Locals from Chapora and neighbouring villages have demanded that the Government of Goa restore the original entrance of Chapora Fort — facing the jetty and accessible via staged steps — instead of focusing solely on the horseback side. They have also vowed to protest if there are plans to build a restaurant within the fort premises.
“We have been told that there are plans to build a restaurant in the fort, in the name of restoration. We will come out on the streets and stop such a plan because we know, once the restaurant is built, it will be leased out to an outsider,” warned Balbhim Malvankar, alias Bolgo, from Chapora.
Chapora Fort is a State Protected Monument, and efforts to restore it have been stalled for over four years. In response to Starred LAQ No 015A tabled by Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo, Minister for Archaeology Subhash Phal Dessai stated: “The revised estimates prepared by the consultant as per the new GSR 2023 are submitted to the Public Works Department for necessary technical sanction.”
Despite fears among locals that restoration is being used as a cover to commercialise the fort, MLA Delilah Lobo has requested on the floor of the ongoing Goa Legislative Assembly that restoration work be expedited and that the construction of washrooms inside the fort be prioritised.
Since the cult film Ek Duuje Ke Liye was shot there, Chapora Fort has become a major tourist attraction. However, its condition has significantly deteriorated. Empty liquor cans, plastic waste, and even condoms litter the site. Parts of the fort’s walls have collapsed.
“There was a time when we used to go to play and watch the sunset from the fort. Foreign tourists even held parties sometimes, but it was never left dirty. The tourists visiting the fort now have changed,” lamented local resident Stacie D’Souza.
Encroachments around the fort became an issue after restoration work began from the horseback entrance. A parking area was developed but remains underutilised.
A letter accessed by O Heraldo, dated 29/11/2017, states: “The Department of Archives and Archaeology Panaji–Goa, along with the Mamlatdar of Bardez, had carried out demolition/removal of stalls/hawkers erected near the Chapora Fort on 20/11/2017 in government property.”
However, these stalls have since returned.
“The stalls along the road to the fort provide an opportunity for locals to earn some money. It is much better to have these shops and let the people make money instead of building a restaurant and handing it over to some outsider,” reasoned Bolgo.
However, he also feels there should be limits. “Some locals take two to three spaces and then rent them out to outsiders, and this is wrong. Let each family get one shop,” he added.
“By trying to build restaurants and shops in the fort, the government will be re-scripting history instead of preserving our past for posterity. If the fort is being restored due to public demand, then the history of the place cannot be altered,” argued Satyan Harmalkar, a member of the Anjuna-Vagator Biodiversity Board.
“The beautiful entrance from the jetty side of the fort has been totally neglected by the government. That entrance is part of the fort’s history and is in very bad shape. The fort should be restored to keep history alive, not just to increase tourist footfall. Tourism is not history but a way of life,” he added.
“We have given plans of restoration and beautification to a consultant but are still open to ideas. Work has been dragging on for some time because of objections being raised, but we are still open to listening to people,” assured Dr Nilesh B Fal Dessai, Director of Archaeology.
“When one enters Mirjan Fort near Gokarna, no visitor is allowed to carry bottles or plastic. Every guest is searched, and anything disposable is removed. That is why their fort is so clean, unlike ours,” said local businessman Michael Mendonca.
“Restoration means preserving the past not only for tourists but for our future generations. The past cannot be recreated but retained, and that must be the aim of the government. If they can do it in Gokarna, why can’t we in Goa?” Mendonca asked.
Despite fears among locals that restoration is being used as a cover to commercialise the fort, MLA Delilah Lobo has requested on the floor of the ongoing Goa Legislative Assembly that restoration work be expedited and that the construction of washrooms inside the fort be prioritised.
Since the cult film Ek Duuje Ke Liye was shot there, Chapora Fort has become a major tourist attraction. However, its condition has significantly deteriorated. Empty liquor cans, plastic waste, and even condoms litter the site. Parts of the fort’s walls have collapsed.
“There was a time when we used to go to play and watch the sunset from the fort. Foreign tourists even held parties sometimes, but it was never left dirty. The tourists visiting the fort now have changed,” lamented local resident Stacie D’Souza.
Encroachments around the fort became an issue after restoration work began from the horseback entrance. A parking area was developed but remains underutilised.
A letter accessed by O Heraldo, dated 29/11/2017, states: “The Department of Archives and Archaeology Panaji–Goa, along with the Mamlatdar of Bardez, had carried out demolition/removal of stalls/hawkers erected near the Chapora Fort on 20/11/2017 in government property.”
However, these stalls have since returned.
“The stalls along the road to the fort provide an opportunity for locals to earn some money. It is much better to have these shops and let the people make money instead of building a restaurant and handing it over to some outsider,” reasoned Bolgo.
However, he also feels there should be limits. “Some locals take two to three spaces and then rent them out to outsiders, and this is wrong. Let each family get one shop,” he added.
“By trying to build restaurants and shops in the fort, the government will be re-scripting history instead of preserving our past for posterity. If the fort is being restored due to public demand, then the history of the place cannot be altered,” argued Satyan Harmalkar, a member of the Anjuna-Vagator Biodiversity Board.
“The beautiful entrance from the jetty side of the fort has been totally neglected by the government. That entrance is part of the fort’s history and is in very bad shape. The fort should be restored to keep history alive, not just to increase tourist footfall. Tourism is not history but a way of life,” he added.
“We have given plans of restoration and beautification to a consultant but are still open to ideas. Work has been dragging on for some time because of objections being raised, but we are still open to listening to people,” assured Dr Nilesh B Fal Dessai, Director of Archaeology.
“When one enters Mirjan Fort near Gokarna, no visitor is allowed to carry bottles or plastic. Every guest is searched, and anything disposable is removed. That is why their fort is so clean, unlike ours,” said local businessman Michael Mendonca.
“Restoration means preserving the past not only for tourists but for our future generations. The past cannot be recreated but retained, and that must be the aim of the government. If they can do it in Gokarna, why can’t we in Goa?” Mendonca asked.