes which are today getting demolished. Once the dunes disappear, this linear-wonder will become a zigzagging nightmare, due to change in the coastal geomorphology under tidal action.
KERI-PERNEM'S MAJESTIC ROCK-ARCH
This writer noticed this striking feature while trekking the Pernem coastline from the Keri-beach to Morjim many years ago. There are two routes to reach Arambol beach from Kerim along the coastline. One is via the coast and the other via the hillside.
The rock-arch forms a cave-like shelter near the hillside. When you enter the cave-like structure you realise it to be a massive arch which allows you to cross to the other side of the beach in a few minutes, while your colleagues walking along the coastline may need half an hour.
On closer inspection, the arch was found to be architectured by wave action. It is perhaps the only such passage in North Goa, but still it is less- investigated.
WELL-OF-THIEVES AT BAGA
An interesting, layered rock formation is projected in the sea, just below the famous Baga Retreat House, looked after by the Jesuit Fathers. A deep, well-like structure, fully surrounded by massive rock-walls, except for a small opening, is known as "Choram Baim" (or, the well of thieves).
Sea-water gushes in this hollow, emitting a peculiar, metallic sound, which is so haunting and transfixing that it glues one to the site instantly.
These rocks are very old and may be remnants of the continental drift, which separated Goa from Madagascar and Antarctica.. According to one tradition, thieves used to hide valuable items in the hollows of the rocks near the well, and thus it came to be known as choram (thieves) baim (well).
My interpretation is that 'choram' means a deep ditch, and hence the local name indicates a ditch- like deep geological formation influenced by the sea.
THE TWIN HISTORIC HILLOCKS OF PARODA
One of the interesting topographic features of South Goa is the centrally-located, strategically formed Chandranath hill. Actually, there are two hillocks, with almost uniform contour lines and a triangular majestic elevation.
One hillock is 300m and the other is 350m high.
Originally known as Parvat, Prithviparvat or Paroda hills, these two magnificient peaks command the massive, fertile plains of Salcete and Quepem talukas between Mulem to Ambaulim and Talavardem to Sarzora.
Molem hill(175m) on the north, Adnem hill(161m) on the south, and Cuncolim(100m) hillock at the south-east form a triangle around this plain.
A meteorite fell on Chandranath mountain during the pre-historic period. A temple was built at that place during the Sata-Vahana period. The Bhoja kings developed this temple when they were ruling from Chandrapura -- today's Chandor at the foot of Paroda hill.
These hills are unique central watersheds of the Paroda river. There are no comparable landmarks in South Goa. In terms of location, topography, antiquity and natural charm. 'Chandrashila', the iron-meteorite worshipped in the temple, further adds to the mystery of this place.
PARTAGAL-CANACONA'S GIANT BANYAN TREE
Goa boasts of some huge banyan (Ficus) trees. The one at Parcem-Pernem spellbinds you due to its height. But the giant banyan tree near the Vaishnavite Partagali Math (religious centre) at Partagal-Canacona standing close to the Talpona river bank is a charming creation of nature's phytoarchitectural skills.
It is a horizontal foliar-wonder. This tree, believed to be at least 2000 years old, is spread over a vast area which can encompass about one thousand people in its shade. The site selection for the Math, a local religious centre of prominence, in the fifteenth century might have been influenced by the presence of this banyan tree, regarded as being holy. It is a tree not to be missed.
THE SACRED GROVE OF MORPILA-QUEPEM
Sacred groves are ancient, untouched, virgin, protected forests. There are hundreds in Goa. Some are small -- comprising just one giant tree, mostly banyan. Some are huge, like the 'Nirakarachi Rai' near Valpoi. But the most interesting of all is the sacred grove of Morpila in Quepem taluka.
It protects the source of a mountain stream called 'Paikacho Vhal' (stream of the forest-spirit Paik). To reach it, one has to remove any leather sandals, climb a steep gradient, enter a long tunnel of bushes, walk on fours as the tunnel gets narrower and narrower and then come out to witness a cascading spring emerging out of the heart of a dense forest.
Not a leaf has been lifted from this area for thousands of years. This makes the grove a repository of ancient, untouched biodiversity.
During our last visit, Dr. Jairam Bhat found new species of aquatic fungi in this place, not known to science. The (tribal) Velip community has zealously tabooed and guarded this place for centuries. It is not a picnic spot, so visitors will be turned back. Morpila's sacred grove is a wonder of nature because of its pristine habitat and undisturbed biodiversity.
From: THE NAVHIND TIMES * Zest,June 14, 1997.
Dr Nandkumar Kamat is nkamat@unigoa.ernet.in
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1503/news.html
GOA'S PREHISTORIC PAST
The search for prehistoric sites on the river banks of Goa and recent finds along its river ports promise a fascinating glimpse of the past, waiting to be discovered.
Archeologists have found tools that suggest occupation of sites in Goa along the upstream Mandovi that date from the early palaeolithic to mesolithic stages. (Mesozoic is the geological era that extended from about 225 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It followed the Palaeozoic era.)
Marine archaeologist A.S.Gaur of the National Institute of Oceanography and M. Nambirajan of the Archaeological Survey of India have undertaken a study of pre-historic sites on river banks and ports of Goa in potential areas.
"Field survey in Goa has indicated a concentration of prehistoric sites along the coast and in the Mandovi-Zuari river basin. Some sites are reported on other river banks too," reported Gaur and Nambirajan.
Their work has been encouraged by a number of recent finds reported in Goa. At Rivona, on the banks of the Kushavati river, mesolithic tools were found, while a site of neoliths has been reported at Chicalim.
Most significant findings of recent times are rock carvings found at Usgalimol and Kajur on the banks of the Kushavati river. These carvings include symbols of the Zebu bull, a dancing female figure, a horned animal, harpoon and sex symbols. Their date is disputed, varying from the upper palaeolithic to megalithic period.
