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THE VELIM WALK
Now take a look at the first house on the left
as you go past the fields. Look at the carved
columns that support a canopy over the balcao
and the exquisite railing in wood. The next house,
a pretty piece in mustard yellow, brown and white
is also worth a second glance. The house next
to it has Gothic windows, a high plinth and painted
over patterns Goa does not have many examples
of the Gothic style of architecture. The church
of the Mother of God in the Northern village of
Saligao is in rue Gothic style and one might see
a few scattered examples of windows but by and
large it was not a preferred style to follow.
Perhaps the Gothic was seen as being too British
and therefore not favoured in Portuguese Goa.
The answer to that simple question may after all
he quite complex.
Take a look at the foundation stone on the left.
A celebrity had laid the foundation stone for
a market complex in 1983 and yet there are no
signs of a market anywhere in the neighbourhood.
The next building is the Panchayat Ghar in the
ward of Ambelim in the village of Velim. This
is where the Panchayat or India has one elected
body of five citizens meets. Every village in
India has one and in Today’s political scenario,
a village Panchayat has wide executive powers
in the village.
The domestic pigs that feed on the roots and
tubers in the water belong to another era, another
wilder place but for now be content with this
scene of pastoral perfection. Soon after you go
past the building of the g Government of Goa Department
of Health Services, you are in for a treat. There
is an absolutely exquisite house to your right.
Savour its shape, colour and simplicity in terms
of design. Laterite is a difficult stone to crave
and the local mason has had to resort to several
ingenious ways of using the stone to advantage
without actually having to carve it.
Admire Vila Milagrina on the left. Look at its
Gothic windows and bottle balusters both of which
are elements of style borrowed from British-India.
Avoid looking at Vila Lourdes except to perhaps
wonder how such monstrosities are allowed to stick
out like sore thumbs in a tranquil and pretty
neighbourhood such as this one.
As you continue on this walk, you will see how
some of the houses in the neighbourhood share
the same artistic features. Note the ventilators
on the house on the left and see how someone has
borrowed some early 20th century Art Deco features
from Bombay and transplanted them in tins village.
The house with the curious name of Jay Jay Eena
has some character although it cannot be said
to be a house of much architectural merit.
The large house on right belongs to Bismarck
Martins and sports two amazing lions at the head
of the front steps. It is a beautiful house and
is filled with some finely crafted furniture and
fittings. Like most grand mansions, this one too
has the functional areas of the house located
in the rear. If you get a chance to walk in, you
will see that all the floors in the functional
spaces have been plastered with a mixture of cowdung
and hay while the spaces open to visitors have
been tiled with imported tiled with imported tiles.
Go past the house and take a look at the Gross.
Notice that it has a crescent moon at the foot
of the pedestal.
If you have come here on a Sunday afternoon,
sit down on the bench by the Cross and take in
the sights and sounds of a Goan village. Listen
to housewives put their weekends washing out on
the clothesline. Watch the house cat take an interest
in the adventures of the Sunday chicken. Somewhere
in the distance, a dog barks a lazy holiday bark
while visitors are being welcomed to a Sunday
family lunch.
Music wafts out of the thin air and from somewhere
in the distance, the sea sends a cool sunny breeze
like a blessing over your head.
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