Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa

An article by Mohan Pai

The Lost Spaces
Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa
 
“It takes centuries of life to make a little history
and it takes centuries of history to make a little tradition”
– Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan

‘Central courtyard’ -Courtesy Dempo family, Panaji. Pic by Mohan Pai

Traditional Hindu Homes of Goa
The Hindu traditional houses of Goa reflect several millennia old Indian Architectural heritage. Structures created after the devastation during the Muslim and Portugese regime still reveal some of the rich features of the heritage that has survived in Goa, even though they have disappeared in other parts of India.
In spite of the destruction, the local Hindus showed a remarkable instinct for survival and stuck to their beliefs and tradition like a leach. The Goan Hindu is more conservative and more deep rooted in traditions. To quote Romesh Bhandari:
“Goa has a special role in the practice of Hinduism. It was the Aryans who first brought Hinduism as we know it today to Goa. The Hindus in Portugese Goa however remained insulated from what was happening to their co-religionists in other parts of India. The Goan Hindu is therefore of relatively greater purity than Hindus elsewhere. This relates to religious rites, practices and of the observance of customs, rituals and festivals.”
Goa has had a very long and tradition of Vedic and Sanskritic learning. Goa has the ancient site of Konkan-Kashi (at Diwar Island) considered by the Puranas holier than Kashi itself. The institutions of Agrahara, Brahmapuri and Maths as eminent centres of learning which existed for centuries and the fact that the majority Goan Hindu population still follows Puranic pantheon based on the broad philosophy of Vedanta, all of which is indicative of Goa’s pre-eminence as a nerve centre of ancient Indian Vedic culture.
 
Agraharas, Brahmapuris and Maths
 
These were the three most important institutions consisting of communities of learned Brahmins whose profound scholarship attracted students from far and near. The Agraharas constituted the real universities of medieval India. Where as Brahmapuris which were the settlement of learned Brahmins in parts of towns and cities differed from the Agraharas.
The third agency that played an important role in cultural life was the Math. It was a typical Indian monastery with monks, ascetics and students living within its precincts which also served as a free boarding house.The Math tradition of Goa has survived with Goa having three key Maths of Goud Saraswat Brahmin community – Kavale Math, Gokarn-Partagali Math and Kashi Math. In order to enable these institutions to carry on their work, they were richly endowed by Kings, Chieftains and philanthrophic and wealthy citizens.
Historical records of the 11th century AD describe Govapuri “as beatiful and pleasing city, the abundant happiness of which surpassed the paradise of Indra”. The prosperity continued till the arrival of the Portugese in the 16th century. During the Golden Age, the indigenous architect found expression not only in mansions, houses and temples but varied complexes like Agraharas, Brahmapuris and Maths”
 

