WEDNESDAY, MAY 01, 2024
Dr M R Ramesh Kumar
Every year, World Heritage Day is celebrated on April 18 in order to spread awareness about the dying cultures and natural heritage around the globe. The day focuses on solutions to preserve the ancient culture in order to create awareness about monuments, dying cultures, and sites.
The main aim of the day is to conserve and preserve the heritage culture which depicts the ancient history. It has an outstanding universal value. It is a concerted effort to preserve our heritage that has a vital link to our cultural, aesthetics, educational, economic, and inspiration legacies.
The aim and significance of the day are not just restricted to the different historical monuments, and sites. It also plays a vital role in securing the cultural integrity of a community.
This year’s theme for World Heritage Day is kept as ‘Discover and Experience Diversity.’ It is decided by the International Council on Monuments and Sites every year. Conserve your cultural diversity, preserve it for future identities. Preserve these monuments to memorise history and understand its mystery. Keep the monuments fresh and clean by preserving its sheen.
A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO for its special cultural, physical, historical and scientific or other form of significance, which is legally protected by International treaties. The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the International ‘World Heritage Programme’, administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. India, has the 6th largest number of sites in the World. India has 38 heritage sites that include thirty cultural sites, seven natural sites and one mixed site. The state of Goa has one such UNESCO cultural site namely, ‘Churches and Convents of Goa.’
A set of four picture post cards were released by the Department of Posts on April 18, 2022 one cancelled and three mint post cards to bring out the awareness of the architectural heritage over the North and South Goa through picture post cards. The architectural icons have been photographed Pantaleao Fernandes and the graphic designing has been done by Siya Nadkarni and Aslesh Kamat, both members of the Goa Philately and Numismatics Society (GPNS). Further, a brochure was
also prepared mentioning about the Heritage Buildings. The brochure prepared by the Department of Posts, Goa Postal Division, Goa.
One of the main threats to these architectural monuments, is the increase in the extreme weather events such as flooding, heat waves, and hailstorms etc. Also these extreme weather phenomena can also adversely affect natural heritage sites such as Bondla, Mahaveer, Mollem Wildlife sanctuaries and their flora and fauna.
Braganza Mansion
The biggest house in Goa is the Braganza Mansion, located at Cuisabhat at Chandor and consist of the east and west wings. The house is more than 450 years old. The east wing is occupied by its current owner Aurea Braganza Pereira while the west wing is occupied by the Menezes Braganza family. The interiors of both the wings show the elaborate life style of the elite families during the colonial era. The house is open for visit to the public.
Fernandes Heritage Home
The Fernandes Heritage Home was an old Hindu house located by the Kushawati River at Chandor. It has been converted in the 7th century to a Christian house which one sees today. It has a hidden stairway underneath a closet which enabled the occupants to escape by boat kept at riverside in case of attack by the enemy.
For the special cancellation of this picture post card, a seal with International Day of Monuments and Sites along with a typical Goan Window was used along with the stamp of the UNESCO Heritage Site stamp ‘Churches and Convents of Goa and Church of Bom Jesus.’
Margao Municipal Building
This is the most elegant building in Margao and has been housing the Municipality of the town for the last 117 years since its inauguration in 1905 after the partial collapse of the old Camara Municipal Building. All the four faces of this imposing structure are dominated by multiple arches.
Panaji Old Secretariat (Adil Shahi Palace)
The Adil Shahi Palace was built around 1500 by Yusuf Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur who conquered Goa in 1489-90. When Afonso de Albuquerque reconquered Goa in November 1510, he took over the Palace.
However, it was only after several decades, it gained acceptance as the Regal residence in 1710 after its transformation. Goa was ruled from this Palace by the Portuguese till its liberation, on December 19, 1961. After its first elections in Goa, in 1963, the Palace became the seat of Power till 2005, when Goa Legislative Assembly, shifted to its new Complex in Porvorim.
The Panaji Head Post office is a heritage building which is more than 150 years old. A special cover on the same was released by the Department of Posts in 2007.
A special cover was also released with picture of St Augustine Tower also during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 1983. Another interesting heritage building has been the Margao Head Post Office, which has been there for several decades.
Another interesting facet of the heritage of Goa, has been the windows of Goa, especially in the traditional old houses in Goa. A Picture Postcard on the same has been brought out by the Department of Posts, Goa Postal Division.
One of the oldest heritage building in Goa has been that of St Francis Xavier Church at Old Goa, a First Day cover with the stamp of St Francis Xavier was released way back in 1974, almost 50 years back. This year, 2024, there is a possibility of a First Day cover as the Exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier will be held in Old Goa.
The Mangueshi Temple at Priol, Ponda, has been another heritage structure. The Department of Posts, Goa Postal Division has brought out a Picture Postcard on the same.
(Dr M R Ramesh Kumar is a senior philatelist at the Goa Philately and Numismatics Society, Goa)
