In the heart of Goa's capital Panjim is a treasure-trove of
colonial history. Bordered on the east by Ourem creek and on the west by the
tony residential neighborhood of Altinho, Fontainhas, meaning
fountain in Portuguese, takes its name from the fountain of Phoenix Spring near
the Maruti Temple. The precinct, reclaimed and built in the 18th century by a
wealthy expatriate Goan known as Mosmikar (he made his fortune in
Portuguese-held Mozambique), is today gripped by a frenzy of restoration.
Masons and carpenters are busy at work, refitting old wooden patios and
trellised parapets and painting facades in pastel shades. Some old homes have
been repurposed into shopfronts displaying a panoply of curios. Curtains of ivy
and vine shield first-floor balconies from the harsh mid-morning sun. The
street leading up to the Chapel of St Sebastian, gleaming white in luxuriant
sunshine, is lined with magenta bauhinia in full flower. The chapel, built in
1818 after the Inquisition, houses an unusual crucifix where the eyes of
Christ, glaring open, are designed to strike terror in the hearts of heretics.
In mid-November this street comes alive with a merry street fair that
celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Livrament. North of Fontainhas, towards the
old Post Office building (which was once the city’s tobacco trading house), is
the precinct of Sao Tomé. The buildings here face what was once the
town pillory where justice was meted out in the form of spectacular executions.
Today, these areas constitute Goa's Latin quarter.
Enjoy this photo-tour.
Enjoy this photo-tour.
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