------------------------------------------------------------------------ * G * O * A * N * E * T **** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enjoy your holiday in Goa. Stay at THE GARCA BRANCA from November to May There is no better, value for money, guest house. Confirm your bookings early or miss-out
Visit http://www.garcabranca.com for details/booking/confirmation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- GOA, LIKE SHANTADURGA, IS PERMEATED WITH INFLUENCES FROM ALL OVER Experiencing the cultural swirl at Ponda by V. M. de Malar Even at 8am, the temple was already buzzing with activity. The goddess's attendants went back and forth behind an elaborate, exquisitely wrought silver screen, accepting offerings and liberally handing out prasad and sweet-smelling blossoms. One devotee lay prone on the floor, silently mouthing a long string of prayers, his wife knelt beside him with her eyes closed and intensity written on her face. Two small children came forth with a coconut; their very large and imposing grandfather prodded them forward to receive their blessings. And right behind them came me, I bent my head in respect and offered the goddess two garlands of distinctive Goan abolim; one for myself and a very particular desire, one for you and the rest of us, for Goa and our uncertain future. The Shri Shantadurga temple in Kavlem, just outside Ponda, is Goa's largest temple, and in many ways the most important. Like many of Ponda's important Hindu shrines, it was first built as a refuge for a deity forced to flee the destructive terror of the first centuries of Portuguese rule. The European fanatics spared nothing, every single appreciable marker of Hinduism, Islam (and even Judaism and Syrian Orthodox worship) was destroyed in a frenzy. In the year 1567 alone, one particularly animated zealot, Rachol-based Diogo Rodrigues tore down more than 280 temples. The Shri Shantadurga temple in Ponda was established in this era; the deity was smuggled from the village we now call Quelossim, some distance inland from the north end of Colva beach. Shantadurga equals Goa, she's a widely accepted embodiment of the Mother Goddess whose veneration is near-total in Goa. She is a central aspect of our religious worship, deeply embedded -- for example -- in veneration of the Virgin Mary. This Goan affinity is pre-Brahmanical, easily traced before the arrival of Gaud Saraswats; early inhabitants of Goa worshipped Sateri, their rituals were adapted and blended by Saraswat migrants from Bengal to their own favorite, Durga. The highly syncretic result was Shantadurga, one part ancient fertility goddess, one part Aryan-ized wife of Shiva, one part newly coined aspect of peace, in keeping with the tolerant ancient culture of Goa. The Christians who came later imbued the Virgin with all these qualities; it is no surprise that Goans of all communities feel perfectly comfortable venerating the mother goddess in all her religious guises. This marvelous melange, this multi-layered cultural dimension can be appreciated at the Shri Shantadurga temple. This current building was erected by Shivaji's grandson, the Shahu Raja, in 1738 and has been repeatedly renovated; from end to end it is a syncretic architectural confection, with plenty that is learned and borrowed from church-building in nearby Goa, from Victorian imperial buildings, and from European opulence. If you shut out that lovely tower in its foreground, the imposing maroon and cream building would seamlessly fit into the colonial precincts of Mumbai or Pune, it could easily be a college or administrative centre. And most of the interior could easily be transposed to a Raj Bhavan somewhere; it's dripping with cut-glass chandeliers and lined from wall-to-wall with excellent imported marble. Like Goa, like our culture itself, every aspect of the Shantadurga temple is permeated with swirling influences from all over India, from our long and intricate history, from the continuing ebb and tide of East and West that has gone on here for millennia and shaped every aspect of what we recognize as Goa. It belongs to all of us, and is a crucial angle that's irreplaceable as vantage point to survey who we are, what we are, and where we might go from here into the new millennium. As I strode out of the temple precincts on the way back home, it occurred to me again that diversity is our greatest strength, we can find great unity and sense of purpose when we understand and embrace it. Oh, and two days later, my very particular desire was met in full measure. That other garland, that other silent prayer for all of us? Let's see what unfolds, let's just wait and see. ----------------------------------------------------------------- VM de Malar, nome de plume of Vivek Menezes, is a long-time Goanetter (among the first) who opted to shift back to Goa after nearly three decades abroad. He lives and works out of Campal in Panjim, mostly writing and understanding the heritage that earlier generations migrated away from. GOANET-READER WELCOMES contributions from its readers, by way of essays, reviews, features and think-pieces. We share quality Goa-related writing among the 7000-strong readership of the Goanet/Goanet-news network of mailing lists. If you appreciated the thoughts expressed above, please send in your feedback to the writer. Our writers write -- or share what they have written -- pro bono, and deserve hearing back from those who appreciate their work. 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