Gokarn-Partagali Math, Partagali, Goa

 
Duarte Barbosa was a Portuguese factor at Cannanore and Cochin in between 1503 and (about) 1517 and had left behind an interesting account on trade and political events of the southeast including Bengal. About Goa, he says:
“This town was very large, with goodly edifices (Temples ?) and handsome streets and squares, surrounded by walls and towers. There is a very good fortress in it, and in the environs many gardens and orchards of fine trees and fruits, and many pools of good water.”
Tom Pires, a Portugese apothecary, who came to India in 1514 after Albuquerque conquered Ilhas mentions in his writings that there was a very large Hindu population and he gives the following description which obviously is that of the Hindu brahmin elite of the time:
“There are a great many heathens in the kingdom of Goa …Some of them very honoured men with large fortunes; and almost the whole kingdom lies in their hands, … Some of them are noblemen with many followers and lands of their own and are persons of great repute, and wealthy, and they live on their estates which are gay and fresh … They have beautiful temples of their own in this kingdom … There are some very honoured stocks among these Brahmins … These Brahmins are greatly revered throughout the country, particularly among the heathens… They are clever, prudent, learned in their religion. A Brahmin would not become a Mohammedan (even) if he were a king.”
Saraswats in Goa
Among the Brahmin communities of Goa, the Goud Saraswat Brahmins have always played a dominant role in religious, social, cultural and economic role of Goa.
According to some sources, the first migration (700 BC) to Goa by Saraswats was directly from the Sarasvati river banks via Kutch and southwards mostly through sea routes. The three main groups who came to Goa were the Bhojas, the Chediyas and the Saraswats and maintained connections with the Kutch, Sindh and Kashmiri Saraswats. The second wave of immigrants settled at Keloshi (Quelessam) and Kushasthal (Cortallim) and were named after those villages as Keloshikars and Kushasthalikars. From here they spread to other villages. The main deities which also came along with them were Mangirish, Mahadeo, Mahalaxmi, Kamakshi, Mahalsa, Shantadurga, Nagesh, Saptakoteshwar besides many others. Gomantak region is dotted with so many Kuladevata Temples of Saraswats which testifies to this fact.
The first group of Goud Saraswat immigrants from Trihotrapura (around 1000 AD) settled in two different parts of the Gomantak region. Thirty families were grouped in one commune and sixty six in other. The first commune was known as Tiswadi meaning 30 villages (modern Tissuary), and the other Shashatis meaning 66 (modern salcette). The Tiswadi commune was migrants from Kanyakubja and Shashatis was from Mithila. There is a view that these settlements together were 96 and referred as Sahanavis (Saha means six and Navi means ninety) and later as Shenvis. Once settled down, they continued in their traditional professions of administration and education and some got royal patronage and positions in governance in due course of time. Some enterprising Saraswats branched out into the practice of trading. The successes of these pioneering Saraswat traders encouraged many other Saraswats to whole-heartedly adopt trading as a main-stream profession.
There is another version of the story that, Sri Parashuram brought 96 families of the Panchagauda Brahmins from Trihotra (in Bihar) and settled them at Panchakrosha in Kushasthali of Goa. Such stories are also narrated about settlements of brahmins in Konkan Kanara Coast. This is considered to be more mythology than history. Legends say that Lord Parasuram, shot an arrow from the Western Ghats in adjacent Konkan and the arrow (Baan) landed at the site of Benaulim town. Benaulim also known as Banavali about 40 km from Panaji and 2 km south of Colva is today a beach resort. Even if the legends are considered only as myths, today a temple of Parashuram exists in Poinguinim village of Canacona Taluka in South Goa.
 

Sage Parashuram – A painting

Should Indus Valley be called Sarasvati civilisation ?
Recent researches based on the satellite photographs have now established the fact that what was called Indus Valley Civilization or Mohenjodaro-Harappa Civilization should be factually called Sarasvati Civilization. Hundreds of remains of these settlements have been discovered, the depth of the underground flowing Sarasvati determined and voluminous reports on these have been published.The Indus Valley civilization was so named because the first site discovered by Sir John Marshall in the 1920s, Mohenjo Daro or “mound of the dead,” happened to be situated in the Indus Valley. Thereafter, more discoveries were made and eventually as many as 2600 sites were unearthed between Iran in the west, Turkmenia, Bactria and the Pamirs in the north, beyond Delhi into western UP in the east, up to the Godavari in Maharashtra in the south, encompassing over one million square kilometers.
The culture goes back to around 7000 BC in Mehrgarh (Pakistan), which shows evidence of a strong agricultural economy and the presence of granaries for storing surplus grain. In its mature phase, this culture spawned the great cities of Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Lothal, around 2600 BC.

Location map of the Indus-Sarasvati civilization

 
The more recently discovered Dholavira created elaborate stone gateways and water harvesting structures, and is deservedly renowned for creating the world’s first sign-board in the Harappan script. Lothal had a port with a dockyard and granaries. Yet by1900 BC, the Indus-Sarasvati cities were being abandoned and an eastward shift in population took place. This is reflected in the Sanskrit literature, with increasing importance bestowed upon the Ganga and Yamuna. Saraswat Brahmins preserve a tradition of their southward migration, while Gaud Saraswat Brahmins say they came South via Gaud (Bengal) after the Sarasvati disappeared.

Human settlement patterns have always been closely intertwined with the fundamental economic activities that they support. Thus in the prehistoric period the pattern was migratory, moving with the growth seasons and the animal herds, and the house form corresponded to those needs. It was mobile, light, simple, and protective. A fundamental change in the economic system–the advent of the agricultural revolution, wherein early humans discovered that they could intervene in the reproductive cycle of edible plants and thus control and manage their food supply–brought a corresponding change to the human settlement pattern. No longer was a migratory pattern desirable. Instead, a more sedentary, more permanent form emerged. As agriculture developed further, human groupings were able to produce a surplus of food, and from this single fact grew division of labour and ultimately towns and cities.

