MARGAO: As the Tourism Master Plan for Goa lists the historic village of Chandor for “village walks”, Ganv Bhavancho Ekvott, Chandor organized a walk for its members at the heritage and important geographic sites in the village.
The walk began at Bansor where an age old granite stone site where, Gaonkars of the village used to dance the mell on the last day of carnival. However, this practice is not followed anymore.
The next stop was at Mamlatemer which was the post for the Kadamba dynasty sentinels who would by way of coloured flags would inform the guards at the Fort gate about who is coming.
The group then went to Devlla Baim, which is situated at Bindimoll. This well was constructed by the priests and others when they were shifting the temple and the idols from Cotta to Chandreshwar Bhutnath at Paroda. Earlier, the well was the source of water to all the residents of present day Molla and Sailabhat.
The dilapidated condition of Oilem Tollem was seen next where there was hardly any water to call it a lake and the need to desilt the lake and re-enforce the embankments was sorely felt.
The next stop was the magnificent 450-year-old Menezes Braganza house where each section of the house was visited and the aged and exquisitely carved furniture, the made to order crockery, the various plates, silver ware, trays and other knick knacks mesmerized everybody present.
Next to visit were two springs – one near the old railway station and the other was Moddlem Spring. However, everybody was disappointed at Moddlem as the owners have stopped the flow of water to breed fish and the natural beauty of the spring is destroyed.
The group then visited Aleluia Gomes’ house at Guirdolim to see the ancient door in his house that bears testimony to the family’s conversion from Hinduism to Catholicism.
Finally, the Maha Tollem was visited which is now called Matoli and the lake has totally disappeared due to siltation, only evidence of it is the greenery in the form of wild grass growing there.
The group that went for the walk had 18 adults and three children. In all, the group travelled around 10 kilometres on vehicles and walked quite a distance that sorely tired some of them.
