A slice of Goa's Portuguese history is being rescued from the brink of extinction. The Goa
government and the local archdiocese,
is restoring three 16th century
Portuguese moments – two forts and a Church – in the historic quarters of the city with the help of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.
The three monuments are the Reis Magos Fort in North Goa on the banks of the Mandavi river, the fort of St Estevam in a estuarine island 11 km from old Goa and the St Anne's (or the Naani's) Church- a small shrine in Santana Village on old Goa, which has been a living parish for the last 400 years without a break.
Restoration of all the three monuments will be completed by middle of 2010 though a controversy has erupted over the conservation of the Reis Magos Fort. Local conservation activists of Goa filed complaints against the Goa government and Intach alleging that the conservationists were altering the original structure of the project. An independent committee of experts is drafting fresh recommendations according to conservation norms to submit to the court, which has sought a report.
The court is expected to give its findings in a month's time after it receives the recommendations from the independent committee of experts.
“The Helen Hamlyn Trust, owned and managed by the widow UK-based publishing baron Paul Hamyln of the Hamlyn Publishers has given 400,000 pounds to restore the Reis Magos Fort and convert it into a cultural centre. Bulk of the work has been done and the fort will be ready for re-use next year,” chairman of INTACH S.K. Mishra said.
Mishra said the Reis Magos restoration project was a mega exercise that not involved “restoration of the dilapidated fort and its architecture, but also restoration of the old paintings in the Church.”
“The Church was in a dilapidated condition when we found it. The agreement with the Goa government was signed two years ago. I chaired the meeting, along with cartoonist Mario Miranda, the Goa convenor of Intach. The work is being supervised by architect Gerard D' Cunha,” Mishra said.
The Reis Magos fort built in 1551 AD by Sultan Adil Shah of Bijapur was later fortified by the Portuguese. The fort, along with its twin, Aguada Fort located 2 miles away, helped the Portuguese thwart the Maratha army. It was also used as a prison for a brief period.
The fort of St Estevam, named after the Saint Francis Xavier, on the Zuari river requires extensive restoration, before it can throw open its door next year. The work on this fort, originally used a battlement and a watch tower because it overlooked both the river and the sea, is being funded by the Goa government, Mishra said.
“When we were looking into the hidden elements of the fort, which has gone into oblivion with time, we found an ancient approach road, parapet walls, remains of the bastions, gateways on the summit of a hill, dilapidated fort platforms, uprooted floors, crumbling battlements and a fallen rectangular chamber with provision for magazine and ammunition. We are putting the whole structure back together again. We have completed excavation up to two-and-a-half feet and restoration should be completed by April 2010,” said R.C. Agarwal, principal director , architectural heritage division of Intach.
Agarwal is monitoring the project. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2 crore of which Rs 75 lakh will be used for restoration and Rs 1.2 crore for the integrated development of the site that includes a village and a Church. It is proposed to be developed into an recreation-cum-heritage zone for sustainable tourism, Agarwal said.
The Fort of Jua, as the fort of Saint Estevam is locally called, is located on a scenic estuarine island. Local lores say a foreign sailor, deeply attached to Goa, regularly prayed at the Church adjacent to the fort before he joined his ship.
The St Anne's Church, locally known as the Naani's shrine, in Santana village in old Goa, is associated with the maternal grandmother of Jesus Christ. It is being restored at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore. Though a state property, the Church is run by the Archdiocese of Goa. “Infertile couples, even Hindus, come to the Church to pray for children, along with pregnant women, who also throng the shrine seek blessings for their unborn,” Agarwal said.
“The Church needs structural restoration- like renovation of the altar, chemical preservation of the walls, landscaping of the entire complex, illumination and amenities. Work is in progress. It is a living shrine for the last 400 years,” Agarwal said.
--Madhusree Chatterjee