Did Central Courtyard architecture originate in the Indus Valley ?
These changes occurred most rapidly in very specialized climatological areas. The first urban agricultural centers emerged in areas blessed with benign and year-round growing seasons combined with the ready availability of rivers for irrigation purposes. Major permanent concentrated populations arose and probably originated in the Thar Desert crossed by the Indus River in what is now India that gave birth to Mohenjo-Daro and Harappan civilization which now dates back to 7,000 BC. where the Central courtyard architecture may have originated and subsequently spread to other regions like the Tigris Euphrates region of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt of the Nile. Iran and China also had adopted courtyard architecture as far back as 3000 BC. In all these arid-region urbanized agricultural centers, the courtyard house emerged as the basic house form. Today, throughout the arid regions of the world, the courtyard house remains a sensible, satisfactory, and preferred solution. A wide range of courtyard house solutions emerged in such cities as Monenjo-Daro, Ur Kahun, and Athens, which formed the essential prototype that spread ultimately from the Spain of the Moors on the west to the valley of the Yellow River on the east. With Columbus’s voyages from Spain to the new world, the house form continued further west.
It should be noted that the courtyard house emerged as both an urban and rural prototype. Its key characteristic, however, is not its context but rather that it represents a fundamentally different conception of space. In the courtyard house, outdoor space is captured and included in the residential volume and ultimately becomes the heart of its morphology. This is an arid region concept that serves its climate well.
Courtyard Houses in India
The first courtyard houses, according to historical evidence, appeared to have originated in India probably around 6500-6000 BC. Evidence of the earliest village is from Mehergarh (6500-6000 BC). The settlement consisted of an irregular scatter of mud brick houses and the material for house construction The idea of settlement planning was well established at Harappa at a very early phase, Kot Diji (prior to 2600 BC). The basic overall layout of the settlements is distinguished by the orientation of the streets to cardinal points.
Most private houses had rooms arranged around a central courtyard. Doors and windows opened out into side lanes. Stairs led up to the roof or the second storey. Windows had shutters and latticework.
Sir John Marshall describes the courtyard houses as follows:
“To the right of the porter’s lodge a short passage led to the central courtyard of the house, which was open to the sky and provided light and air to the rooms grouped about it on both the ground and upper floors. And here, let me say parenthetically, that the principle of the open court encompassed by chambers was just as fundamental to -planning at Mohenjo-Daro as it was throughout the rest of prehistoric and historic Asia, and as it has continued to be in India until the present day.”
Sir Johh Marshall in ‘Mohenjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization’ (1929).
Courtyard house architecture in India was not just an architectural style. It was a way of lifeCourtyard style architecture which eventually spread from north to south India is called by various names – haveli, wada, deori or nalukettu. If we look at the courtyard houses of India, they are indigenous and matched the climatic requirements. The spatial and formal elements fell into a wonderful introverted blueprint. It reflected the society of its times. Even the simplest courtyard homes have an air of elegant character. The Indian courtyard houses was a remarkable form of residential architecture. The courtyard was this style’s quintessence and its relevance to the home was apparent as well as subtle. It was the structure’s core.
The courtyard ordered other spaces by context in an abode where space was not rigidly fixed but could be adaptable depending on the time of day, season and exigency. It obliquely controlled the environment inside and served the needs of its inhabitants. Its mood changed with varying degrees of light and shade, and with them the ambience of the abode. Centrally located, it imprinted the domain of the dwelling like a visual anchor. Around this courtyard space the rest of the structure seamlessly coalesced by the play of peristyles and gallery spaces. It was the spatial, social, and environment control center of the home. The courtyard ordered other spaces by context in an abode where space was not rigidly fixed but could be adaptable depending on the time of day, season and exigency. It obliquely controlled the environment inside and served the needs of its inhabitants. Its mood changed with varying degrees of light and shade, and with them the ambience of the abode. Centrally located, it imprinted the domain of the dwelling like a visual anchor. Around this courtyard space the rest of the structure seamlessly coalesced by the play of peristyles and gallery spaces. It was the spatial, social, and environment control center of the home.

Haveli of the northern India

 
Sri Chakra is the Yantra of the Cosmos. It is believed that the Angan represents the four corners of the Universe.
 

