Places to see in Goa
CABO DE RAMA FORTRESS
Cabo de Rama used to be part of the ancient dominions of the
King of Sundém which was taken over by the Portuguese Crown
in 1763 during the administration of Viceroy Manuel de Saldanha
e Albuquerque, 1st Count of Ega.
The fortress is of moorish origin and had fifteen ramparts and
a moat on the landed side. It is situated south of Betul, on a
small promontary.
The fortress of Cabo de Rama as painted by António Lopes
Mendes (*)
(*) The painting of the fortress is by António Lopes Mendes,
who passed through the interior of Goa over a period of time on
official mission and collated a lot of information on Goa over
a decade (1862 - 1873) and published a notable book entitled "A
Índia Portuguesa". António Lopes Mendes, an
agricultural engineer, held memberships of the Geographic Society
of Lisbon, the Royal Asiatic Society (Bombay Section), the Geographic
Society of Argentina, the Royal Central Association of Portuguese
Agriculture and a national deputy for Circulo de Mapuçá,
Damão e Diu.
The square had 21 artillery pieces of different calibre. Its
water supplies came from two springs of potable water situated
just outside its walls.
For a long time during the Portuguese administration, it served
as a penal colony. Presently, the fort has been abandoned and
one can see the signs of ruin. This is an appeal to all Goans
to pressurize the authorities who govern Goa to prevent the disappearance
of our valuable patrimony.
The sad state of the fortress today
A view of the interior of the fortress
This is my SOS to save our rich patrimony and cultural inheritance
while there is time to do so!
Francisco Monteiro
ABBÉ (ABADE) FARIA
Monument to Abbé Faria
José Custódio Faria, better known as Abbé
Faria, was born on 30th May 1756 at Candolim, in the district
of Bardez. He was the son of Caetano Valeriano Faria of Colvale
and Maria de Sousa of Candolim. His father was involved in the
"Pinto" revolt in 1787, which was also known as the
“Conjuração dos Pintos” ("Plot
of the Pintos"), which unsuccessfully attempted to do away
with the Portuguese administration and was severely repressed
by the Portuguese authorities.
When he was 15 years old, he left Goa for Lisbon, accompanied
by his father, arriving there on 23rd November 1771. Shortly thereafter
he left for Rome, intending to study at the College of Propagation.
On the 12th March 1780 he was ordained priest; he furthered his
studies, obtaining a doctorate in Theology and Philosophy at the
University of Rome, and returned to Portugal once he completed
his studies, where he gained fame as a preacher due to his immense
intelligence, knowledge and moral composure.
In 1788, he migrated to Paris, residing at Rue de Ponceau; being
of a restless character, he became a leader of one of the revolutionary
battalions in 1795, with the command of one of the sections of
the infamous “10 do Vendimario”, which attacked the
establishment taking an active part in its fall, as a result of
which he established contacts with high political personalities
like Chateaubriand, Madame la Marquise de Coustine, and was friend
of Marquês de Puységur to whom he dedicated his book
on “Causas do Sono Lúcido” ("On the Causes
of Deep Sleep").
In 1811, he was appointed Professor of Philosophy at the University
of France and elected member of the "Société
Medicale de Marseille", (Medical Academy of Marseille), without
ever having been a medical doctor.
In 1813 Abbé Faria, who was a disciple of Puységur,
realised that hypnotism was gaining importance; he returned then
to Paris, and started lecturing a new doctrine, which contributed
further to his fame; he gained a favourable aura, proving to be
a rival of Mesmer and started his practice.
In spite of being presumed by some as being a charlatan, of being
in possession of divine powers by others, and of having a pact
with the devil by the religious authorities, he managed to revolutionize
academies and disturb scientific establishments and theological
doctrines for a number of years.
He provoked unending controversies with his work “Da Causa
do Sono Lúcido no Estudo da Natureza do Homem” (On
the cause of Deep Sleep in the Study of Nature of Man), published
in Paris in 1819.