Chandrapura in South Goa, now the sleepy village of Chandor, is another ancient site, whose earliest known epigraphical reference is in the Siroda copper plates of the Bhoja dysnasty.
Some scholars have discounted the view that the city was founded by Chandraditya, a son of a Chalukyan king, and point to its earlier association with the Arab Sindabur.
Finds including potsherd, bricks and copper coins are assignable to the Satavahanas, who probably ruled the Konkan from the end of the second century of the current era.
Gopakapattana, modern Goa Velha on the mouth of the river Zuari, once a major port, is now covered with mangroves. Gold coins found by the historian-priest Fr. Heras in the 1930s, a tank and oral traditions about the palace, indicate it was a prosperous town. Remains of a port wall running for five km was some time back discovered. Today, buses rumble across a main royal road, where caravans of merchants once loaded ships in the flourishing coastal trading sytems.
Archeologists are not certain when the city of Old Goa was established. Some trace it to the first Muhammadan rulers of Goa around 1340 AD, who lost it to the Portuguese when the latter conquered the city and massacred its Muslim inhabitants in 1510.
Its many mosques, temples, and gardens were demolished by the new zealots, who made it the hub of Portuguese commerce in the east till the end of the 17th century, trading hinterland goods from Deccan, Konkan and Malabar with Arabia, China, Mozambique, Persia, Malacca, Java and elsewhere.
Courtesy: Pamela D'Mello (The Asian Age)
<b>Details of the Goa Inquisition</b>
Christian historian, Dr. T. R. de Souza
At least from 1540 onwards, and in the island of Goa before that year, all the Hindu idols had been annihilated or had disappeared, all the temples had been destroyed and their sites and building material was in most cases utilized to erect new Christian Churches and chapels. Various viceregal and Church council decrees banished the Hindu priests from the Portuguese territories; the public practices of Hindu rites including marriage rites, were banned; the state took upon itself the task of bringing up Hindu orphan children; the Hindus were denied certain employments, while the Christians were preferred; it was ensured that the Hindus would not harass those who became Christians, and on the contrary, the Hindus were obliged to assemble periodically in Churches to listen to preaching or to the refutation of their religion."
"A particularly grave abuse was practiced in Goa in the form of 'mass baptism' and what went before it. The practice was begun by the Jesuits and was alter initiated by the Franciscans also. The Jesuits staged an annual mass baptism on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25), and in order to secure as many neophytes as possible, a few days before the ceremony the Jesuits would go through the streets of the Hindu quarter in pairs, accompanied by their Negro slaves, whom they would urge to seize the Hindus. When the blacks caught up a fugitive, they would smear his lips with a piece of beef, making him an 'untouchable' among his people. Conversion to Christianity was then his only option."
The Goan inquisition is regarded by all contemporary portrayals as the most violent inquisition ever executed by the Portuguese Catholic Church. It lasted from 1560 to 1812. The inquisition was set as a tribunal, headed by a judge, sent to Goa from Portugal and was assisted by two judicial henchmen. The judge was answerable to no one except to Lisbon and handed down punishments as he saw fit. The Inquisition Laws filled 230 pages and the palace where the Inquisition was conducted was known as the Big House and the Inquisition proceedings were always conducted behind closed shutters and closed doors. The screams of agony of the culprits (men, women, and children) could be heard in the streets, in the stillness of the night, as they were brutally interrogated, flogged, and slowly dismembered in front of their relatives. Eyelids were sliced off and extremities were amputated carefully, a person could remain conscious even though the only thing that remained was his torso and a head.
Diago de Boarda, a priest and his advisor Vicar General, Miguel Vazz had made a 41 point plan for torturing Hindus. Under this plan Viceroy Antano de Noronha issued in 1566, an order applicable to the entire area under Portuguese rule :
"I hereby order that in any area owned by my master, the king, nobody should construct a Hindu temple and such temples already constructed should not be repaired without my permission. If this order is transgressed, such temples shall be, destroyed and the goods in them shall be used to meet expenses of holy deeds, as punishment of such transgression. "
In 1567 the campaign of destroying temples in Bardez met with success. At the end of it 300 Hindu temples were destroyed. Enacting laws, prohibition was laid from December 4, 1567 on rituals of Hindu marriages, sacred thread wearing and cremation. All the persons above 15 years of age were compelled to listen to Christian preaching, failing which they were punished.
A religious fatva was issued on the basis of the findings of Goa Inquiry Commission. It stated,"...Hereby we declare the decision that the conventions mentioned in the preamble of the fatva as stated below are permanently declared as useless, and therefore prohibited".
<b>Prohibitions Regarding Marriages </b>
-The instruments for Hindu songs shall not be played.
-While giving dowry the relatives of the bride and groom must not be invited.
-At the time of marriage, betel leaf packages (pan) must not be distributed either publicly or in private to the persons present.
-Flowers, or fried puris, betel nuts and leaves must not be sent to the heads of the houses of the bride or groom.
-Gotraj ceremony of family God must not be performed.
-On the day prior to a wedding, rice must not be husked, spices must not be pounded, grains must not be ground and other recipes for marriage feast must not be cooked.
-Pandals and festoons must not be used.
-Pithi should not be applied.
-The bride must not be accorded ceremonial welcome. The bride and groom must not -be made to sit under pandal to convey blessings and best wishes to them.
<b>Prohibitions Regarding Fasts, Post-death Rituals</b>
-The poor must not be fed or ceremonial meals must not be served for the peace of the souls of the dead.
-There should be no fasting on ekadashi day.
-Fasting can be done according to the Christian principles.
-No rituals should be performed on the twelfth day after death, on moonless and full moon dates.
-No fasting should be done during lunar eclipse.