This form of architecture met with the requirements of the traditional joint family system as well as the climate. The courtyard functioned as a convective thermostat and gave protection from extremes of weather. A dust storm could pass overhead with little effects on the inmates. The courtyard moderated the extreme effects of the hot summers and freezing winters of the Indian sub continent , and averaged out the large diurnal temperature differences. It varied from being a narrow opening to a large peristyle one in the interior zone of the house, with perhaps another or more near the entrance and the rear section. The total number of courtyards in one residence could sometimes be five to six. The courtyard house in India was not based on blind conformity and there was tremendous innovation over the intervening centuries.

Chettinad central courtyard house

Nalukettu
Traditionally Nadumuttom or central open court yard used to be their in bigger houses of Kerala.They is an open area usually square shaped in the exact middle of the house dividing the house in its four sides. Due to this four side division of the house by having a Nadumuttom. Houses with one Nadumuttom used to be called as Nalukettu house. Similarly there was Ettu kettu and Pathinaru kettu which are quite rare.
Central Courtyard Houses of Goa
 
The Hindu heritage or traditional houses of Goa that have survived today, have a backdrop of millenia years of history, starting with Mohenjo-Daro and Hararppan civilization and settlements. Most of the surviving Hindu traditional houses are central courtyard houses, the origin of which lies in the Indus Valley Civilization. The Indus valley Courtyard architecture which probably originated as far back as 6500-6000 BC spread gradually not only to the other parts of India but also to other ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. It is matter of conjecture, with some basis, that the Central Courtyard Culture was probably adopted and brought to Goa by Saraswat Brahmins when the first wave of their migration settled down in Goa around 700 BC and the subsequent waves of migration. The Central Courtyard design dominates the architecture of the Hindu traditional homes of Goa. Considering the highly traditional, conservative and custom bound way of life, Saraswats who migrated to Goa, continued the ancient architectural style of residence for their residence in Goa, especially since the Central Courtyard (Angan, Rajangan) with Tulasi Vrindavan was considered a ‘sacred’ space by the householder.
Goan domestic architecture is a combination of biodegradable building material and an exposure to the elements may have been responsible for the collapse of older constructions. The main stock of houses that have survived appear to be those built or refurbished between the middle of the 18th and the 20th centuries, a period when the region was under Portuguese governance. The year 1750 was a turning point in Goa’s political and social history. It is this turning point that was also responsible for the exuberance and ostentation in architectural wealth that we see in the houses of Goa built subsequently.

Illustration: courtesy Mario Miranda

During the middle of the 18th century the gold rush in South America had begun a few years into the reign of King João V and following this wealth came into Goan hands. The proclamation by the powerful Marquis de Pombal, Prime Minister to the King, declaring all colonial subjects to be Portuguese further emboldened Goans. They began to express themselves (and their Goan identity) through music, dance, sculpture, painting, food and folklore. It was around this time that Goans first began to use their homes as vehicles of this expression.
Hindus of Goa also began to use their homes to display personal wealth, unthinkable after the arrival of the Portugese. Most grand houses that we see today are the homes of Goan Christians. A few may belong to Hindu families as well but these are town houses originally built for the entertainment and luxury of European guests who could not be entertained in the more tradition-bound country homes where religious taboos disallowed the serving of prohibited foods and where women followed seclusion regulations. Conversion to Christianity turned ‘inward-looking’ houses into ‘outward’ looking ones. Small windows (rarely fronting the street), blind walls and open courtyards in the interiors of Hindu homes were transformed to create ornamental homes with balcaos fronting the street where men and women could sit together and ‘see and be seen’. Homeowners who claim that their homes can be dated to before the arrival of the Portuguese in Goa have refurbished their homes to such an extent that it is difficult to find evidence of their antiquity.
Architecture
The courtyard house of Goa harks back to a long tradition of dwellings with a central space open to the skies circumscribed by rooms on all sides, a model as much functional in keeping the house cool in the hot climate, as of sacred inspiration. Along the famed Konkan coast, we find references to courtyard houses from the later medieval period onwards. Indeed, in order to find a suitable precedent to the patio house of Goa we need look no further than the domestic and monumental architecture of Vijayanagar. While the churches and sacred buildings of Goa have been the focus of a majority of studies on the built heritage of Goa, in more recent times, there has been increasing awareness that the resplendent houses of Goa are as deserving of careful attention.

