Last week I visited the Cabo de Rama Fort near Betul beach with my family after a gap of almost 35 years. I had once led a group of college hikers to the fort when I was the vice-president of the Goa Hiking Association.
At that time the fort was in an extremely good condition and the surrounding battlements were approachable on foot. I can never forget the panoramic view of the sea from the battlements on the extreme west of the promontory with the age-old cannons still intact and pointed towards the approaching enemy ships in the sea.
But what I saw on that day deeply saddened me, as I expected the fort to be maintained and taken care of. Unfortunately that was not the case.
The famous fort has now become an evergreen forest and one can hardly venture inside except the main tower at the entrance. The only area that is meticulously maintained is the St Anthony’s Church inside where, I believe, regular masses are still being held.
A new village is already coming up on the plateau and there are already a couple of restaurants and bars on the way to the fort as well as on the precarious slopes towards the beach. In fact, a new restaurant too is in the process of being built there when I visited the fort.
On my way back, I met a number of German and French tourists on bikes and cars who had followed the site of the fort on Google maps. What disappoints me is the disregard and carelessness of the authorities to places of historical importance.
The bushes have overgrown over the battlements and ramparts from the surrounding moats where the high grass was seen growing everywhere, which does not allow anyone to venture except couples who sought privacy. By the way, despite the overgrowth many could be seen occupying secluded spots around the fort.
It is high time that the Department of Tourism takes the initiative to develop and maintain this historical fort, which the Portuguese had acquired without a battle and was therefore intact.
Despite the shabby state there are tourists visiting the spot as it is marked quite distinctly on the map. Both domestic and international tourists are seen enjoying the panoramic view from the fort. But the difficulty in walking around and other problems including government apathy dissuades others from witnessing this historical fort.
And if there are no funds, the government can at least approach some heritage lovers and business houses to sponsor the project. I’m sure there will be many who would ensure that our monuments are protected.