<b>Conventions </b>
-Hindu men should not wear dhoti either in public or in their houses. Women should not wear cholis .
-They should not plant Tulsi in their houses, compounds, gardens or any other place.
-Following the law of 1567, orphans were kidnapped for converting them to Christianity.
On September 22, 1570 an order was issued that :
-The Hindus embracing Christianity will be exempted from land taxes for a period of 15 years.
-Nobody shall bear Hindu names or surnames.
In 1583 Hindu temples at Esolna and Kankolim were destroyed through army action.
"The fathers of the Church forbade the Hindus under terrible penalties the use of their own sacred books, and prevented them from all exercise of their religion. They destroyed their temples, and so harassed and interfered with the people that they abandoned the city in large numbers, refusing to remain any longer in a place where they had no liberty, and were liable to imprisonment, torture and death if they worshipped after their own fashion the gods of their fathers." wrote Sasetti, who was in India from 1578 to 1588.
An order was issued in June 1684 eliminating Konkani language and making it compulsory to speak Portuguese language. The law provided for dealing toughly with anyone using the local language. Following that law all the symbols of non-Christian sects were destroyed and the books written in local languages were burnt.
The Archbishop living on the banks of the Ethora had said during one of his lecture series, "The post of Inquiry Commission in Goa is regarded as holy." The women who opposed the assistants of the commission were put behind the bars and were used by them to satisfy their animal instincts. Then they were burnt alive as opponents of the established tenets of the Catholic church.
The victims of such inhuman laws of the Inquiry Commission included a French traveller named Delone. He was an eye witness to the atrocities, cruelty and reign of terror unleashed by priests. He published a book in 1687 describing the lot of helpless victims. While he was in jail he had heard the cries of tortured people beaten with instruments having sharp teeth. All these details are noted in Delone's book.
So harsh and notorious was the inquisition in Goa, that word of its brutality and horrors reached Lisbon but nothing was done to stop this notoriety and escalating barbarity and it continued for two hundred more years. No body knows the exact number of Goans subjected to these diabolical tortures, but perhaps it runs into hundreds of thousands, may be even more. The abominations of inquisitions continued until a brief respite was given in 1774 but four years later, the inquisition was introduced again and it continued un-interruptedly until 1812. At that point in time, in the year of 1812, the British put pressure on the Portuguese to put an end to the terror of Inquisition and the presence of British troops in Goa enforced the British desire. Also the Portuguese power at this time was declining and they could not fight the British. The palace of the Grand Inquisitor, the Big House, was demolished and no trace of it remains today, which might remind someone of inquisitions and the horrors inside this Big House that their great saint
Francis Xavier had commenced.
<i>Dr. Trasta Breganka Kunha, a Catholic citizen of Goa writes, "Inspite of all the mutilations and concealment of history, it remains an undoubted fact that religious conversion of Goans is due to methods of force adopted by the Portuguese to establish their rule. As a result of this violence the character of our people was destroyed. The propagation of Christian sect in Goa came about not by religious preaching but through the methods of violence and pressure. If any evidence is needed for this fact, we can obtain it through law books, orders and reports of the local rulers of that time and also from the most dependable documents of the Christian sect </i>
http://www.karavalmilan.com/parishes_index.asp?id=163
The Origin:
The church of Nossa senhora de Milagres now popularly called the Milagres Church, Kallianpur was built about the same time as the church of the same name in Mangalore. It was founded in the year 1678 after a treaty between the Portuguese and Queen Chennamma relict of Soma Shekara I of Bednore who ruled Kanara from 1671 to 1697. The Portuguese were allowed to build churches and were also granted Inam Lands. The Christians here were emigrants from Goa who came seeking fresh fields and pastures new because of insecurity and economic reasons. Goa suffered from famines in the years 1553, 1570 and 1582 with seasons of great scarcity. In 1570 Goa was besieged by Adil Shah to expel the Portuguese from India. Later, there were the Maratha attacks on Goa in 1683. The inquisition in Goa also sent away some of the Christians adhering to Hindu practices. The Christians were lured by promise of land and subsidy because of their industry and improved knowledge of cultivation.
It was for this community that the Portuguese Hierarchy of Goa planted the Church in 1678 in Kallianpur under the title of Nossa Senhora de Milagres, Kallianpur. Our Lady of Miracles is the Woman of the Revelations of St. John, ïAnd a great portent appeared in heaven, a Woman clothed with the sun with the moon under Her feet and on her head a crown of twelve starsï. This great portent appeared for kallianpurians with the enthronement of Our Lady of Miracles in the church at Kallianpur. On the great artistic Portuguese Altar of the former church from where she reigned, she was greeted with the words, ïTota Pulchra es, O Maria : Et Macula Originalis Non est in teï, by two cherubims carrying an artistic ribbon as if waving in the air. From this throne her domain extended over all the region covered by the basins of three rivers; the Sita nadi, the Suvarna nadi and Udyavar river. It comprised all the land in the West till the Arabian Sea; in the North West and North extending six miles to Sasthan, Barkur and beyond; in the North East to Petre, Giri and Perampally; in the South to Udyavar, Udupi and Malpe including Thottam and the Mount Rosary Church. The History of the Milagres Church, Kallianpur is the history of the present Varado of Kallianpur and even beyond, for until recent times, Milagres, Kallianpur headed the Northern Varado of the former two Varados of the Diocese of Mangalore. The Northern Varado then included the present Varados of Kundapur, Kallianpur, Shirva and Karkala.