‘The Chowki’ – Courtesy Sawakar family, Borim, Goa. Pic by Mohan Pai

 
The architecture of Goa is a combination of Indian, Mughal and Portuguese styles. Since the Portuguese ruled for four centuries, many churches and houses bear a striking element of the Portuguese style of architecture. Goa was also under the Mughal rule and thus one finds monuments built in the typical Mughal style complete with the domes. By the end of the 18th century, there was a change in the style of the buildings of Goa. Though the Portuguese essence remained, there was an overdose of colors and usage of tiles increased. Blue and red turned out to be favorite colors with many houses being painted in bright blues and the roofs being covered by red tiles. The houses are usually large and have spacious rooms with windows for ventilation.

The height of Goa’s glory was mutually linked with the Portuguese, but the Goan grandeur predated the Portuguese. Chieftains, kings and a host of Indian dynasties had made this little jewel glitter with royal pomp. The inscription of around A.D.1000 (when Shashtadeva of the Goa Kadamba dynasty sat on the throne), describes the early splendor of the capital: ‘Gardens on every side. White plastered houses, alleys, horse stables, flower gardens, markets, harlots’ quarters, and tanks.’ In his son’s reign, Goa is reputed to have commanded a powerful fleet and traded with fourteen foreign lands. In essence, it was a coveted land with the most sought after port in India before the arrival of Muslims and Portugese.

The elaborate entrances and openness of Catholic houses, the best of which retain the courtyard, combine Indian tradition with new European influence both in structure and lifestyle within. Most of these houses came into existence during the later part of the 18th century after the Marquis of Pombal brought in the changes in the Portugese outlook of its colonies.
Ancestral Hindu houses in the town are plain, closed structures which conceal the illustrious tradition of the inhabitants. A step or two lead into quiet entrances, with small windows opening out on to the street. The house reveals its beauty only indoors – rooms converge on to the courtyard with ‘Chowkis’ which is the centre of family activity; light flows in hidden from the public gaze. It is a protective and private space.

 

Naik Mansion, Margao – Courtesy Naik family. Pic by Mohan Pai

 
The Rajangan or just Angan was a large space with internal court open to the sky; roofs from all sides of the house drained into it. The focal point of the central courtyard is the Tulasi Vrindavan in the centre. The four sides were open like an internal verandah (Chowki), quite often with special ornate columns, brackets, beams, etc. Column and their brackets are pre-Portugese features that depict the progression of the architectural style in ornateness and refinement. The Puja room is always located on the left side of the house. Apart from being a place of activity and the centre of the house, ‘Chowki ‘served as a dining area on festive occasions, for large number of guests.
Sopo, a cowdung finished mud masonry in the houses of lower class and lower middle class people, figured in upper-class homes as a built wooden or masonary seat and as a stylised balcao in the house of a Christian landlord. Though commonly termed as an Indo-Portugese feature, balcao or Sopo is very much an indigenous concept.
 
Layout
Goan traditional Hindu houses have the following standard features:
 
Rajangan or Angan (courtyard with a Tulasi Vrindavan)
Chowki
Deva kood (a place for daily prayer and other rituals)
Saal (a hall) Raanchi kood (a kitchen with a door which is called Magil daar)
Balantin kood (A room special meant for pregnant and nursing mothers.)
Kothar (store room)
Pooja Hall (A hall specially meant for celebrating Ganeshotsav)
Vasri (Dining Hall)
Soppo
Gotho (Goshala)
Manne (Bathrooms located next to the well)
It is very difficult to assess the age of the old Hindu houses that have survived. One can only put together information available from bits and scraps.
The grand Hindu mansions like that of Kundaikar, Gaunekar and the Dempo house in Santa Cruz were built much later during late 18th and 19th century retained the introspective character but added a couple of chandeliered salas and western furniture in keeping with their status as leaders of the Hindu community within the Portugese colony.
Among the few pre-Portugese surviving houses, the oldest is perhaps the Pundu Camotim’s house located about 3 km from Old Goa. It’s a vast house and according to its present owners it is at least 580 years old. The family appears to have lived in the house even before the Portugese arrived at the beginning of the 16th century. Filipe Nery Xavier , administrator and historian has recorded the grandeur of the house of Rucuminim Camotim as the first of three most important business houses of Goa in the first quarter of the 18th century.
The next house is that of Mhamai Camotim at Panaji next to Idalcao Palace which is a late17th century house built after they returned to Goa. The earliest detail relating to Mhamai Camotim family is a loose document found by Teotonio de Souza who was perhaps the first to trace their history. When the Mhamai family moved to Panaji it was partly inhabited by Portugese fidalgos and Goan merchants as a suburb of Old Goa.
 
