Visiting Dona
Paula and enjoying the River cruise in Goa
A panoramic view of the Dona Paula - confluence of Zuari River with Arabian Sea
I
continue from where I had left off in my previous blog. Having had our lunch we headed back to our
service apartment, so as to avoid the harsh afternoon heat and for a brief
siesta as well. Thereafter, we started
for Dona Paula at around 4.30 P.M in the evening and reached there in about 45
minutes. Dona Paula is a secluded
bay about 7 kms. from Panaji, with its magnificent view of the Mormugao harbour,
it is one of the must visit destinations of Goa. This idyllic rocky tourist
attraction lies at the junction where the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers meets
the Arabian Sea. The Dona Paula monument
is located on a small islet, linked to the mainland by a small bridge and a
quay. However, during my visit the
entire stretch was under renovation and hence the entire area was barricaded
and tourists were not allowed to venture beyond the barricade. But as I had also visited the destination in
2011, I have used my old pictures to convey the real essence of the
destination.
A long shot of the cliff head of famed Dona Paula - present day view
A close up of the Dona Paula - as seen at present from a distance due to repair work
This destination is also steeped in various local
stories about a local lady named Dona Paula, who was in relationship with
Portuguese nobility and hence was killed by being thrown off from the
cliff.A small collections of such
anecdotes read as follows –
Dona Paula as it looked from nearer the site in 2011
The famed 'Image of India' one looking East and other West depicting confluence to two regions
The busy market selling wares of local flavour
One legend has it that she was the lady-in-waiting
of the Governor-General's wife, and in course of time the Governor fell victim
to her beauty and charms. They were found out and the governor's enraged wife
had her stripped and bound and rolled over the cliff, into the sea, wearing
only her string of pearls, a gift of love from the Governor.
A SHORT VIDEO OF THE WATER SPORTS ETC. IN DONA PAULA, GOA
The local fishermen of the area and other natives
of the place narrate quite a few ghost stories about Dona Paula. Even the setting of moon phase has several
connotations in their stories, some say that on moonlit nights, while others
swear that on pitch dark nights and few others say that on the stroke of
midnight, she rises from the sea and roams the area, wearing only a string of
pearls and nothing else.
One of the many jetty s where from one board's the river Cruise boats
As the River cruise in Mondovi River commences
A local fishing boat passes by
Another story that does round amongst the natives
is that on Gasper Dias, a nobleman, on whose estates a fort was built because
of its strategic importance, is also said to have been one of Dona Paula's
lovers. Her ghost, local villagers say, appears looking desperately for the
nobleman.
One of the many floating casinos - The Deltin Casino
Another of the many floating casinos - Casino Pride-II
Another one of the many floating casinos of Mondovi River - Big Daddy casino
However, now a days the most popular legend is that
Dona Paula is believed to have been the daughter of one of the Portuguese
Viceroys and her lover is believed to have been a native fisherman, a
relationship which aroused strong racist feelings amongst the Portuguese, who
got her killed by throwing her off from the cliff.Now her ghost roams at night in search of her
native lover.
A Sea Gull flying around for some food thrown by Cruise passengers
A locally ferry transporting passengers across the Mondovi River from Panaji
A typical Portuguese architecture - a home and a chapel
There is a statute at the rocky cliff head and many
just pass it off as the statute of Dona Paula and her lover.However, the said whitewashed statue sculpted
in 1969 by Baroness Von Leistner and named as the "Image of India"
and is said to be depicting the figures of Mother India and Young India, one
looking to the East and the other to the West. The Wheel of Ashoka, is in the
middle half buried in stone to represent the ancient culture that nurtured this
fusion of ideas and emotions.Apart from
this windswept spot, there are a lot of local water sport activities that are
available here like boating, para-sailing, water scooters, yachting, swimming,
wind surfing and fishing.As for the
ladies there are a lot of small shops selling local and other trinkets, which
one might like to buy as souvenirs of their visit.
Artists performing Dhangar dance during cruise
Artists performing Kunbi dance on the cruise
The artists performing Musal dance during the river curise
The artists performing the Corredinho dance during the cruise
An integral part of Goa landscape - a Chapel by the river side
A panoramic view of the Miramar beach
As the sun sets and sets the water on fire - as seen from the River cruise
Another view of the setting sun from the River Cruise on Mondovi River in Goa
A fast moving river patrol boat of Goa Police
View of the lighted Chapel against the setting sun in Goa
As the sun light fades - the Casinos light up
A close up of the Casino Pride II all lighted up as night falls on Mondovi River
Another cruise boat - all decked up at night with florescent colors glides by
View of the Treebo run serviced apartment in Arpora
A photograph of Salt Restaurant in Arpora, Goa (sourced from web)
Having spent some quality time at Dona Paula, we
retraced our route back to the vicinity of the Panjim Township and visited the
Miramar beach. Thereafter, we headed for
the jetty nearby and purchased the tickets for famed Mondovi River Cruise. The cost the tickets vary from Rs.250/- to
750/- per person based upon the size and amenities being provided in the
boats. We settled for a middle priced
Rs.450/- per head cruise boat. The boat
started its journey at around 6.15 P.M and there was an open deck on which the
tourists were seated, with a small raised platform at one end where from local
disc jockey’s played loud music, inviting the children and ladies in groups to
dance on the stage. After some time a
local troupe performed live local dances and the host described the details of
dances being performed. A short detail
of the dances performed were – (1) Dhangar
Dance - Dhangars, a shepherd community believed to have
migrated from Kathiawar region of South Gujarat and settled in the hilly north western
fringes of Goa; (2) Kunbi Dance - Kunbis,
the earliest settlers of Goa, are a sturdy tribal community, who though
converted to Christianity, still retains the most ancient folk tradition of the
land. Their songs and dance belonging to the pre-Portuguese era are uniquely
social and not religious. The fast and elegant dance by a group of Kunbi women
dancers, wearing traditional yet very simple dresses, lends a colourful touch
to this ethnic art form.; (3) Mussal
Dance - The Kshatriyas, the warrior class of 'Chandor', perform this
dance-cum-song to celebrate the victory of Harihar, the Hindu King of
Vijaynagar over the Cholas in the early 14th century; and (4) Corredinho
Dance - A Portuguese folk dance and a beautiful example of Portuguese cultural
influence, this elegant dance is highly popular among Goan elite youth.
Corredinho Marcha de Fontainhas, a song-cum-dance, is famous for its rhythmic
and exquisite footwork where normally six couples take part. The colourful
costumes are a feast to the eye.
There are vendors who do the rounds on the decks selling their ware,
mostly food items, but very few people were interested in buying, instead most
of us had our eyes riveted on to the nature’s splendour that was unfolding
before our eyes or else enjoying the dance show put forth by the troupe. We returned back to the jetty at around 7.10
P.M and by that time the nightfall had been ushered in and we headed back to
our hotel. That night we dined at a
upcoming shack restaurant known as ‘The Salt’ in Arpora, as it was walking
destination from our place of stay. We
had authentic Goanese food, with the all-time favourite ‘Fish n’chips’ thrown
in, along with main course and we enjoyed the ambience, food & service to
the hilt. Thus, ended our second day of our Goa tour.
