Miramar beach, Panaji : Goa

Pic:Nitin Pai

Miramar beach is situated in Panaji the capital of Goa state.

It is located near the confluence of the Arabian sea and the Mandovi river.

The Portuguese word Miramar itself means sea view. The beach is also known as Gasper Dias.

The beach itself stretches around 2 kms but continues further overlooking the sea.

Pic:Nitin Pai

The beach comprises mainly of palm and coconut trees planted amidst it golden sand.

The Miramar beach starts in the gulf and ends in the Emerald coast parkway.

Several boats, ships, launches, catamarans,speed boats, barges etc ply over the vast coast of Miramar .

There are also some sea hotels (made on boats) and casinoes catering to the tourists thronging Goa.

Across the Miraramar beach are several offices, residences and commercial complexes.

A few kilometers away from the Miramar beach lies the famous Dona Paula village which holds the statue of Dona Paula which has many stories associated with it . The foremost being of Dona being a Portuguese woman and Paula a local Goan fisherman who fell in love with each other but had to face social ire because of their different cultures and so they decided to jump off the cliff and commited suicide.However it has ince been proved to be a apocryphal story.

Actually the village was named after Paula Amaral Antonio de Souto Maior who was the daughter of the viceroy of Jafnapatnam in present day Sri Lanka and the wife of a Spanish Fidalgo, after she visited the place in 1644. She was a philanthropist who later contributed to the village and the grateful villagers named their village (previously known as Oddavel) after her. The famous statues at the jetty near the village however do not belong to Paula but were sculpted by Dutch sculptress Baroness Leistner in likeness to the philosopher Robert Knox and his wife.

Text and Photographs (except the ones credited) by Abhijit Rajadhyaksha

Alandi

Alandi is a pilgrimage centre situated around twenty five kilometers from Pune city on the bank of river Indrayani in Maharashtra.

It is famous as the samadhi sthal of the renowned 13th century saint Sant Dnyaneshwar who translated the Bhagvad Geeta in the local language marathi for undertanding of the common folks (besides temples dedicated to Vithal Rahumai, Jalaram etc).

Today one sees a ghat in the place surrounding the samadhi sthal where a temple in the memory of Sant Dnyaneshwar was created.

Alandi as a pilgrimage centre is famous especially amongst the followers of the Warkari panth who obey the teachings of the medeival saints like Dnyaneshwar,Tukaram etc and hold Vithoba -Rakhumai of Pandharpur as their principal deities .

Miscellaneous photos of Dnyaneshwar samadhi mandir (clicked from a cell camera) :

Pic:Dnyaneshwaar samadhi mandir entrance

pic:mandir shikhara

pic: ancient tree where Sant Dnyaneshwars mother had apparently offered a hundred pradakshinas

pic:Sant Eknath paduka

pic:mandir's offices

mandir: shikhar,gabhara

pic:palkhi

Text and Photographs : Abhijit Rajadhyaksha

Ramdara Temple, Pune

Ramdara is a old temple situated around ten kilometeres from Loni Kalbhor village, off Pune Solapur highway (20 kms from Pune).

The temple was constructed by one Devipuri maharaj a.ka Dhundi baba. It is built in a very serene location overlooking a pond .

The way to the temple albiet a little rough has a scenic view as it goes through some lush green fields.

An added attraction to this beautiful location are a group of white geese that run amock in the pond.

The temple itself is very colourful.

The basic structure being in black stone is adorned with some beautiful murals of hindu deities and saints.

Though the main deity is Shiva, there are virtually all deities encompassed in this temple.

The sabhamandap is ornately decorated with walls depicting stories from hindu mythology.

One also finds a beautiful idol of Nandi at the entrance of the sabhamandap.

Not many people are aware of this temple. Hence it is virtually uncrowded , something which creates more tranquility around this place.

Text and photographs by Abhijit Rajadhyaksha

Fort Aguada: Goa

Fort Aguada is a seventeenth century Portuguese fort facing the Sinquerim beach and the Mandovi river, south of Candolim, Goa.

The word ‘aguada ‘ in Portuguese means water and the fort seems to have got its name from the freshwater tank (capacity 23,76,000 gallons) inside the fort.

The fort was constructed in 1612 in order to keep a watch over the Marathas and the Dutch and provide a base for the Portuguese ships. 

The fort was said to have seventy nine cannons defending it.

The fort has a moat surrounding its periphery, besides a four storey ‘lighthouse’ (emits light every thirty econds) that was built in 1864 to look after the sea traffic.

Pic:source Nitin Pai

During the Salazar administration, fort Aguada served as a prison for political detainees. A prison still stands in its vicinity and mainly guards the western convicts caught for drug trafficking.

The Taj group of hotels have also constructed a beach resort and a grand five star hotel in its vicinity. The beach also offers several water sports that are a added attraction for the tourists.

Basilica of Bom Jesus & Se Cathedral, Goa

Basilica of Bom Jesus is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in old Goa.

A 17th century church (consecrated in 1605 by the Archbishop Dom Father Alexio Menezes, after eleven years of tireless construction), it is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Its main point of distinction is also the fact that it holds the mummified mortal remains of St Francis Xaviers, a priest from Spain who did major part of his missionary work in Goa.

Besides the main altar which is spectacular to say the least, there lies the masauleum of St Francis Xaviers with his remains protected in a silver casket which was apparently gifted by the last of the Medicis, Cosimo III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The mausoleum was designed by the seventeenth Florentine sculptor Giovanni Batista Foggini .The walls are elaborated with paintings depicting the life of the saint.

The upper floor holds a museum displaying missionary art.and paintings by Dom Martin.

The Se Cathedral is located right opposite the Basilca church and is separated by a tar road connecting Panaji with old Goa.

The cathedral is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. It is also the cathedral of Latin Rite Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and the seat of the Patriarch of East Indies.

The Se Cathedral was built in 1619 (and consecrated in 1640) to commemorate the victory of Alfonso de Alburqueque over the Bijapur army.

The architecture is Portuguese Manueline (exterior is Tuscan and interior is Corinthian)
It is said that the cathedral had two towers out of which one collapsed and was never rebuilt. The tower holds the largest bell in Goa called the Golden bell.

The main altar is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria and is beautified by several smaller altars and paintings depicting the life of Catherine of Alexandria. On the right is the Chapel of the cross of miracles.

Se Cathedral is said to be one of the largest churches in Asia.

Text by Abhijit Rajadhyaksha. Photographs by Sachin Dinde.