TThe idea of Goa, to a tourist, or for that matter to a local thinking of tourist attractions, has been limited to the northern coastal strip from Sinquerim to Baga, with Anjuna thrown into the mix for good measure. However, striving to break free of the mould that binds them into this concept are a few establishments that have chosen to base themselves in a village that is off the beaten path: Sangolda. In this given case, off the beaten path may not be the choicest of expressions, as Sangolda is in itself on the path to the aforementioned tourist belt. Through this village runs the Chogm road, that cuts between some of the massive ancestral houses of the area, most of which make up part of the changing face of the village today.
Homestores, colonial memories and ‘rusty’ comforts
What first dotted the landscape on the strip was a series of home-stores, giving one the option to procure a part of Goa’s ‘Portuguese Era’. Most of these artefacts however, have made their way from across the country, and have ties to not just the state’s linkage, but also India’s ties with the British, French and Dutch.
Of these, Saudades is a venture that has stood the test of time, having been around since 2000. A brainchild of Jacinta and RK Moorthy (who in 2011, was appointed Curator of the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum, in Goregaon – East, Mumbai), the stores attendants are always happy to recount the story behind the store itself and how it came into being, as recounted by Moorthy himself.
Having a penchant for things old as well as the fact that he was moving in to a new home, Moorthy had collected many interesting pieces, over a short period of time. As he completed decorating the space, he realised that he had many charming and interesting pieces left, that he could not use. This led to the idea of placing an advertisement in the local newspaper to sell the pieces that he could not use. By 10:30am of the designated date of the sale, all the pieces were sold. That solitary instance led to Moorthy’s being born and over time, this led to a Goa branch of the outlet: Saudades.
Another home-store landmark on this strip is RUST, a proprietary concern which was established in the year 2002. The store’s stockade comprising furniture and upholstery is what made it popular, however it also sells pottery, handicrafts, various designer products and accessories, with proprietors of the company, Nilofer and Reshad Rustomji having outlined a vision for a signature line across the various areas that the store deals with.
Where food and art come together and flow freely
If one is presented a restaurant and a home-store at once, it may be difficult to decide what to focus on first, and that is precisely the case with Freedom Tree/Mustard. While the former is the ‘front’ to the establishment, much more goes on behind the scenes. Everything seems to be going on behind the scenes, as a garden meets a little getaway, that is both mainstream and niche all at once, enveloping all and sundry that pass through here. Mustard dishes out a fine dining experience that focuses on European cuisine created by French chef Gregory Bazire as well as a Bengali menu inspired by the seed that is its namesake. From French gastronomy to Bengali versions of Thali’s conceptualised by food historian, Pritha Sen to the ambience of dining in a friend’s home provided by the setting that is a throwback to a Goa long gone, Mustard veritably entrances passers-by.
“We wanted to give our clients the opportunity to be not too removed from the city while not being too far removed from the tourist belt. Being in Sangolda gave us every opportunity we needed to not have to be caught in the chaos associated with Calangute. Sangolda very fortuitously offers us the best of both worlds, while making it logistically viable for both locals and tourists,” says co-owner, Poonam Singh, when asked about the ideology behind the choice of location for the venture.
Triangulating the space between RUST and Mustard is another new player on the scene, known as Saraya. The main area dedicated to the centre is a restored 300-year old house that serves as the art gallery of the Saraya complex. A garden café graces the entrance while trees and mud houses for accommodation dot the other end of the property. The main ideology behind the initiative is to have a collaborative art space that is designed to bring people together and engage in creative pursuits of all kinds. The centre focuses on using its spacious natural setting to facilitate a community that is in harmony with nature while making art, right from the water that flows throughout the property into a meditation pond, or the large cotton drapes and accessories across trees.
Deeksha Thind, the proprietor of the venture speaks on her the circumstances that led to Saraya coming about. “The premises where Saraya now stands belonged to us for ages. We had leased it out before, but then between my daughter and myself, and a little art project that we set out between us, we decided to create something sustainable, something that was our own, and something that we could relate to. Thus Saraya was born. We chose Sangolda, because we already considered ourselves linked to the village, having owned the house for that long.
Focused on the use of nature as its biggest tool, yoga retreats, jam sessions, meditations and workshops in art and wellness are regular happenings here.
No stranger to nightlife
While one may readily accept that restaurants form a part of what Sangolda has to offer, nightlife may be met with more scepticism. Club West End has, of course, been in the headlines in the past, however, in an attempt to rival the retro club platform, The Backyard, has sprung to life. One must first traipse through The Paperboat Collective, a boutique lifestyle store, specialising in handmade, stylish contemporary Indian designer products, run by the effervescent Bhagyashree Patwardhan, before reaching, rather literally: The Backyard. Run by Shannon Smith and Alexis Reed, The Backyard has seen a large chunk of Goa’s familiar faces wend their way across to the venue on a Saturday night.
In the face of tourist destinations becoming overcrowded, a niche segment of tourist finding complaint with the same, locals tiring of the same old, perhaps the time is right to find one’s way to Sangolda, formerly a part of the journey, but now a destination in itself.
