Heritage offers one an experience
like nothing else can, it is a chance to
connect with days past, an opportunity to
understand and explore perception as our
ancestors did, feelings of a bygone age, and
innovative thoughts of the time. Museums
are houses for channelling such beliefs. And
quite frankly, they are being increasingly
used as cultural motifs in the destinationmarketing
strategies of public tourist bodies
across the world. So why should Goa be any
different?
Subodh Kerkar, the curator of The
Museum of Goa, also has similar views. He
believes, “Art is the universal language of the
world today. Goa can be a part of the global
conversation. However, being a prime tourist
destination, its beautiful beaches gain more
importance over its art and culture.”
In the first year since their opening,
20,000 people were said to have visited
the museum, out of which, 75% were
tourists and 25% locals. On a daily basis, the
museum is said to receive around fifty to
hundred visitors.
The museum largely concentrates its
focus on young art lovers and students,
as a result of which, it will be hosting a
contemporary art programme for over
5,000 students from within Goa itself. The
purpose of this programme is to promote
contemporary art and spread awareness
amongst school-goers. It can also be
viewed as an attempt to teach people how
to contemplate the beauty of art.
In similar vein, further south, there are
endeavours being undertaken to preserve
some of Goa’s heritage. Victor Hugo
Gomes, the restorer and curator of the
Goa Chitra, an ethnographical museum,
works towards showcasing the lifestyle,
indigenous methods, craftsmanship and
the art of folklore of the ancestors of Goa.
Being one of the largest museums in Goa,
it has gained immense popularity amongst
tourists, and has had about 4,00,000 visitors
since its opening in 2009. Goa Chitra aims
at spreading awareness not only amongst
students, but amongst people of every age.
“Goa Chitra is of great educational
importance for many institutes like the FLAME
University in Pune, National Institute of
Design and National Institutes of Technology,
and international institutes like University
of Bologna in Italy and Carleton College,
Minnesota. The cruise-line tourists constitute
a major part of the visitors to Goa Chitra.
Many art lovers have also been spotted
visiting the museum regularly. Goa Chitra
has a tie up with Carleton College and every
year, for a period of three months, a batch
of students is hosted at the museum and is
trained to design their own individual pieces
of art,” Victor shares.
Museums in their own right have a part to
play when it comes to our heritage, and one
can only hope that they help instil a belief
that there is more to Goa than its beaches
and that more visitors are drawn to such
places so that the state’s heritage may live on.
