While Margao completes 240 years and the focus is often on the colonial architecture along the Holy Spirit Church Square, parts of Borda and in the heart of the city in Margao and the debates goes on about the role of the Municipality, government and people and who should really maintain the city’s heritage.
But to one corner of the same city lies a hidden, quiet and forgotten Comba wherein the locals have held on to their homes of pre Portuguese times but the well planned Comba area with parallel roads and multiple bylanes and exits, stories of great business families and the festivities of the region are forgotten and ignored. A walk through Comba and the question you will ask yourself is what ails Comba to not have the status or distinction to be compared to Campal in Panjim. Combai is believed to be a word originated from the word ‘comb’ which means a germination of a seed.
Varun Hegde of Soul travelling, a group that hosts heritage walks in Goa explains to us of how Comba is filled with intellectuals and businessmen who traditionally plied their trade in the commercial capital of Goa. Comba is also famously known for Sanskrit Scholar Subrai Naik hosting Swami Vivekanand in 1892 besides freedom fighters and academicians from the Naik, Lotlikar, Verlekar and Naqwenkar families. COmba is famous for its Dindi festival, bread making units and a neighborhood that lives in peace and harmony.
“ I have maintained my ancient family home in comba and similarly the Bush Miranda family and few other homes are well maintained in Comba but the Heritage movement as such initiated in Panjim and hence the movement’s first focus was Campal and the ideas of heritage immediately rubbed on the locals of these areas. Its only now that places like Comba and few others are starting to feel the buzz of heritage and hope this area stays protected,” explains well known property developer Datta Naik.
Similarly politician and from the field of advertising, Comba resident Sharmad Raiturar says that Comba has managed to maintain its heritage only because locals have retained their land and homes and not got lured to sell off to builders and allow concrete buildings. Sharmad believes that Comba’s skyline is mostly clear with few building.
Home to many pre-Portuguese era homes dating to over 150 years old, 92- year old Ramcrisna Naik reminisces the days when Margao city was small and Comba was buzzing with youngsters who mostly moved abroad.
Home to so many great scholars, oldest institutions of art, culture and academics and also libraries’ but Comba has failed to shine out despite it being in the heart of the city.
While senior citizens remember Comba for many good reasons, Locals hope that the architecture and ownership of the land in Comba remains intact and slowly the local government understands the true value of Comba and a citizen initiative also arises to put Comba on the Heritage map of Goa.