Mhamai Kamat Mansion, Panaji. Courtesy Mhamai family. Pic by Mohan Pai
 
The age of Malbarao Sardesai’s ancestral house in Savoi Verem is uncertain. But it is a vast and sprawling construction with as many as 3 inner courtyards. The house has an elaborate gateway and a flight of steps leading into a large porch with sopes, long seats, to lie or sit on.
 
Casa Dempo, Panaji. Courtesy Dempo family. Pic by Mohan Pai
 
Casa Dempo in Panaji, the second house of Dempos was built after they returned to Goa and when the capital was shifted from Old Goa to Panaji during the mid-eighteenth century. This house has been partly refurbished over a period of time. Their first house was located in Panvelim near Old Goa when they returned to Goa in the late 16th century. Dempo house in Santa Cruz was built much later and markedly different from the older house in Panaji. 
 
 
References: ‘Mohenjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization’ by Sir John Marshall (1929), Raj Chengappa ‘The Indus Rddle’ in India today, ‘Goa – A daughte’s story’ by Maria Aurora Couto, Houses of Goa (Architecture Autonomous)
 

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(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)

The Flight of Gods 37. Rudreshwar Temple, Aravalem

THE FLIGHT OF GODS

By Mohan Pai
Shri Rudreshwar Temple
Aravalem

Pic by Mohan Pai

The temple is situated close to the famous “Pandava Caves” of Aravalem The main deity is Shri Rudreshwa, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Annual Shivaratri Zatra is a major event at this temple which draws thousands of people.

 

Aravalem Waterfalls – Pic by Mohan Pai

Located in Bicholim Taluka at a distance of 45 kms from Panaji the temple of Rudreshwar is half a km away from the rock-cut caves of Harvalem where the ancient linga of Rudreshwar is venerated. The idyllic Harvalem waterfalls is close by. The image of Rudreshwar is facing the waterfall. The festival of Mahashivaratri draws big crowds. However, the temple assumes importance as Hindus perform rites for the dead here.

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For some key chapters from my book “The Western Ghats”, please log on to:http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/
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The Flight of Gods 36. Religious Maths (Hindu Monastries)

The Flight of Gods
by Mohan Pai

Math Sampradaya (Monasteries)
 
– Repositories of  faith.
The Maths or the monasteries have played a very important role in preserving and restoring religious identities of the Hindu communities that were traumatised by the Portugese campaign of conversion and the institution of Inquisition which led to a large scale migration of Goan Hindus during the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries. These families got scattered all along the western coast of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.
Some of the monasteries like the Gaudapadacharya Math of Kavalem, Gokarn Partagali Math and Kashi Math are very ancient, their histories stretching back to several centuries before the arrival of the Mohamedans and the Portugese in Goa.
 