Christianity prospered and gained security and respect for a century in Kallianpur as in the rest of Kanara. There was Chapel in Barkur served from Kallianpur until it was constituted into a Parish in 1863. There was also a church dedicated to St. Peter with a sizable Catholic Community at Petre Pally. There were candidates for priesthood studying in Goa. In 1769 one Joachim Jose Luis, son of Philip Luis and Rosa Furtado of the Baikady village of the Parish was ordained priest by Archbishop Nieva Brum on 23rd September after studies in Rachol Seminary. He later served on Kanara and at Bajpe. Then all of a sudden persecution came. Tippu Sultan of Mysore, with whom the English were having wars suspected that the Christians were attached to them and were helping the Christian English. When on 30th January 1784 the English lost the war with him at Bednore and surrendered to Tippuïs forces, he gave secret orders to his commanders to seize all Christians in Kanara and take them captive to Seringapatnam. It was a lightening strike when in the fateful night of Ash Wednesday on the 24th of February 1784, Tippuïs soldiers carried out the secret orders and entered every Christian settlement simultaneously throughout Kanara. Complete families with children in arms were brutally herded and marched captive cross the Western Ghats. Only a few people escaped or managed to stay. The Christians from these parts were first camped in Nagara and later taken to Seringapatnam. The church here was destroyed and also the churches at Barkur and Petre. All along the way and in the transit prison camps, many died of malnutrition, fatigue, ill-treatment and disease. Some escaped into jungles along the route and from thence to Goa during the long hauls. When at Seringapatnam prison, small pox raged and supervision was lax, some escaped to Malabar. The prisoners at Srirangapatnam were forced to accept Islam and circumcised. There were many who resisted and died.
Christianity blossomedï
!
With the defeat of Tippu in 1799, the survivors and the escapies to Goa and Malabar trekked back gradually. They found that their lands which were better cultivated than others were confiscated and sold away for high prices and had changed many hands. They had to start afresh from scratch.
The church in Kallianpur was rebuilt in 1806 by the contributions of the people, by Fr. Joachim Jose Britto of Cortalim, Goa and completed in 1808. Very soon the Catholic Community had pulled up from its trails and was emerging into better times though they had lost everything and the English Government could hardly help to recover their lost lands. The Parochial House was rebuilt in 1875 by the last Goan Vicar Rev. Fr. David Pereira. The parish school existing at that time was demolished and classes conducted elsewhere.
In 1839, Pope Gregory XVI issued the Bill, ïMulta Praeclareï. By this document the spiritual jurisdiction of the Arch-Diocese of Goa over Kanara was transferred to the Propaganda Mission of the Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly. At that time the jurisdiction of the Padroado of Goa along with its Goan vicar. There was also a small section of disgruntled parishioners who had developed connections with the verapoly mission who chose to be under the latter jurisdiction. This group of parishioners built a separate church namely the Rosary Church. This church was then shifted and rebuilt about half a mile away on the nejar hill in 1882 and was called as Mt Rosary Church. The udupi parish was formed later from this and udyavar parish in 1890.
Then came a calamity for Milagres; a lamentable period of darkness. In 1885 Pope Leo X111 established the hierarchy of India by his apostolic letter ïHuman Salutis Auctorï. The double jurisdiction of the paroado and the Propaganda Mission came to an end in South Canara in 1886 between the Holy See and Portugal by which eleven parishes in South Canara were ceded to Mangalore jurisdiction. The order was published by the Vicar Apostolic of Mangalore who had now become the Bishop of Mangalore.
How did SCHISM beginï
ï
.?
The Portuguese power in India declined and they were trying to preserve their influence: consequently a great majority of the parishioners of Milagres because of their long association with the ministry of the Goan priests who gave them guidance over the centuries again preferred to be under the Padroado hoping that they would be accommodated as previously. But when the Goan priests suddenly withdrew and left for Goa in compliance with the order they were left without right leadership and guidance. They appealed the Holy See to be under the Padroado. There was dispute over the temporalities of the church, to preserve the status quo, when the priests of the propaganda mission arrived. Following this, the dissidents built a church of their own dedicated to our Lady of Milagres at Bramhavar. Sometime afterwards, they associated with the Jacobite Bishop Mar Julius11 of Goa, India and Ceylon, who was formerly a catholic priest by name Fr. Antony Alvares. He was earlier banned for defying the ecclesiastical authorities in Goa. With this, The SCHISM became a fact.
Milagres under the Propaganda Mission!
The first Vicar of Milagres was Very Rev. Fr. Albert Dïsouza in 1887. He was popular as a great preacher and was liked by all. After the first period of heat, recriminations and confusion of the feud subsided, on second thoughts a great number of discerning and enlightened dissidents from all over came back to the Mother church.
During the Vicarship of Very Rev. Fr. Aloysius Fernandes that followed in 1901, a chapel was built by a certain Mr. Minguel Vaz in Thottam, in 1904-1910 endowed with property. It was served from this church for many years. It catered to the Catholics of that neighborhood. The Thottam parish was formed when Msgr. D. Jerome Dïsouza of this parish built the present church in 1938.
Rev. Fr. Sebastian Noronha who was at First Asst Parish Priest became its Vicar in 1906. He did pioneering work to bring back the Syrian Christians. He sent Four Laymen of the Parish to the seminary in Mangalore to be trained as Catechists. They were M/s. Ignatius p. Lewis, Xavier Lewis (Uppoor), Lores Lewis (Bharikudru), and Simon Dïsouza (Tonse). They were also trained in liturgy and church music in the Bishopïs Choir at Codialbail
Milagres grew grew and grew!!
The urgent and priority work of Fr. Albert Dïsouza who had a long innings was to win back the lost sheep which he ably did with patience and perseverance. There were no organized schools at that time. People generally learnt the three Rïs in the Hindu temples, where very few Christians went to study. Fr. Dïsouza started the first recognized Elementary school, the St. Josephïs Elementary school in the parish. It was housed in the side wings (balconies) of the church. It was, therefore in those days called the ïBolkanve Iskolï.
