If one does not respect their heritage and lets it slip away, then there is every possibility that a foreign culture comes in and wipes out the original culture, said historian Sanjeev Sardesai during his recent talk at the Centenary Lecture series organised by Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias.
“If you forget your heritage, then (there is) every possibility that somebody else is going to come in and wipe out your culture, your heritage. For that you must understand what heritage is,” Sardesai said in his talk themed ‘Unknown Goa, Unknown Goenkar’.
Sardesai highlighted that heritage encompasses not only tangible monuments like religious structures, but also intangible traditions, from our styles of cooking and farming to everyday customs — and warned that the neglect of these roots could allow a community’s culture to be eroded.
To drive home his point, Sardesai drew on striking examples of Goa’s cultural disconnect. He spoke about a carved stone outside a cemetery in St. Inez, which lies neglected despite its historic value and significance. He highlighted the lack of brochures & authentic information to millions of tourists ambassadors who visit Goa annually.
He then traced Goa’s layered history, recounting how in 1510 the Portuguese nearly perished at sea before Taleigao villagers came to their aid with a bag of rice — a gesture that sparked a tradition still followed during the harvest season.
“On August 21 every year when they harvest the fields, the farmers first offer it to St. Michael’s Church, Se Cathedral, the Archbishop of Goa and the Governor of Goa,” Sardesai said.
Speaking about Goa’s natural heritage, Sardesai referenced the state bird, the flame-throated yellow Bulbul and the officially designated state tree, Terminalia eliptica or the crocodile bark tree. “If ever you get stranded on the Ghats and you run short of water, just make a hole on the side of this tree and you get drinking water inside, just like the Baobab, which can live for thousands of years and sustain entire tribes with the water stored within,” said Sardesai, highlighting the unique properties of the relatively unacknowledged State Tree.
Sardesai also offered fascinating insights into iconic monuments across Goa. Referring to Panaji’s Immaculate Conception Church, he explained how its present structure was altered over the years, including the installation of a massive bell.
“The bell was initially in St. Augustine’s Convent and it is the second heaviest bell in Goa, weighing 2250 kilos. After its main façade collapsed in 1934, the bell was sent to the Aguada Fort and used during emergencies for the passing ships. Later, when the lighthouse was upgraded, the bell was then sent to Panaji and fitted at the church tower there,” he said.
Sardesai urged Goans to protect both tangible monuments and intangible traditions with equal passion. “Until and unless our roots are strong, you will not get a good tree, nor will you get good fruits. You must understand that heritage is something which is part of our life,” he said.
