Goa’s heritage houses which are heavily sold today as ‘Portuguese villas’ to non-Goans are actually a repository of Goa’s chequered past with strong syncretic tradition. These are the quintessential Goan homes telling stories about past through its people and objects. Celebrating such six Goan houses is the new photo book by photographer, Ulka Chauhan with text by art writer and curator, Samira Sheth, titled, ‘The Memory Keepers and Future Seekers.’
Ulka who lives and works between Mumbai, Goa and Zürich spent around four years for this book. Initially, her focus was on its architectural style but it evolved over the time. “As a photographer, initially it was the architectural aesthetics of these homes that spoke to me. But as I visited them over a period of four years, capturing countless frames on my viewfinder, I realised that it was the personal stories and fragments of memories of the families that in captured me,” says Ulka.
“The bond that Samira and I share with the families was developed over a period of four years as we visited their homes and spent time over cups of coffee, elaborate lunches and invitations to birthday parties. Celebrating Rafael Viegas’ 92nd birthday was truly special and so was the invitation to Yvonne Menezes’ Sunday lunch with her friends. The relationship we have with each of the families transcends well beyond the scope of the book as we are still in touch with all the families.”
The book along with stunning images of these houses and its people is also peppered with interesting information that give a larger picture about Goa’s past, its history, especially the trade history, and also some anecdotes. Like Rohan Bragança sharing a memory of opening 24 doors of Menezes Bragança house at Chandor, every morning during his holidays with his paternal grandmother Aida de Menezes Bragança (1917-2012). It is the house of the renowned free thinker, journalist and freedom fighter, Luis de Menezes Bragança (1878-1938).
Looking at the beauty and the grandeur of these homes it is not a surprise that the home owners were offered some crazy offers to sell it off. Fatima of Figueiredo house mentions that this house was requested by the Indian government twice. Once immediately after the Liberation by Jawaharlal Nehru and then by Indira Gandhi. She says, “Indira Gandhi had a bigger desire and intent to acquire the house so she sent some ministers to the house and my aunt at that time said, “No, this is a family house.” These ministers told her you cannot say no to the Prime Minister of India, and she said, “I can. She is not my mother-in-law!”
Samira while quoting Alvaro Viegas from the Viegas home says, “Goan houses are not merely memory keepers, they are also future seekers. The house grows and lives with you, nothing is permanent, everything is in transition and change is inevitable.” Samira also maintains that these houses are not just structures in stone and wood or symbols of a nostalgic past. She states, “They are actual repositories of memory, history and culture, much like living museums in themselves and deserve to be cared for and cherished as such.”
(Arti Das is a Goa based
freelance journalist)