To Goanet - The shrine of Siddhanath (a form of Shiva) atop the eponymous hill near the village of Borim lies 370 m above sea level. It is not a frequently visited site for access is not easy. A 45 minutes trudge uphill is the only way to get there. However, there is recompense for the calories burned in the form of splendid vistas of the Zuari river basin below.
This religious locale is of great antiquity and was established by members of the Nath Panth sect that flourished in Goa from 12th C onwards until the advent of the Portuguese. There are several other Nath Panthi hangouts, e.g. the rock-cut caves in nearby Khandepar, the caves in Divar etc. The Nath Panthis were Tantriks and worshipped Shaivite deities. Surrounding the shrine is lush forest. The quietude and solitude afford moments of reflection about times past, and the imagination insists on conjuring wispy silhouettes of the Nath Panthis & their esoteric rituals in an era long before the invention of the iPhone. These photographs were taken in Sept 2007. Accompanying me on this monsoon afternoon was my driver, Babu Naik. The dirt path en route to the Siddhanath shrine - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/sid-1.jpg This is a screen grab of a satellite image obtained via Google Earth. The long path leading to the shrine and the surrounding forest are obvious - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/sid-map.jpg The shrine - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/sid-2.jpg Siddhanath-bab and bhaT-maam - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/sid-3.jpg Vistas of the Zuari river basin - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/sid-4.jpg PS: I hear that work on a tarred road uphill leading to the shrine has been initiated (can anyone confirm?). I can see it all now - we will soon have a wave of 'farmers' from Delhi descending on Borim to buy the surrounding property. Aren't you glad this will provide material for a future RTI application? Regards, r