The Milagres secondary school was raised to a high school by Very Rev Fr. Julian Dïsouza who came as Vicar in 1929. The fourth form was started in 1931 an in 1934 the first batch of matriculates passed out.
In 1934, very Rev Fr. Dennis Jerome Dïsouza acquired the L.V.P School, Puttur village and gave it a new shape.
In 1940 Fr. Denis Joseph Dïsouza built the present magnificent church in Kallianpur and completed it in 2years. Very Rev Fr. Denis Dïsouza who followed him as Vicar in 1942 brought the congregation of the Ursuline sisters of St Fransis and their convent St. rose convent was established. Then St. Joseph Primary School was given over to them for managing. He also built the present artistic high altar and pulpit of the church.
Milagres Kallianpur was fortunate to have Very Rev Fr. Denis Jerome Dïsouza as Vicar for a second term in 1954. Very soon he started completing the works he had earlier commenced. He built the church portico. He put up a separate building for girls in high school and a separate play field. He brought the Apostolic Carmel congregation to establish their convent ïLourdes Conventï to promote education for girls. He also commenced the first buildings of Goretti hospital under the auspices of the diocese. In 1965 the high School was raised to higher secondary school with the addition of the 11th standard.
The need for a college in Kallianpur was felt since 1934 when the Milagres High School Kallianpur presented its first batch of matriculates. Though the progress and performance of the high School was par excellence and its popularity and prestige rose to great heights under the Headmastership of Fr. A.J. Tellis as years rolled, the aspirations of the people remained unrealized for insuperable reasons for 34 years! In 1967 Msgr. Denis Jerome Dïsouza at the age of 83 years got sanction for a college and undertook the building of the Milagres College of Arts and Commerce and commenced the Pre-University classes. Higher University classes came up year by year, preparing the students for the Final B.A and B.Com Degree examinations. The first batch of graduates passed out in 1971. A rectangle block of 262 feet in length with ground floor and two storeys with a floor space of 29,000sq.ft was planned. The ground floor of 8646 sq.ft came into being for use in 1969. Though originally the Science faculty was also intended to be introduced it however had to be deferred to be taken up by more young Vicars with enterprise.
The Last 25 years of excellenceï
..!
In the last 25 years Milagres Kallianpur showed great excellence both in educational and spiritual fields. In the year 1985 Rev Fr. William Gonsalves was named as Vicar of Milagres and he built the Milagres English High School in the year 1988. He also introduced the concept of Small Christian Community (SCC) in our parish and the next vicar Fr. Oswald Lasrado continued this new concept of bringing the believers closer to church activities. In the year 1985 ïOzanam Home for The Aged ïwas started by the Society of Vincent Paul of Milagres church and presently the principal of Milagres College Fr. Fred Mascarenhas is serving as the Chaplain.
During the time of the next Vicar Fr. Stanley Pereira the Miraculous shrine of Our lady of Miracles was built and till date every Saturday after the morning mass the people of Milagres Gather for the Novena of our Mother Mary.
In the year 1994 ïMilarchi Laranï- the voice of Milagres, a news letter of Milagres was started and Dr. Gerald Pinto Became its Editor with a strong editorial board and is serving for the same till date.ï Milarchin Laranï is published 4 times in a year. In 1994 Pilar fathers started their ministry in Kallianpur
In 1997 Very rev. Fr. Xavier Pinto became the parish priest and revolutionized and popularized liturgy in the parish in a different way. Fr. Xavier took keen interest in bringing children closer to church and gave more responsibilities to them in liturgical services in the church. He formed a strong choir group and led the choir. During his time our church saw a lot of changes. The church flooring was marbled also the road from gate to church was tarred. During this time the SCC blossomed in our parish.
He was then transferred to Basrur parish in Kundapur Varado and Fr. Marcel Saldanha took charge. Fr. Marcel brought lots of changes in the infrastructure of our church and its buildings. He also introduced the ïMid Day Mealsï to all poor children studying in our schools. On 13.05.2005 Adoration chapel was inaugurated by Fr. J.J. Saldanha who served in our parish to assist Fr. Marcel Saldanha for a short span.Fr. J.J Saldanha was later replaced by a young and dynamic priest Fr. Edwin Dïsouza. He also built the front gate and renovated the garden. He has also started the project of new building for Kannada medium school as the existing building is very old. The project is estimated to cost around a Crore. This project is still in progress and going well with the whole hearted assistance of parishners, old students and all the well wishers.
The Jubilee celebrationsï
ï
!!
The jubilee celebration was started on 15.11.2005 by Fr. William Gonsalves. After that many programs were planned and conducted as a part of jubilee celebrations.
Programs like training for teachers, Infants day, Couples day, senior citizens day, Widow/Bachelors/Spinsters day, Youth day, SCC day, Sports day etc. And the jubilee was celebrated in a grand way on December 6th 2005. Thanksgiving mass was offered by Rt. Rev. Fr. Aloysius Paul Dïsouza(Bishop of Mangalore) with a group of clergies. After the mass a stage programme was organized in which leaders of various communities gathered along with many of the renowned faces and also politicians.
A grand lunch was prepared and served by the parishioners after the program. In the evening artists of Milagres church presented a comedy Drama ïWinni Konachenï and made this jubilee celebration a memorable one.
It is almost impossible to picture the ministry of the zealous pioneering missionaries from Goa who in those early years of poor road communication and other hardships planted the church, preached the Gospel, administered the sacraments and catered even to temporal needs surmounting difficulties of language and customs in a large area round Kallianpur and raised a flourishing Catholic Community that withstood the trials of persecution by dungeon, fire and sword. Their selfless, pioneering and noble labours and those of others not less enterprising and devoted Pastors that followed them, who with the co-operation of the people pioneered the establishment of many parishes of the Varado to meet the Spiritual needs of the people along with many Educational Institutions for their uplift and who gave of their best, have made the Milagres Kallianpur of today. Now Milagrians are spread all over the globe by Her grace and hence this 325 year old Milagres church stands tall and is recognized as one of the oldest and renowned parishes in Mangalore diocese.
