#BlogchatterA2Z: T for Tiracol fort - Goa’s cultural-heritage jewel.

Today is Day 20 of my A-Z challenge and I have chosen to write about Tiracol Fort. 

With no need for elaborate descriptions or exaggerations, this monumental fort is pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get. 

So let’s skip to the good part…

The Tiracol fort in Goa was once an armed fortress that belonged to the Portuguese. It is located on a cliff in the village of Tiracol (North Goa) and oversees the Arabian Sea and an estuary of the Tiracol river. 

Now converted into the Fort Tiracol Heritage hotel---a hit  amongst nature-loving tourists, the Fort (we still call it that) the best preserved and most visited fort in Goa and grants a spectacular view of the area surrounding the confluence of the river and the sea.

Having said that, here are some facts about the fort you may be interested in knowing: 

1) Fort Tiracol was originally built by the Maharaja of Sawantwadi, Khem Sawant Bhonsle. It was however in 1746, that the Portuguese took over the fort and  built a Church right in the centre of the fort. This Church was initially constructed and dedicated to the holy trinity by De Almeida but later became Saint Anthony’s Church and was renamed so.

2) When the Portuguese first captured this fort it is said that the fort was equipped with 12 guns a Barrock and a chapel. Later, in 1961, the Portuguese handed it over to Goa. 

3) St Anthony’s church is not open to the public except when it conducts masses, which is on most Sundays and on the feast of Saint Anthony which is celebrated in the month of May every year.

4) The Tiracol Fort heritage hotel has rooms dedicated to the days of the week and are named thus. Each room has a Portuguese-contemporary interior and is painted in a distinctly different colour. 

5) Just over a stone’s throw away from the hotel, is, Redi beach, with its virginal white sands and clear blue waters. This beach is also known as Paradise beach and true to its name is an excellent site for organised fishing, coast cruising, and picnics. 

Surrounded by the extensive sea and lush foliage, Fort Tiracol provides a gorgeous experience amidst Goa’s natural wilderness. There is also a clear, secluded spot suitable for a long walk or hike, just outside to the left of Fort Tiracol. 

Once a symbolic location where Goan freedom fighters from Goa demonstrated from time to time to now a heritage hotel, there is still a feeling of history around the place. 

If you want to spend some time appreciating nature or diving into a chapter of Goan history with only the smell of the sea and the sound of the waves to give you company, then Fort Tiracol Heritage Hotel is where you would like to stay during your next trip to Goa. 

As for us, Goans, the fort is a reminder of what once was. Of centuries of subjugation. Of the valour of our heroes, our resilience, and eventually our liberation. Fort Tiracol is not just a fort, it is a representation of our fortitude. A witness to our history. A part of our heritage.

And one of the innumerable reasons we say, ‘Obrigado, Goa!’

Stay tuned for a refreshing feature of my lovely state in my next post. 

See you on Monday. 

Until then,

Mog aasu di.

(Let there be love!)

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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.