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THE OLD GOA WALK
The pillory in front of you is the pilourinha
novo or the New Pillory where offenders were publicly
flogged.
THE ORATORIAN CONVENT AND MIRACULOUS CROSS TOUR
This is an extended tour from where you are.
You can either end your walk now or go back and
collect your vehicle to extend your tour. The
convent gives you a peek into a unique lifestyle.
Stand at the convent and see one of the most breathtaking
views of the old city. This is also where the
blessed Fr. Joseph Vaz lived and worked and something
of a pilgrim site for his expanding following.
If you have collected your vehicle by now and
are ready for the extended tour, come back to
the Pillory and drive up on the road to the right.
To your left if you slow down a little, are part
of the old walls of the city. You will now climb
up the slope and see a rather odd-shaped column
to your left. The column says CALCADA DE NOSSA
SENHORA DE LUZ or Our Lady of light Church. Take
a left turn here to get to the Church of the Miraculous
Cross and the Oratorian Convent. Should you carefully
at the mud and stone walls of the houses nearby,
you will see part of the old church walls, the
steps and the steeple.
Take the road that goes through a finely wooded
area and ends the Convento da Cruz dos Milagres
or the Convent of the Miraculous Cross which inspires
great belief in the devout.
The popular Fr. Joseph Vaz lived and worked here
at this church and mass is celebrated on every
25th of the month at 10 am. The miraculous Cross,
said to have been seen growing by some devout
friars at the Convent has long since been moved
to the Se Cathedral but the church and convent
site are worth a visit for other reasons. It is
not for nothing that this hill was named the Boa
Vista or Beautiful View. Take a little walk around
the Miraculous Cross Church and then take in the
breathtaking view of the entire city of Velha
Goa. You will appreciate the old name ‘Rome
of the East’ for Goa when you see how it
was, like Rome, located on seven hills.
Look at the ruins of the Oratotian Convent and
see how friars lived in cloisters in the I6th-17th
centuries in the old city. The top of the hill
and the wooded areas surrounding it are a birdwatcher’s
delight.
THE KADAMBA ROA.
If you have come this far and would like to go
further, there is a treat in store for you at
what will soon be known as Ella Crest. There is
nothing in the world as wonderful as the feeling
you get when you walk on a road that once connected
the ancient Kadamba capital of Goa Velha in the
South to the new city on the river Mandovi in
the North.
Retrace your steps from the Oratorian Convent
and come back on to the main road. Now take a
left turn and go up to where a sign says ELLA
CREST. This is a forerunner of things to come.
Most states in India are getting rapidly urbanized
and Goa is no exception. A new housing complex
is coming up on these historic hills but that
should not take away from the importance of this
site. Keep going straight at a steady pace and
you will see it. This is the ancient road built
by the Kadambas between the 11th and 13th centuries.
The road was meant to connect the ancient capital
of Govapuri (Gopakapatna, Gopakarashtra, Goa)
to the new port town on the river Mandovi after
the Zuari began to silt up. It is a beautifully
constructed road and walking on it is a pleasure
even today.
There is evidence that the Portuguese also used
the road. You will see remains of a fort wall,
a moat surrounding the wall and a structure that
looks like a checkpoint. One must remember that
the Portuguese government lived in constant dread
of attack from both the Muslims and the Marathas
and this fear must have been a vital element in
their choice of settlement.
Go as far as you like on the old Kadamba road.
Then tern back and look for at crude sign that
says GORAKSHA MATH. If you take a short walk into
the cashew forest you will come upon an amazing
ruin. This is the ruin of Lie Portuguese gallows
which is now used as a temple. One wonders who
these unfortunate people were who were flogged
and whipped for crimes they had or had not committed.
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