The Cabo Palace or the Cabo Raj Niwas as it is now called stands on a spur that overlooks the confluence of the Arabian Sea and the Mandovi with the Marmagoa harbour to the west. Built in the 16th century as a monastery it was later converted into a home for Portuguese governors, today it is occupied by the bharati governors.
I was unaware that the Palace had a chapel in its precincts. Left in a dilapidated condition by its present occupants, Funda��o Oriente dug in to restore the chapel to its pristine conditions, I was told. In 1999 I was invited by friends for a Christmas midnight mass at the Cabo. I did not know what to expect. The large black gates were thrown open to the public. We drove into a large compound which had lots of trees and loads of space for car parking. Once out of the cars we had to undergo security checks for Goan armaments mainly Cocots (hand grenades) and Guddi chi Soda (Molotov cocktails). The chapel was filled to its capacity which left me as an �Outstanding Catholic� for the night. For more than an hour I had the privilege to see the splendid lights of ships anchored off the largest natural habours in South Asia in the serene waters of the Mar Ar�bica. At the end of the service we were invited by the �amiable� bharati governor to taste a piece of cake. The palace was once the home of rich artifacts brought in from canton and the rest of the world in the glorious golden days when Goa was a trading port. In hushed voices we heard that most of these precious items probably adorn the homes of who came to be its occupants in recent times. This left a sad taste to otherwise what was a splendid night at the Cabo Palace. __________________________________________________ Yahoo! Plus - For a better Internet experience http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/yplus/yoffer.html ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