But it is certain that he became the focus of attention of everyone
in the city of Paris, as his fame as the father of hypnotism rapidly
increased. He was the first one in the scientific world who defended
the real doctrine on the interpretation of hypnotic phenomena,
having been able to hypnotise almost five thousand people. Famous
French, Belgian, Portuguese and German writers recognised Abbé
Faria as the father of the "School of Nancy”. For unknown
reasons, he was imprisoned at the "Castelo do Iff",
where Alexander Dumas (Sr) gave him immortality by being portrayed
as being the one who indicated Edmund Dantés to the fabulous
treasure of Monte Cristo.
Impoverished and abandoned, even as the first volume of his famous
work was being printed, Abbé Faria died in Paris on 20
September 1819 after a devastating stroke. Abbé Faria distinguished
himself as a lecturer, theologist, physician and hypnotist, in
other words, founder of the science of hypnotism, and the first
to publicize the principles of hypnotic suggestion. The name Abbé
Faria has been known in all cultural centres of the world, and
one can state that there is no learned person who would not know
of him.
Professor Bernheim, one of the scholars dedicated to the matters
of hypnotism, used to say about Abbé Faria: "Unquestionably,
the merit for having established the doctrine in the first place
and the method of hypnotism by suggestion, goes to Faria, who
openly released the truth from weird and useless doctrines which
tended to hide it." Indeed, it was he who provided clear
and true concepts behind the hypnotic phenomena before anyone
else.
In his turn, the French general Noget said about Abbé Faria:
"There was a man in Paris who made the experience of hypnotism
public. Every day (this in 1815), some 60 people used to gather
at his residence and it was rare among these, that there were
not at least five or six people who were susceptible to fall into
a hypnotic trance. He would openly declare that he did not possess
any secrets nor any extraordinary powers, and that everything
he achieved was dependent on the will of the persons he was performing
upon".
Abbé Faria is an intellectual figure in science, even
if he was surrounded by a mist of mystery; he is held in high
esteem by various writers of repute, as one of the more notable
hypnotists of the world and founder of a great scientific school
of hypnotism, in other words a champion who introduced hypnotic
sciences in Europe, rivalling Mesmer.
Abbé Faria was popularised and immortalised by the great
French writer Alexander Dumas in his well-known tale "The
Count of Monte Cristo"; there is also a significant study
on the life of Abbé Faria, titled "Padre Faria na
História do Hipnotismo, 1925" ("Father Faria
in the History of Hypnotism, 1925") authored by the eminent
Professor Dr. Egas Moniz.
In the city of Pangim, the capital of Goa, alongside the historic
Palace of Adil Khan with the enchanting River Mandovi for a background,
there stands a monument in homage to this great personality of
our history – Abbé Faria.
Francisco Monteiro
Church of SANTA ANA (SANTANA)
The Church of Santa Ana (or Santana as it is commonly known)
is situated a few kilometres from Panjim, on the right bank of
the river Siridão in Talaulim. Its construction in Baroque
style, which was started in 1577, was concluded in 1695, and was
dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of Our Lady. Between 1691- 1695,
it underwent repairs directed by Mgr. Francisco Rego. The Church,
amidst a picturesque setting, is a centre of attraction for a
large number of visitors on Sundays, and has all the conditions
suitable to be included in the tourist route.
The Church buildings, comprising of its magnificent façade,
its interior and the parochial residence, are in an advanced state
of dilapidation; the square and the stairs are also in need of
renovation.
The majestic Church of Santa Ana (Santana)
We would like to bring to the attention of the entities responsible
for the protection of cultural and architectural heritage, especially
the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) who are the caretakers
of structures declared as national monuments, of the Ecclesiastical
authorities namely the new archbishop Felipe Ferrão, and
of the local leaders of Talaulim, alerting them to initiate repairs
urgently before it is too late and consequently suffer the loss
of yet another valuable monument of religious, cultural and architectural
significance left by our ancestors.
Francisco Monteiro.
Church in Saligoa
Church Of Mae De Deus, Saligao in Bardez is vaulted in shape
which makes it very attractive. The Church boasts of a
primitive style of Gothic architecture. To add to the serenity in its
totality there are 2 lofty bells seen inside the Church tower.
Dudsagar
MANGUESHI TEMPLE
MAHADEV TEMPLE, TAMBDI SURLA
