Fighting for survival 26 Apr 2009, 0017 hrs IST
Together with its coconut tree-fringed shoreline, tempting seafood and intriguing legends, Mike Mascarenhas explains why Nerul, the former summer holiday haven of the Portuguese aristocracy, is in a league of its own Known for its beach and delicious fish, Nil'la or Nerul, the former summer holiday haven of the Portuguese aristocracy, is situated 5.6 km west of the Betim ferry point in Bardez. Nerul is bordered by the historic village of Verem-Reis Magos in the East and Candolim in the west. Back in time, locals craved for summer to arrive and the chance to camp for salt-water baths and picnics at Dharnarim, today's famed Coco Beach. But the access to the beautiful beach proved to be quite a challenge then. So, by climbing over the hilly pathway villagers and others would come along with bags loaded with drinks and eats. Until the riverine road, built through the efforts of local politico Suresh Parulekar, all that we had heard about the palm-bedecked village was Nil'lichem nistem and Nil'licheo xevttaleo sold at the Mapusa bazaar. Older Nerulkars recall their grandparents narrating the tale of Goa's tastiest xevttalleo. They say whoever tasted the xevttaleo netted only at a specific spot, was bound to return to buy them at that particular time year after year. Almost every household owned a canoe once. Fishing activity was the broad breadline for residents, largely Hindu, at the western ward called Firgueam Bhatt, and the Christian fisherfolk at the famed Coco beach sprawling at the Dharnarim ward. The forefathers of the over 5,000 odd population of Nerul grew up cultivating rice, besides bhiknnam (groundnuts) and kallngam (watermelons). Their's must have been a close-knit community living in congenial surroundings, largely owned by the biggest landholder Govind Satu Orthy, once Goa's premier exporter of salt to Karnataka. Nerul's comunidade holds sway up to Verem. Some years ago, they sold a large part of the central plateau to the Indian Navy. Nerul today possesses just a few heritage institutions, one of them being the 1569-built Church of Our Lady of Remedies, bearing a period architectural style. The church takes pride in exquisite old paintings on wooden panels and on the thick walls. History recounts that quite a large section of the Hindu population escaped the village along with the Shantadurga deity sometime in the 16th century, to avoid conversion to Christianity. Some of them returned to the village after the conversion fervour had subsided. In 1921, they even brought Shantadurga home from Mandrem, where it had found refuge, and erected a spacious temple for it. Back in those war-torn days, the Marathas would invade Bardez time and again. Nerulkars often speak of a legend narrating how they hoodwinked the invaders some centuries ago. Inspired by the local parish priest, the villagers cut two big coconut trunks and place them prominently over the church. When the invaders arrived within range one day, the Nerulkars fired khozne, traditionally burst on feast days. Thinking that they were being attacked by the Portuguese soldiers with giant canons, the Maratha invaders beat a hasty retreat, utterly confused. Thereafter the villagers are believed to have lived quite peacefully. The village lived in almost isolation then. They needed the canoe-man to ferry them across to next-door Candolim. But when the bridge connecting the village to Candolim was built over the Nerul river, Nerul suddenly emerged into a tourist highway. The Aventine Nellur beginning at Verem passes through Tinttovaddo, lined with small shops and tavernas, and then enters Candolim at the scenic bridge, offering a panoramic view of the Candolim church and the glorious greenery all around. The other, and a very attractive option, is travelling by the riverine road passing by the Reis Magos church and the fort, both integral to Goa's past. The blossoming of tourism at the neighbouring Candolim-Calangute beach belt has spawned its influence in Nerul, transforming the rustic village, its demography and lifestyle. Besides traditional occupations, people here now rent rooms and houses, as well as vehicles to tourists from all over the world. With demand for tourist accommodation, construction of swanky bungalows, large villas and hotels has been going on rather haphazardly, increasing the price of land as well as disturbing local ecology. Non-Goans labourers and others have changed the demographic content to the detriment of local interests. Moreover, in recent years, the sea, which once provided the locals with livelihood, has been posing a serious threat of erosion at the Coco Beach. The beautiful beach, a tourist attraction with boat cruises and shacks, doesn't appear safe anymore. Hence the government has selected it for a pilot study under Sustainable Coastal Projection and Management Project of the Central government under the Asian Development Bank, to stop soil erosion. For Nerulkars today, it is not just about a battle to hold nature at bay successfully, but fighting issues regularly and opposing casinos which affect fishing, helipads and mega projects detrimental to village ecology. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Goa/Fighting-for-survival/articleshow/4449415.cms
