Elvidio Miranda
When God conceived the making of Goa and its peoples, he had a very special and magical idea in mind. Goa according to God’s will, was to become a place, where the Gods themselves sought to be their abode, also a place to soothe and grant solace to those afflicted by various ailments, a soothing balm that would invigorate and rejuvenate troubled souls. With its natural beauty in the form of verdant fields, forests, hills, azure blue waters, streams, fountains, springs, majestic swaying palm-fringed coastline, the Rome of the East drew visitors from near and far by its magical spell cast on them like a hypnotist’s charming allure.
To be grateful to this treasure trove on natural ambience, those that came to Goa in turn built majestic churches, chapels, temples and mosques that became centres of attraction for people of various faiths to pray and to please the Gods for their abundant blessings showered on this beautiful land. The people in turn appeased the Gods by maintaining a perfect communal harmony, that was the reflection of the blessed trinity of faiths that Goa is known for and the tolerant attitude of its indigenous people, who allowed the classical traditional lifestyles as well as the modern Western lifestyles to co-exist in perfect harmony and synchronicity in tune with the varied customs, cultures and traditions that make Goa a throbbing, pulsating nerve centre of harmony in diversity that has stood the vagaries and the tests of times both turbulent and placid.
Who does not want to bask in the spell-binding solitude of a hill top, mountain or the crammed atmosphere of the surf-lapped beaches, where everyone gets a new lease of life and renewal of the senses on basking in its splendid, electric ambience. The preservation of its flora and fauna and the meandering rivers and streams, few with rapids and falls are an important aspect of the magnetic aura of this beautiful land. Goa is blessed with trees such as the towering, swaying coconut palms, cashew nut plantations, various other trees that have curative and medicinal properties that can cure almost all ailments. Goa’s herbs and shrubs abound in roots, bark, leaves and fruits that can cure most any ailment and we should be protectors of the same. The animal species such as the bisons, squirrels, pangolins, porcupines, monkeys, wild boars, leopards, deer, civet cats and many others adds to the animal bio-diversity of Goa which is unique and adds to its natural fauna. The people of Goa are very hospitable in nature and live in harmony with nature, thus Goa is rarely hit by natural disasters since, God acknowledges the intentions of the people who treat nature with due respect and thus makes it a land devoid of violent natural calamities.
