TALLULAH D’SILVA
Many architecture schools visit Goa for study purpos es and, in the past, there have been many instances where we have done col laborative programmes for measured drawings with institutions across the country. When students wish to come to Goa, since they have no idea about the State, they succumb to the general craze of wanting to visit nightclubs in Ar pora, the beaches of Cal angute and Baga, and the casinos on the Mandovi River. Booze, women and party are the oft-popular notions that are synon ymous with tourism in Goa. I remember the first measured drawing col laboration with the CEPT Ahmedabad college in Gu jarat and the Goa College of Architecture when I was Adjunct Professor. We had identified the quaint villages of Vagona and Avli in Canacona. The stu dents, roughly 80 in num ber, were divided into two groups. The tribal villages hosted us warmly and we stayed at the temple hall in Vagona and the Cotigao Forest Department tented accommodation near Avli. The students had the most memorable experience, far from the madding crowds of the touristic stretches of Palolem and Agonda. Instead, they could experience the agrarian practices of the villages, understand why the Ra khondar is an important spirit Goa most reveres in the region and partake in the Kalo (folk festival) of the community. Sub sequently, we also took another batch of students to the picturesque village of Divar Island, where the students stayed at a pilgrimage centre run by nuns.
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They had the oppor tunity to measure, draw and study the Church of Our Lady of Piedade, a few residential old Goan houses and the commu nity spaces and precincts. Here again, they made unforgettable memories meeting the residents, learning more about life on an island and its rich history and heritage. Recently, as part of the Tambdi Maati Founda tion’s initiative, we had the opportunity to guide and advise the faculty and students of Sardar Vallabhbhai Institute of Technology, Vasad-Va dodara, Gujarat, on a pos sible location to conduct a measured drawing pro gramme. While they had a list of prioritised heritage buildings and precincts that they had prepared for their visit, we insisted that they focus on less er-known areas, and our preferred choice was the Batim village. We identi fied the beautiful Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, its precinct, the sluice gate of the Batim lake nearby, the small Batim spring near Moula and a couple of heritage houses as part of the immersive meas ured drawing programme. After the faculty agreed to our suggestion, we ap proached the owners of the heritage houses and the Church parish priest for support and permis sion.
The students arrived and we conducted an orientation session at the stunning Batim lake, teeming with birdlife and rich with biodiversity. As we walked on the lonely, coconut-lined street, we sampled ‘meetha pattha’ (rati leaves), taikillo leaves (seasonal wild edibles), observed the mimosa pudica plant, the clero dendron or pagoda flow er, collocasia leaves and exchanged stories about the use of these in local food and tradition. How living plants filter nutri ent-rich or wastewater, how coconut is used as wood or vashe in old Goan houses, how soil and local stone are used in the con struction of centuries-old houses and monuments, how shells are made into lime paste in plasters and paints were some of the insights we shared with the students. Once the measuring of the structures began, the students found it fasci nating and an eye-opener that the buildings were built with ordinary later ite stone in mud mortar and lime plaster finish, using only local material, no sand and no reinforced cement concrete! They looked behind the large altar to discover the entire façade made with wood and beautifully carved.
They climbed the belfry, which is nearly 3-4 sto reys high, to look out of the little openings with vistas of the village. One of the houses as part of the study was an artist’s home, and the owner, Svabhu Kohli, was gracious enough to allow the interior design stu dents to spend entire days experiencing the little spaces and nooks created by the artist that reflected memories of his travel. The house was intact with its original plaster and red oxide flooring. The pool outdoors was convert ed into a pond that has snakes and otters often visiting the backyard. The second house, which was part of the documentation, was Casa Menezes Homestay and critical for the students to understand and learn more about adaptive re use.
The owner, David Menezes, was so kind as to not only permit the stu dents access to his house but also patiently spend hours explaining to the students the history, arte facts and the design and subsequent additions to the heritage building that were done over the years across three generations. Ahana Rao, the Director of Tambdi Maati Founda tion, reflects, ‘We are so happy that they took back the true essence of the idea of Goa, contrary to what is known and portrayed in mainstream tourism. Goa is in its villages, its ecolo gy and ingenious ways of co-existing with its unique landscapes and culture. They experienced the rich and diverse abundance of Goa’s ecology, and the benevolence of the local community who wel comed them as their own.
They took back a different idea of tourism, that we do not need more luxury villas, resorts and more amenities. Nature and community itself teach us about luxurious living and coexistence. ‘Architecture allows us to explore the quieter side of towns. This exercise offered a glimpse into the lives of Batim’s residents and how they have adapt ed as the village changed over time. Moving be tween different homes felt like moving between dif ferent stories. One house, bought many years ago, felt warm and intimate; its spaces revealed the per sonality of its owner, with some corners carefully renewed and others left untouched. Another large family home had adapted to changing times by wel coming visitors.
In both cases, the architecture preserved traces of every day life, making their sto ries tangible for genera tions to understand,’ adds young Architect Snishtha, who also participated as a guide for the mud work shop. Goa is truly different. (Tallulah D’Silva is an achitect and silver awardee of the Golden Door Award 2020 for truth and integrity.)