History
Saraswat Brahmins are Brahmins who lived on the banks of the former river Saraswati that once flowed in northern India, joining the Ganga and Yamuna in Prayag. Saraswats are considered among the oldest and most widespread community in India, still preserving their own culture. There is a Shaivite (Smarhta )as well as a Vaishnavite sect in Saraswats.
Around 1000 BC, the river Saraswati started vanishing under ground and the people on its banks started migrating to other parts of India thus forming sub-communities. There are many sub-communities in Saraswats in India, including: Goud Saraswat Brahmins (found in majority in Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala) Chitrapur Saraswats Bhalavalikar/Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins Kashimri Saraswats (Kashmiri Pandits) Punjabi Saraswats/Punjabi Brahmins Sind Saraswats Kutch Saraswats Rajasthan Saraswats Saraswat’s from Uttranchal(now Uttarakhand).
The story of the migration of this community can be traced from Sintashta-Petrovka and Arkaim regions of modern Lower Central Russia near the border of Kazakhistan. These migratory experiences were written and the scrolls can be found stored in the Partagali Math. These scrolls were studied by the Archaeological Survey of India for studying the theory of Aryan migration. The community which was called Saraswat, as in “Saraswati Teeraya yasya tey” (meaning the people residing by the River Saraswati), spread to parts of modern Afghanistan, Punjab and Kashmir. From here, they slowly migrated towards some place in Nepal. In fact, the Kula Devi (presiding deity for the clan) of the Kings of Nepal is the Goddess “Shree Mahalasa Narayani” (a female form of the divine lord Vishnu), whose temple is now located in Mhardol in Goa, India.
They then moved to modern Bengal, which was known as “Gauda Desha” in ancient times. From this place, with the blessings of their Guru, a small community comprising of people from Seven-and-a-half (Saadi-Saat) Gothras moved into lower part of India, starting with Goa, and onwards into Karnataka and Kerala. These people were addressed as Goud Saraswat Brahmins.
There are four key Maths or religious monasteries of the Saraswats – the Kashi, Gokarna-Partagali, Kavle & Chitrapur Maths. Of these, the Kashi Math is dominated by the Goud Saraswats of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka, Mumbai, and Cochin region of Kerala. The Goud Saraswats of Uttara Kannada, Goa, and southern coastal Maharashtra follow the Gokarn Math as well as the Kavle Math. The Chitrapur Saraswats consider themselves a separate group and have their own math at Shirali although Kuladevatas are common both among the Goud Saraswats and Chtrapur Saraswats. The Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins follow the Kavle Math. Originally all Saraswats used to bear allegiance to the Kavale Math or Kaivalya Matht. Each different Saraswat group is usually endogamous.
There is a fifth math at Dabholi known as Kudaldeshkars Math located near Vengurla. GSB’s from Kudal region call themselves Kuldaldeshkar Brahmins rather than GSB’s. They follow the Dabholi Mutt.
 
 
Shree Gaudapadacharya Kaivalya Math
 
Kavalem
H. H.Shreemad Satchidanand Saraswati Swamiji
The Kavalem Math is the oldest of the Maths of Saraswats. It follows the Smarta tradition and Shiva, Vishnu, Ganapathi, Suryanarayana and Shakti are the gods (called Panchayatana) being worshipped by this system. After migration to Gomantak, due to lack of communication facilities, the Saraswats settled in Goa lost contact with their roots in Saraswat desh. Being Brahmins, the Saraswats needed a spiritual leader, or Swami. In 740 A.D., at the request of the Saraswats of Gomantak, Swami Vivarananda of the Gaudapada tradition from Kashmir founded the Math at Kaushasthali and the whole Saraswat community in Goa and Konkan was the followers of this Math. This belonged to the Smarta tradition. The original Gaudapadacharya Math founded at Kushsthali, was destroyed during the Portuguese rule in Goa in 1564 A.D. The 57th guru Vidyananda Saraswathi and his two successors stayed at Golvan in Ratnagiri and the 60th guru Ramananda Saraswati at Chindar. His successors Sadananda Saraswati and Bhavananda Saraswati stayed and attained samadhi at Varanasi and never visited Goa. The community members earlier approached Bhavananda Saraswati and pleaded with him to come back to Goa. Bhavananda Swamy (the 62nd Guru) sent his disciple Sachchidananda swamy (the 63rd Guru) to revive the math in Goa. The Swamy stayed at Sonavade in Ratnagiri till the time the Math at Kavale was ready. The math headquarters was then shifted to Kaivalyapura in 1630 A.D. and presently known as Kavale Mutt. The present pontiff is Shri Swami Sachidananda Saraswati. He is the 75th guru of the math. He was initiated into sanyasa in 1950 at the tender age of 13.
The Math has opened its branches all over India at Vàrànasi, Gokarn, Khànàpur, Sadàshivgad, Allàhabad, Nàsik, Mumbai and Goa. The Smartha Gaud Sàraswats Brahmins (including Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins) are the followers of this Math.
 
 
Gokarn-Partagali Jeevottam Math
 
Partagali

The Math is situated at Partagali in Canacona taluka. It is the math of the Goud Saraswat Community belonging to the Vaishnava sect. The math has a history of over 500 years. It was established in 1475 by Swamiji Shrimad Narayantirtha and presently headed by 23rd Pontiff, H.H. Shree Vidhyadhiraj Teerth Swamijee who belongs to an uninterrupted lineage of 23 Pontiffs.

