As heritage violations ruin Old Goa, why the ball is in Centre's court

India Today

08-05-2025

It is a historic landmark and a must-visit on the itinerary of tourists or pilgrims to Goa. However, Old Goa, the former capital of Portuguese India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is increasingly under threat due to rampant construction and urbanisation.Heritage enthusiasts have now sought the intervention of the Union ministry of culture, expressing apprehension over the 'the loss of history and heritage of Old Goa'. The forum 'Citizens for Democracy Goa', which includes former bureaucrat and Congress leader Elvis Gomes; Prajal Sakhardande, a professor of history; and entrepreneur Yogesh Nagvenkar, has written to Vivek Aggarwal, secretary, Union ministry of culture, drawing attention to 'the bizarre situation arising out of the acts of omission by the very state authorities entrusted with responsibilities to preserve the priceless heritage in Goa'.advertisementIn 1986, UNESCO granted world Heritage Site status to the churches and convents of Old Goa. This includes the Basilica of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of the Jesuist missionary St Francis Xavier. Old Goa is located 10 km east of state capital Panaji. It was developed from the previous village of Ella after being taken over by the Portuguese, who designated the city as the capital for their occupied territories in Asia in 1730.Present-day Old Goa was also known as Goa Dourada (Golden Goa), Rome of the East, and Pearl of the East, since the 16th century, and this has been documented in the accounts of numerous foreign travelers, including Ludovico di Varthema, Domingo Paes and Jan Huygen van Linschoten.
The city has been described as a port city on the banks of the Mandovi river, which was a hub of horse trade. This brought in substantial revenue for the Adilshahi Sultans of Bijapur in Karnataka, who ruled Goa from 1498. This drew the Portuguese general Afonso De Albuquerque to Goa in 1510. The precinct also has a rich pre-Portuguese history and heritage. In the 11th century, the Kadamba King Jayakeshi-I connected his capital Govapuri-Gopakapattan on the banks of the Zuari to the port of Old Goa through a 9-km-long road known as the 'Rajbid' or Rajbidh.advertisementToday, the surviving churches and convents of Old Goa are the Chapel of St Catherine (1510), which was raised to the status of cathedral by Pope Paul III in 1534; the Church and Convent of St Francis of Assisi (1517), rebuilt in 1521 and 1661; the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (1549), S Cathedral (1652), the Church of St Augustine (1602), a complex that fell into ruins, with only one-third of the bell tower standing; the Basilica of Bom Jesus (1605), with its prominent Classical orders; and the Chapel of St Cajetan (1661), modelled on the original design of St Peter's Basilica in Rome.These monuments exerted great influence in the 16th to 18th centuries by spreading forms of Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque art and architecture throughout the countries of Asia where Catholic missions were established. In doing so, they eminently illustrated the work of missionaries in Asia, says the UNESCO website.In their letter to Aggarwal, the group 'Citizens for Democracy Goa' red-flagged 'unstopped constructions near the heritage monuments in violation of heritage laws'. The letter cited a huge bungalow by a Mumbai-based politician within the very precinct of the World Heritage Site, in close proximity to the office of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as the 'most egregious and visible example of this disregard'advertisement'Despite numerous protests by heritage activists, this illegal construction continues to stand as a defiant challenge to all agencies mandated to preserve and protect this significant World Heritage Site. This constitutes a major heritage violation occurring under the direct purview of the ASI. Repeated appeals have regrettably failed to halt this egregious violation. This bungalow, situated next to the World Heritage Church of St. Cajetan, within the vicinity of the Adilshahi Palace gate and the Kadamba-era temple gate, and abutting the Viceroy's Arch, should have been demolished, but for the ASI's laxity and the local government's apathy,' the letter pointed out.The group stated that by the ASI's own admission, there were over 70 structures that are reportedly illegal but still standing. 'Proliferation of diverse constructions is putting pressure of higher density of human settlement in Old Goa, resulting in issues such as rampant filling of low-lying areas, hill cutting, wanton littering, unregulated solid waste generation and its ineffective management,' the letter said. The proposed garbage treatment plant on the Kadamba plateau of Old Goa to treat the waste generated by Panaji has also faced strong opposition from the local community.advertisementThe letter has recommended a multi-pronged approach to protect the site. This includes coordination between Goa's Department of Archaeology and the ASI to formulate a protection policy. 'The Centre should impress upon the state government to prioritise the swift formulation and implementation of a comprehensive Heritage Masterplan specifically for Old Goa. This plan should clearly demarcate all protected zones, including an adequately sized buffer zone that respects the site's heritage and visual integrity. The masterplan must include specific and detailed guidelines for the preservation and sensitive restoration of all pre-Portuguese historical sites, integrating principles of sustainable tourism to ensure that tourism activities support, rather than detract, from the site's conservation,' it urged.A thorough survey of all existing structures located within the World Heritage Site and its designated buffer zone must be conducted to definitively identify all illegal constructions and encroachments, the letter said.'The time for decisive action is now, before the irreversible impacts of unchecked development further erode the 'Outstanding Universal Value' that makes Old Goa a treasure for all humanity,' the group urged.Subscribe to India Today Magazine
advertisement