Parish council
Vice President: Mr. Leslie Lewis
Secretary: Mr. James Dïsouza
came in email,
<b>Christian historian, Dr. T. R. de Souza </b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->At least from 1540 onwards, and in the island of Goa before that year, all the Hindu idols had been annihilated or had disappeared, all the temples had been destroyed and their sites and building material was in most cases utilized to erect new Christian Churches and chapels. Various viceregal and Church council decrees banished the Hindu priests from the Portuguese territories; the public practices of Hindu rites including marriage rites, were banned; the state took upon itself the task of bringing up Hindu orphan children; the Hindus were denied certain employments, while the Christians were preferred; it was ensured that the Hindus would not harass those who became Christians, and on the contrary, the Hindus were obliged to assemble periodically in Churches to listen to preaching or to the refutation of their religion."
"A particularly grave abuse was practiced in Goa in the form of 'mass baptism' and what went before it. The practice was begun by the Jesuits and was alter initiated by the Franciscans also. The Jesuits staged an annual mass baptism on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25), and in order to secure as many neophytes as possible, a few days before the ceremony the Jesuits would go through the streets of the Hindu quarter in pairs, accompanied by their Negro slaves, whom they would urge to seize the Hindus. When the blacks caught up a fugitive, they would smear his lips with a piece of beef, making him an 'untouchable' among his people. Conversion to Christianity was then his only option."
The Goan inquisition is regarded by all contemporary portrayals as the most violent inquisition ever executed by the Portuguese Catholic Church. It lasted from 1560 to 1812. The inquisition was set as a tribunal, headed by a judge, sent to Goa from Portugal and was assisted by two judicial henchmen. The judge was answerable to no one except to Lisbon and handed down punishments as he saw fit. The Inquisition Laws filled 230 pages and the palace where the Inquisition was conducted was known as the Big House and the Inquisition proceedings were always conducted behind closed shutters and closed doors. The screams of agony of the culprits (men, women, and children) could be heard in the streets, in the stillness of the night, as they were brutally interrogated, flogged, and slowly dismembered in front of their relatives. Eyelids were sliced off and extremities were amputated carefully, a person could remain conscious even though the only thing that remained was his torso and a head.
Diago de Boarda, a priest and his advisor Vicar General, Miguel Vazz had made a 41 point plan for torturing Hindus. Under this plan Viceroy Antano de Noronha issued in 1566, an order applicable to the entire area under Portuguese rule :
"I hereby order that in any area owned by my master, the king, nobody should construct a Hindu temple and such temples already constructed should not be repaired without my permission. If this order is transgressed, such temples shall be, destroyed and the goods in them shall be used to meet expenses of holy deeds, as punishment of such transgression."
In 1567 the campaign of destroying temples in Bardez met with success. At the end of it 300 Hindu temples were destroyed. Enacting laws, prohibition was laid from December 4, 1567 on rituals of Hindu marriages, sacred thread wearing and cremation. All the persons above 15 years of age were compelled to listen to Christian preaching, failing which they were punished.
A religious fatva was issued on the basis of the findings of Goa Inquiry Commission. It stated,"...Hereby we declare the decision that the conventions mentioned in the preamble of the fatva as stated below are permanently declared as useless, and therefore prohibited".
Prohibitions Regarding Marriages
-The instruments for Hindu songs shall not be played.
-While giving dowry the relatives of the bride and groom must not be invited.
-At the time of marriage, betel leaf packages (pan) must not be distributed either publicly or in private to the persons present.
-Flowers, or fried puris, betel nuts and leaves must not be sent to the heads of the houses of the bride or groom.
-Gotraj ceremony of family God must not be performed.
-On the day prior to a wedding, rice must not be husked, spices must not be pounded, grains must not be ground and other recipes for marriage feast must not be cooked.
-Pandals and festoons must not be used.
-Pithi should not be applied.
-The bride must not be accorded ceremonial welcome. The bride and groom must not -be made to sit under pandal to convey blessings and best wishes to them.
Prohibitions Regarding Fasts, Post-death Rituals
-The poor must not be fed or ceremonial meals must not be served for the peace of the souls of the dead.
-There should be no fasting on ekadashi day.
-Fasting can be done according to the Christian principles.
-No rituals should be performed on the twelfth day after death, on moonless and full moon dates.
-No fasting should be done during lunar eclipse.
Conventions
-Hindu men should not wear dhoti either in public or in their houses. Women should not wear cholis .
-They should not plant Tulsi in their houses, compounds, gardens or any other place.
-Following the law of 1567, orphans were kidnapped for converting them to Christianity.
On September 22, 1570 an order was issued that :
-The Hindus embracing Christianity will be exempted from land taxes for a period of 15 years.
-Nobody shall bear Hindu names or surnames.
In 1583 Hindu temples at Esolna and Kankolim were destroyed through army action.
"The fathers of the Church forbade the Hindus under terrible penalties the use of their own sacred books, and prevented them from all exercise of their religion. They destroyed their temples, and so harassed and interfered with the people that they abandoned the city in large numbers, refusing to remain any longer in a place where they had no liberty, and were liable to imprisonment, torture and death if they worshipped after their own fashion the gods of their fathers." wrote Sasetti, who was in India from 1578 to 1588.
An order was issued in June 1684 eliminating Konkani language and making it compulsory to speak Portuguese language. The law provided for dealing toughly with anyone using the local language. Following that law all the symbols of non-Christian sects were destroyed and the books written in local languages were burnt.
