“So much in Goa has changed. Back in the day…” is a common refrain used by most from the bygone generation.
It’s true Goa has changed a lot over the ages. And I realised this only when a friend forwarded me some pics of the Goa of yesteryear.
Thus began my research. Conversation with family alone revealed many facets of Goa I wasn’t aware of. Then there was Google who through rare pics brought to life all they were saying. And of course, there was good old fashioned day dreaming. Lots of it.
In fact, I envisioned sitting in a time machine and travelling back into the past to an era long before I was even born.
No cell phones, no Netflix, no blogging, at first it seemed blasphemous. However, living on love and fresh non-polluted air seems not such a bad idea at all. Back in the day, everybody in Goa trusted implicitly…they would sleep with their doors unlocked, assured they were safe. When I first heard this, I was aghast. Doing that in today’s day and age seemed unimaginable. But going by the innocent and sweet temperament of Goa’s older generation, i am totally convinced this happened.
Back then, there was minimal security and maximum bonhomie among Goans.
Everything from the food we ate to the songs we sung were a evident of Goan culture and heritage. Goa was untouched by urbanisation then.
People used utensils made of clay and wood. The food was earnestly prepared using the vegetables that were freshly grown. Grain and fruit were pesticide free and our hearts weren’t stained with greed. Nobody burned with jealousy. Nobody gloated with pride.
The Goan community back then was a humble fun loving bunch of good hearted people, who saw each other through in good and bad times. And this was reflected in everything around them. In the edifices, buildings, monuments. There was a simplicity in everything…a purity that nothing could taint, neither wrath nor power.
On the flipside however, modernisation wasn’t that bad. A lot of progress also came along, pulling Goa from its old status of ‘a place that time forgot’. As tourism started expanding, our economy begun booming. A lot of opportunities, both on the creative and economical front, came along.
Goa had traded a part of itself to the devil for the betterment of its coming generations. Our generation…a generation that hasn’t yet fully understood its worth but are trying.
Sharing below some pictures I found while looking up the Goa that used to be.
 |
| Mandovi Hotel, Circa 1954 |
 |
| Vintage Soda |
 |
| Steam engine, prior to 1961 |
 |
| Vintage car (1) |
 |
| Vintage car (2) |
 |
| Vintage car (3) |
 |
| Mangeshi temple (80s) |
 | |||||||||||
| Church of St Augustine (1880) Despite losing a lot of that old world charm along the way, Goa still has its remnants and reminiscings. We still have memories, and stories regaled to us by our elders. We still have the tell tale signs of an era to draw inspiration from. So for all that was, is and will always remain precious. For that which is truly Goan and no amount of time and trend can change, we say, ‘Obrigado, Goa!’ See you again on Monday. Until then, Mog aasu di. (Let there be love!) -------------- I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. My theme for the challenge is ‘Obrigado, Goa!’, under which I’ll be writing 26 posts on Goa (April 1-30th, excluding Sundays), each post corresponding to the letters of the English alphabet. You can read more about it in my theme reveal post. | !’ |
12 comments:
I am going to travel to Goa in this summer vacation, so was happy to find your post. Will other posts as well.
Moga asu di indeed. Loved the simplicity, the honesty and the oodles of nostalgia in this one !!
P.S The Pics are superb ya
This reminded me of a similar conversation I had with dad when we got transferred to Dehradun. For him too it was like a then vs now :-)
That's wonderful, Aesha. That means this series is reaching you at the right time. Maybe it's a sign. Maybe you are meant to expwrience Goa to the fullest! :)
Thank you, Neelam. I'm so glad you liked it. :)
You know what Pri, every place has something nostalgic. I really like the feeling when I recount my days in my previous city, and now I cherish what has changed. But I think old days were always better no?
Looking back is always nice but progress also is good! Which is better is a topic of endless debate…
We do look at the past with rose-tinted glasses no? This was a wonderful post showing us the delights of old Goa.
I totally get that, Suchita. In fact, I've had that conversation with family so many times. Almost everyone from the older generation seems to miss that Goa so much that just listening to them has made me fall in love with it. :)
Agreed, Swarnali. But change is the only constant. Then again, perhaps the past is so charming because we cannot return to it. :)
True that, Brinda! No black & white answer to this one for sure. :)
True, Harshita. We probably wear 'pink goggles' to look back at the past because the present requires us to take them off. :)
Thanks for dropping by to read me. It's always nice to have you around.
Post a Comment