MIRAMAR: The historical Dayanand
Bandokar Memorial at Miramar which is dedicated to Goa’s first chief minister
was once a major attraction but now over the years the important site has
entirely become a dumping ground for the tourist who visits the Miramar Beach.
Dayanand Bandodkar
popularly known as Bhau was the First Chief Minister of liberated Goa Daman and
Diu, he passed away on August 12, 1973 after a decade of ruling Goa Daman and
Diu as the Chief Minister and was cremated on August 13, 1973 on the Miramar beach
where the memorial presently stands.
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As Herald visited the
memorial, there were shards of glass bottles of wine, whiskey, beer besides the
plastic bottles and plastic bags scattered all over the interior premises of
the memorial site leaving a bad impression in the minds people who visit the
Miramar beach.
Further it was noticed
that the historical Bandokar memorial was in urgent need of maintenance in
terms of lighting and overall cleanliness.
When Herald spoke to
citizens living in Caranzalem, Taleigao and Dona Paula they had to say this.
“It’s been quite a long time that the memorial is lying in a sorry state with
no proper maintenance and closure of the memorial for public has forced locals
as well as tourists to avoid this historical memorial”
“This memorial is such
a historical place and is of utmost importance but the authorities have always
neglected this site and now tourists are turning the interior premises of the
memorial into garbage grounds by throwing plastic packets and glass bottles, is
this the respect which the first cm of liberated Goa deserves” said Saket
Salgaonkar, a resident of Caranzalem
It was also witnessed
and reveled by the locals that those tourists who visit the beach at night
drinking just flick bottles of beer into the memorial premises without knowing
of what is that place actually as memorial is in complete darkness.
“I have seen both
locals as well as tourists just throwing away left over bottles over the huge
barricading of the memorial” said Anirudha Vinayak Bhaje
However other locals
speaking to Herald have said that the memorial should be opened for public and
tourists with an entry fee which will showcase the history of first chief
minister of liberated Goa.
Historian Prajal
Sakhardande speaking to Herald said “The Bandodkar memorial is a Historical
monument which needs to be maintained and shown to the tourists with a ticketed
entry as is done of other memorials of historical figures. Cleanliness should
be maintained. I take my Students of History there every year on my Miramar
Heritage walk. The memorial which I have visited a number of times is a
beautiful underground chamber with a black marble table top structure and the
entire memorial in the stupa style is made of white marble”