The Archbishop living on the banks of the Ethora had said during one of his lecture series, "The post of Inquiry Commission in Goa is regarded as holy." The women who opposed the assistants of the commission were put behind the bars and were used by them to satisfy their animal instincts. Then they were burnt alive as opponents of the established tenets of the Catholic church.
The victims of such inhuman laws of the Inquiry Commission included a French traveller named Delone. He was an eye witness to the atrocities, cruelty and reign of terror unleashed by priests. He published a book in 1687 describing the lot of helpless victims. While he was in jail he had heard the cries of tortured people beaten with instruments having sharp teeth. All these details are noted in Delone's book.
So harsh and notorious was the inquisition in Goa, that word of its brutality and horrors reached Lisbon but nothing was done to stop this notoriety and escalating barbarity and it continued for two hundred more years. No body knows the exact number of Goans subjected to these diabolical tortures, but perhaps it runs into hundreds of thousands, may be even more. The abominations of inquisitions continued until a brief respite was given in 1774 but four years later, the inquisition was introduced again and it continued un-interruptedly until 1812. At that point in time, in the year of 1812, the British put pressure on the Portuguese to put an end to the terror of Inquisition and the presence of British troops in Goa enforced the British desire. Also the Portuguese power at this time was declining and they could not fight the British. The palace of the Grand Inquisitor, the Big House, was demolished and no trace of it remains today, which might remind someone of inquisitions and the
horrors inside this Big House that their great saint Francis Xavier had commenced.
<i>Dr. Trasta Breganka Kunha, a Catholic citizen of Goa writes, "Inspite of all the mutilations and concealment of history, it remains an undoubted fact that religious conversion of Goans is due to methods of force adopted by the Portuguese to establish their rule. As a result of this violence the character of our people was destroyed. The propagation of Christian sect in Goa came about not by religious preaching but through the methods of violence and pressure. If any evidence is needed for this fact, we can obtain it through law books, orders and reports of the local rulers of that time and also from the most dependable documents of the Christian sect </i>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
02-28-2008, 07:03 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-28-2008, 07:05 PM by Husky.)
Posts Posts 73 to 78 of the History of christianism in India thread are related to Goa, and contain excerpts taken from
<b>Flight of the Deities: Hindu Resistance in Portuguese Goa</b>, Paul Axelrod; Michelle A. Fuerch, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 30, No. 2. (May, 1996), pp. 387-421.
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Nov 11 2006, 07:06 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Nov 11 2006, 07:06 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Indian Invasion Of Portuguese Ocuupied Goa</b>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXJ3WK9Il6Y...related&search=
[right][snapback]60677[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->IMO, the video should be named "Indian liberation of Portuguese-occupied Goa (Gomantak, sp?)".
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The leaders of free India and those following them have suppressed any reference to the Portugese attrocities and reign of terror until recently. Now, it is time to learn this history. Internet has provided an excellent venue to learn more about what they did....
Do a google serch to get more if you want to get more info
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/mar/16gupta.htm
http://www.scribd.com/doc/11282/St-Francis...orist-in-India-
http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/14inter1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goa_Inquisition_(book)
http://goacentral.com/Goahistory/TheGoaInquisition.htm
http://www.christianaggression.org/item_di...S&id=1097401011
Hindu Genocide in Goa Inquisition
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Eye-witness accounts of Goan inquistion:
  *
     "...The inquisition of Goa, distinguished itself on account of the greater rigors than those of the tribunals of the metropolis; thousands of victims died at the stake in flames.
   -Joao Felix Pereira(19th century) in Historia de Portugal, 3rd edition, page 235
  *
     "..The inquisition, this tribunal of fire, thrown on the surface of the globe for the scourge of humanity, this horrible institution, which will eternally cover with shame its authors, fixed its brutal domicile in the fertile plains of the Hindustan. On seeing the monster everyone fled and disappeared, Moguls, Arabs, Persians, Armenians, and Jews. The Indians even, more tolerant and pacific, were astounded to see the God of Christianism more cruel than that of Mohammed, deserted the territory of the Portuguese..."
   -Memoirs of Judges Magalhães and Lousada: (Vol 2,Annaes MarÃtimos e Coloniais,page 59)
  *
     "...The terrors inflicted on pregnant women made them abort....Neither the beauty or decorousness of the flower of youth, nor the old age, so worthy of compassion in a woman, exempted the weaker sex from the brutal ferocity of the supposed defenders of the religion..
     ..There were days when seven or eight were submitted to torture. These scenes were reserved for the inquisitors after dinner. It was a post-prandial entertainment. Many a time during those acts, the inquisitors compared notes in the appreciation of the beauty of the human form. While the unlucky damsel twisted in the intolerable pains of torture, or fainted in the intensity of the agony, one inquisitor applauded the angelic touches of her face, another the brightness of her eyes, another, the volluptuous contours of her breast, another the shape of her hands. In this conjuncture, men of blood transformed themselves into real artists !!
   -Alexandre Herculano Famous writer of 19th century in his Fragment about the Inquisition
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
09-16-2008, 10:36 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-16-2008, 10:38 PM by Shambhu.)
(Back from the motherland!)
Re Goa:
I found out that since the portuguese had forbidden what they called idol worship, Goans used to paint Ganesha, Shankar etc on paper and worship these. Reason was that it was easier to hide these pieces of paper (compared to "idols") if the inquisition came into your house. Paper painting worship continues to this day, but is done on a small scale in parallel with vigraha pooja. Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesh paintings are worshipped next to the murti in Ganeshchaturthi days.
02-10-2010, 08:10 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-10-2010, 08:29 PM by Husky.)
http://rajeev2004.blogspot.com/2010/02/g...guese.html
Quote:Goa: The Kashi of the Konkan .. till the Portuguese missionaries came
feb 9th, 2010
what the whites have accomplished: genocide, cultural extinction.
