Dear all, I wanted to give an update on my research experience at the Goa Archives.
The archives have indeed moved to the Chimbel/ Ribander area in a big building in the middle of nowhere (on the highway to Old Goa, I was told) called the Alcon House. The archive research room is on the 5th floor on the right-hand side of the building
and the library is on the left side of the building using a separate elevator to the 3rd floor.
I found the conditions in the scholar research room to be very difficult. There was a big picture window (with a beautiful view) but no open windows, only fans. The temperature increased dramatically as the day wore on as the sun shone directly through
the window. Some people didn’t mind the heat, but I found it unbearable.
I eventually was able to move into the main room which was cooler but much noisier. But since I don’t understand Konkani, it didn’t really bother me.
The archive closes from 1:00 - 2:15 for lunch; scholars can work until 4:45 or 5:00.
I was looking at Monsoon Books and Cartas e Ordens from around 1798 to 1816. I am sorry to say many of the documents were mostly in a very degraded and disintegrating condition which made me very sad that they had not been conserved, or digitized, and
I was grieved at the history being lost.
The staff, however, was amazing. I was able to get all requested materials in a timely manner and the scanning guy heroically scanned all my requests before I planned to leave Goa. The scans cost foreigners Rs. 40 each (not cheap if having a lot scanned…)
Then, I went over to the library. I of course filled out a registration form where I listed my topic, and the librarian pulled out some resources for me. One of those turned out to be an old journal (Purabhilekh Puratatva) which had some of the Monsoon
letters transcribed in Portuguese with an English summary below! I was ecstatic!
The librarian said it was a government publication so she checked with the bookshop to see if there were any copies. There were—one of which they gave to me, complimentary!
Then, I had the idea that other journal volumes might have more transcriptions—so she pulled out all of them plus an index. Turns out four more volumes had transcriptions and two of them were available, complimentary, from the bookshop, and the library’s
scanning guy stayed a bit later than he planned to, to scan the items from the other two. This was on New Year’s Eve, mind you.
I don’t know all the people or gods who greased the wheels for me but I had an overall excellent experience at the Goa Archives. I hope you will as well. (Frederick was one; another who would probably like to remain anonymous.) I thank them all, known
and unknown.
Happy New Year! Happy researching!
Cheers, Debra
Debra K. Nicholson, MFA, MA
www.debranicholson.com
Sent from my iPhone
Dear Debra
The Goa Archives have shifted their base to Ribander. I have recently gone there and I was told that their library too is shifted there. They do not allow any usage of mobiles, nor photographs while inside the building. The place is in the Alcon building,
above the Merc showroom on the main road going to Old Goa.
Best wishes
Glenis Mendonca
On Thu, Nov 13, 2025 at 3:01 PM 'carolina costa' via Goa-Research-Net <
[email protected]> wrote:
Hello Debra,
I was in Goa last year in May and the Archives were still in the old location in Panjim. I believe they have different locations for the different types of documents available which there are many in Portuguese.
Have you tried to contact Frederick Noronha? He is quite knowledgeable and very helpful.
Telephone and emails are not a good option. From my experience, nobody replies.
All the best.
Regards,
Carolina
Sent from my iPhone
> On 11 Nov 2025, at 13:53, Debra Nicholson <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Can anyone please inform me the recent location and access availability of the Goa Archives? Their website indicates they’ve moved to Ribander but did they move their records as well as their library? Their phone numbers are switched off so I’m unable to
get info from them directly (and they never answer emails). Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>
> Debra K. Nicholson, MFA, MA
>
www.debranicholson.com
> alternate email:
[email protected]
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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