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by phileasfogg
New Delhi, India
August 6, 2005
Goa was dominated by Hindu rulers--mainly the Chalukyas and the Satvahanas--before being overrun by a Muslim dynasty, the Adilshahis. They were in turn ousted by the Portuguese, who ruled Goa till 1962. The majority of the artefacts in the Museum belong to the Portuguese era, but there’s plenty of stuff from other times as well.
From the Hindu period, nearly all the exhibits are stone carvings of basalt--of Uma and Maheshwar (names for the Hindu deity Shiva- the destroyer--and his consort, Parvati); Mahishasur Mardini (Parvati again, in the form of the revengeful Kali, who killed the demon Mahishasur), and dozens of hero-stones. The latter are stone tablets engraved with scenes from the lives of local heroes. Among the other interesting artefacts are small replicas of temples; a stone drain shaped in the form of a cow sitting astride a water-channel; and an unusual statue of the mythical spirit, Vetal, with a large scorpion carved on its torso. This one was particularly amusing, by the way--it had a huge phallus hanging all the way down to its knees!
The Adilshahi period is represented almost wholly by a handful of Arabic and Persian inscriptions on stone--very beautiful calligraphy, but boring if you can’t read the languages.
The Portuguese era, spanning five centuries, predominates. There’s a vast (and varied) range of colonial artefacts: religious statues and paintings (including gory scenes of martyrdoms); coins, revenue stamps, and stamps issued by the Portuguese government in Goa; weaponry; shards of painted crockery and tiles; even a Portuguese flag dating back to 1962, when Goa was handed over to India. The most impressive of all is a larger-than-life statue of the Portuguese poet Dom Luiz Vaz de Camoes, who wrote an ode to Albuquerque’s conquest of Goa. Upstairs, stretching across several large halls, is a series of lifesize portraits of all the Governors General and Viceroys of Goa. Local artists painted these over the centuries, and other than the 20th century works, they’re pretty badly executed. One exception is a portrait of Manuel do Saldanha do Albuquerque, a late 18th century Governor-General. Check it out--it’s better than the rest.
Entry to the museum is Rs 5 per person.
From journal A Whiff of Portugal