[color="#800080"](Has nothing to do with "white". The Hellenic Portuguese of Europa didn't inquisition the Hindus of Gomantak. It wasn't the Hellenic Portuguese that terrorised the Hindus for being "polytheistic idolators" - how could they, the GrecoRomans were "polytheistic idolators" too.
It was the christians that did it. And it's not because they were from Portugal either: it was Indian christos who massacred Swami Lakshmanananda for instance.
It is christianism that makes christians do all this.)[/color]
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: sri
http://www.goaholidayhomes.com/info/249/...he-konkan/
Goa called 'Kashi of the Konkanï' by the Hindus who hold it sacred
came to be considered the Rome of the East for its beautiful churches.
(Kashi, now called Varanasi or Benaras is associated with Lord Shiva
and is one of the holiest cities on the banks of the Ganges River of
the Hindus.)
Since ancient times Goa has for the Hindus, been a seat of Vedic and
Sanskrit learning and a center of pilgrimage. Fr. Francisco da Souza,
the Jesuit historian testifies in his 'Oriente Conquista' (1699): "The
island of Divar was as much venerated by the Hindus as the Holy Land
is by us on account of a temple of many indulgences and pilgrimages.
And even at present on a certain day of the year, the Hindus hopefully
flock there to bathe themselves in the margin of the river facing the
locality where the temple was formerly situated, so that they might
not lose their plenary indulgence".
According to Leonardo Paes in his 'Prontuario das definicoes Indicas',
there was hardly a place where a Hindu temple couldn't be found in
Goa. <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=' ' /> "These idol - worshipping people have some houses where they
install their Gods or idols. So many are these temples that there is
no place in their land where these don't exist. As the cities,
villages and wards are not sufficient for them, temples are found even
on the highest hills and on any island or cliff formed by the sea".
After the original temple on Divar Island was destroyed by the
Portuguese, it was relocated at Narve in Bicholim sub - division. The
original site is now known as 'Porne Teertha' (Old Holy Site) by the
Hindus. In 1668 it was rebuilt by Shivaji the Maratha King. Called
Shri Saptakoteshwar Temple after the seven sages who did severe
penance, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva who was pleased and agreed to
make the island his abode.
Various 'Mutts' (Vedic Hindu colleges) of Goa like Kavle, Shankar and
Partagali still carry on the tradition of Vedic and Sanskrit learning.
The Shri Kaivalya Mutt at Kavle that traces an unbroken line back to
the founder of the Advaita School of philosophy, Shri
Gaoudapadacharya, the grand guru of Adhishankarcharya, was originally
situated on the banks of the Zuari River at Kushasthali (Cortalim).
Shri Ramchandra Teertha was the founder of Partagali Jeevottam Mutt
and was sixth in line from Shri Narayana Teertha, the founder of the
first Vaishanava Mutt in 1475 at Bhatkal.
With temples being dedicated to most of the prominent deities of the
Hindu pantheon <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />, Goa over the years has been the land of many dynasties
and cults. Some of these which have temples dedicated to them are
Surya, Brahma, Ganapati, Nagesh, Ramanatha, Kartikeya, Chandranatha,
Mangesh, Rama, Somanatha, Narayana, Durga, Mallikarjuna, Chamunda,
Vithala and Datta, Parashurma, Narasimha, Kamaxi, Hanuman, Krishna,
Mahalaxmi and Mahamaya. Also there are aboriginal deities like Vetal
(the head of spirits of ancestors), Sateri (Mother Earth in the form
of a termite hill <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> ) and Ravalnatha (an incarnation of Shiva) which are
worshipped as the presiding deities of villages.
Swami Vivekanand, the great Hindu spiritual thinker during his India
tour visited Goa. He stayed at the Rachol Seminary to study
Christianity and also at Nayak House in Margao.
With the return of deities to their original sites from where they
were uprooted, renovation of old temples and construction of new
temples and mutts, the awesome Hindu heritage of Goa is now seeing a
revival. <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
By Sanjay Agarwal
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2M6Y3UGQ0K4KE
Most Indians believe that Goa was settled by Portuguese. This is what
the history text books have taught them. But the facts are quite
different. Goa (Gomantak) was a bustling place, settled by Indians
continuously from at least 1200 B.C. It was a famous pilgrimage, often
known as Kashi of West.
Till the Portuguese missionaries came. They launched an aggressive
program of converting native Hindus and Muslims to Christianity. Hundreds of Hindu temples were destroyed, and Brahmins were chased
out.
Many converted as a result of this. The new converts were ordered to
give up their 'heathen' practices. However, when friendly methods
failed to keep the newly converted within the flock, inquisition was
called in. The Goan inquisition has often been called the worst in the
history of Christianity. It continued for about 250 years from 1570's
till 1812, when the British mercifully put an end to it.
Incidentally, the Goans did not take this lying down. According to the
World Book encyclopedia, Goa witnessed 400 revolts <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> in the 400 years of
Portuguese occupation.
[color="#0000FF"]The book gives a scholarly, dry narrative of the excesses of
inquistion. Properly speaking there is no narrative as such, rather
sections, such as in a thesis. It is really more of a documentation
effort, as stated in the title. There are lots of references of
sources and footnotes, which add authority to the book.[/color]
It also reproduces some accounts of the inquisition written by a
Frenchman named Dhillon, who managed to escape it with his life. Some
photographs, sketches, and maps are included. he location of the 'big
house' (called 'orlem ghor' in Goanese), where thousands were interred
is also shown in a map. There are sketches showing auto da fe (where
victims were burnt alive) and some of the more popular tortures.
However, the maps are quite old, and it is difficult to locate the
ruins in Old Goa, where even the museum staff are ignorant about the
site or history of inquisition.
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