VILLAGES IN GOA

To this day, if you ask the Goans in India where they are from, they'll give you the name of their village, their 'ancestral village' as they often call the Goan village. And since many of the villages in Goa, India, have probably evolved from early Stone Age settlements, each Goan village has had plenty of time to develop its individual character overlaid by an Iberian stamp. All this comes out very clearly in a recreated village called 'Ancestral Goa'. It is in Loutolim.

Do spend some time examining the furniture and other artifacts displayed in the reception cottage, including the reclining chair and the palanquin when you visit this recreated village at Goa in India. They set the tone of the way of life that is virtually a thing of the past. The landlord of the village exercised the sort of authority that the Lord of the Manor did in England once upon a time. Here, in Goa, however, their authority was restricted by the democratic conventions that had existed for countless generations. The Goan village was a self-contained entity and if any family stepped too far out of line, the social system would put it back into its ordained place. Custom and tradition had a stronger hold than money; and the Goan church was the great arbiter.

Thus, at Ancestral Goa in India, the Sant Khuris, the white cross, reminds all inhabitants that the rule of God and the authority of His church must be respected. And when you enter the Mansion of Donna Maria in Goa, the landlady, you'll find an altar inside. Here, the family priest offered Mass, his presence also underscoring the status of the landlord. A further assertion of the landlord's position in the village is the fact that the mansion has been clearly patterned on traditional Portuguese architecture: it bears the imprint of the overlords!

In contrast to the mansion is Joao's House roofed with tiles and with a small verandah in front. Near it is the Taverna which served much the same function that a pub does today. Tavernas are still very much a part of the Goan scene. In most Goan villages, in the past the gin-like feni was locally brewed. At Ancestral Goa, visitors can walk round a mocked-up bhatti or distillery which shows the family at work used cashew as it main ingredient. Cashew feni and fried seafood go well together, so you should also visit the hut of some of the fishermen. They are very humble dwelling built on a wooden frame and thatched with coconut fronds. Finally, there is the 'downtown' area of the village: the Tinto or market square. Here the fishwives, the farmers, the homesteaders, potters and pedlars of trinkets assemble to sell their produce to the villagers.

For all their seeming sophistication, Goans in India are still very involved with their green countryside. Goan villages, with the white towers of their churches and temples, seem to grow like carefully nurtured blooms out of their well-watered fields and groves of coconut and cashew, papayas, bananas and the feathery drumstick tree. This is what still keeps the Goans captivated in this simple village beauty.