Salvador do Mundo - the story of a Goan village

Salvador do Mundo is a picturesque village in the Bardez district of Goa. It is endowed with natural surrounding, hillocks, rivulets and fields. The Church, dedicated to Savior of the World and built in 1565 by the Franciscan Friars, is the landmark of the village.

The Salvador do Mundo Church



Blessing the first sheaves of paddy

The village has had many traditions and customs in the past. Most of these are slowly fading into oblivion with every passing generation and advancement in civilization. A few still exist, though they are now devoid of their original glamour of the ancestral era.

It is a tradition to celebrate the harvest feast every year in the month of August. The parish being dedicated to Savior of the World as its Patron, the feast is celebrated on the 6th of August annually. It has lost most of its traditional aspects as the years rolled by, but only a few remain to be observed.


 The main occupation of the villagers is cultivation of the fields, farming and harvesting the hills. These activities come alive in season time. However every advancing generation seem to reject the traditional occupations after receiving education which promises more sophisticated living in keeping with the change of time.



Threshing the paddy

Willowing

All the same the village remains peaceful and calm in the lap of nature. The villagers live in harmony and brotherhood. However as the sun sets across the fields and beyond the hills, there is hope of a new tomorrow and it can never be the same as yesterday.

Sunset over the local village river

 

Feni

Anyone who has an associationg with Goa is familiar with this local alcohol, made from the juice of the cashew fruit.



Distillation of the juice of the cashew fruit to make 'Feni'



Feni is stored and sold in large containers called 'kolsos'
- traditional pots that contains approximately 15 bottles of the liquor

Goa - a brief history

A common village scene

Goa was under colonial rule for 450 years. It was liberated from the Portuguese in 1961 after which it came under democratic rule. The first Sacretariat was housed at the Adil Shah Palace in Panjim, the capital of Goa for the Legislative Assembly to function.

However, trouble began to brew up in the early sixties due to political interest to decide if Goa should be merged with the neighboring state of Maharastra or if it should remain a separate State to preserve its identity, language, culture and traditions.

Dr. Jack de Sequeira, a true son of the soil, wanted to preserve Goa for future generations. He guided the Goans to fight against the merger. An Opinion Poll was held on January 16, 1967 to decide the wishes of the Goans. It turned out to be a historic event with the referendum deciding that Goa was to remain a separate State with its unique identity, Konkani Language, traditions and customs. The people of Goa observed the 46th year of the Opinion Poll by remembering Dr. Jack de Sequeira at two separate functions held at Calangute and Dona Paula where his memorials are raised to respect him and pay gratitude for the gift of Goa to Goans today and forever.