![]() We set off with Subodh from Birdsong, a charming 200-year-old renovated villa in the quiet hinterland of Moira. Subodh’s private jaunts turned professional when Bambi, the manager of the lovely seaside cottage Ahilya by the Sea asked him to lead walks for guests. Subodh also leads free-wheeling walks on request at Saligao, Aldona, Siolim or any village a short drive away. Since the lighthouse on the hill helped ‘pilot’ the ships in Mandovi River, the motorcycle taxis were nicknamed ‘pilots’! Besides MoG Sundays dedicated to Talks, Films, Expressions (11am-1pm) the museum hosts frequent jazz and music events. The first motorcycle taxi stand was at the base of Pilot Hill near Panjim Church. Santosh Morajkar’s ‘The Motorcycle Pilot’ celebrated Goa as the only place in India where motorcycles are used as taxis. We discovered that Goa never had any ceramic industry and the chips were actually ballast brought by Portuguese and Chinese ships! Shilpa Naik’s Mosaic paid tribute to the mosaic tiles ubiquitous in most Goan homes. Other local artists too gave rare insights into Goa. Chipping and slicing through layers of red, yellow and blue oxides painted over time, he turned sections of old walls into his canvas. ![]() Working with a wide range of media in his installations, his abiding muse remains Goa – its sea, coast, surroundings, rich culture and heritage.Ĭollaborating with the ocean, he immersed antique ceramic plates and allowed oysters, barnacles and shells to create artworks on old china. Blue roadside mermaids guided us to the museum of contemporary art in Pilerne set up by local artist Subodh Kerkar. Yes, food is indeed a celebration here.Ī new addition to Goa’s cultural scene (besides Sunaparanta in Panjim and Houses of Goa Museum near Porvorim) is MoG or Museum of Goa. Hell, there’s even a Ponsachem fest (jackfruit) and Touxeachem (cucumber) fest. Goa’s year-round festivities were being promoted – Bonderam Festival at Diwar Island (April-May), Sao Joao in June (where Goans literally go an’ jump in the well), Pattoleochem Fest at Socorro in August where the steamed pattoleo (rice and jaggery dumpling) is the star. Plans were afoot to develop a clutch of five islands off Vasco – Grande, St George, Pequeno, Conco and Bhindo. The same lake that generations of Goans grew up going for picnics to – it’s so old, Hum Bane Tum Bane from ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ was shot there. Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) was launching hot air ballooning in South Goa, Heli Tours, Duck Boat Tours from Panjim with plans to develop Mayem Lake. For a place we visit so often (a friend once remarked ‘ Arey, tum fir aa gaye?’ – an apt tagline for any state tourism board), Goa still holds many new experiences in store. Eating at new hotspots, hopping in and out of bars and beach haunts, checking out new places, meeting interesting people, that kind of punishing work. We are the only schmucks who go there for work. ![]() What’s hot in the country’s coolest holiday destination, ANURAG MALLICK and PRIYA GANAPATHY dig out hip hangouts in GoaĮveryone goes to Goa for a holiday.
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