H. H. Shrimad Vidyadhiraj Teerth Shreepad Vader Swamiji

The group of Saraswats migrated along the sea shore were mainly Vaishnavas and acquired a reputation for trade and agriculture. There were large settlements at Manglore and Bhatkal and smaller settlements at other coastal towns. Ramachandra Tirtha of the Udupi Palimar mutt initiated a Saraswat boy as sanyasi calling him as Narayana Tirtha in 1475. Sri Narayana Tirtha (a Saraswat) of the Udupi Palimar Mutt during the 15th Century extensively conducted propaganda in Goa, that many Saraswats in Sasashti region became Vaishnavas. Though the Palimar Swamy, Ramacandra Tirtha wanted Narayana Tirtha to succeed to his Math, it was not liked by the Tulu Vaishnava brahmins who were followers of the Math, and hence a new Math for Vaishnava Saraswats was founded at Bhaktal in 1476 A.D.
 This Math enjoyed the patronage of the Keladi rulers and the Vaishnava Saraswats of Goa and most of those from undivided Canara were its followers. By fame and capacity of the third Guru, Swami Jeevottama Tirtha, the Math came to be also known as Jeevottama Math. His predecessor Purushottama Tirtha shifted to Gokarna where his samadhi is found and the math was called Gokarn Jeevotham Math. This Math headquarters was later (after the samadhi of Swamy Shrikanta Tirtha) shifted to Partagali village on the banks of the sacred rivulet Kushavati in Goa and thus came to be known as Gokarn-Partagali Math. The symbol representing the spiritual movement carried on by the math for over 500 years is one of the few huge ancient ‘Vatavriksha’ (Banyan tree) which is about 200ft. x 22 ft. and is considered a Tapasya Kshetra for over a thousand years. Vatavriksha and the Ishwar linga in front of the math at Partagali are worshipped by the people of Partagali and the adjoining area.
This place is popularly known as Bramhasthan. The Gokarn-Pratagali Math for Vaishnava saraswats has Vira Vittala as the worshipped deity. Present pontiff Vidhyadhiraj Teertha succeeded to the Peetha in 1973. Shri Swamiji was initiated into sanyas in Mumbai in Feb 26, 1967 by his illustrious preceptor Shrimat Dwarkanath Thirtha Swamiji. The Math has its headquarters at Partagali, Poinginim, Canacona, Goa.
Dasha-avatar carvings at Partagal

This math had a wide followers of Keladi rulers, vaishnava Saraswats and the undivided Kanara. This math has large network of its establishments in Bhatkal, Gokarna, Basrur, Dicholi, Rivona, Manglore , Ankola, Karwar, Varanasi, Manki , Vasco,Gangolli,Venkatapur,Honavar, Yellapur, Badrinath, Siddapur, Bangalore, Belgaum, Hubli, Madgaon and Wadala (Mumbai). The headquarters had been shifted from Bhatkal to Partagali Goa. This math was named after Swamy Jeevattam Tirtha. Now H.H. Shreemad Vidyadhiraj Teertha has succeeded to the Peetha. This Math has celebrated its Panch-Shatabadi (Quin-centenary).

Math Complex
The Math has an extensive library of religious books and 500 year old records in Marathi, Kannada and Persian pertaining to the Math and Goud Saraswat communities. There are stone inscriptions of even earlier period and copper plates written in Kannada script.

This place is popularly known as Bramasthan. Partagali is being developed into a centre of culture and learning, without in any way tampering with its glorious traditions.
 
Kashi Math
 
Kavalem
H. H. Shreemat Sudhindra Teertha Swamiji
Shri Kashi Math, was founded in 1542 A.D. and the first Swamiji Yadavendra Tirtha was given Deeksha by the celebrated Shrimat Vijayindra Tirtha Swamiji of Kumbhakonam Math. A copper plate charter issued by Surendra Tirtha on 21-1-1542 A.D. and received by Yadavendra Tirtha defines his jurisdiction over the Saraswats. During the 15th century, Sri Ramachandra Tirtha of Uttaradi math initiated two to sanyasa – Vibhudendra Tirtha and Sri Vidhyanidhi Tirtha. The latter became head of Uttaradi math and Sri Vibhudendra Tirtha founded a new Math at Kumbhakonam which came to be known as Purvadi Math (later became Raghavendra Swamy math since, great saint Raghavendra of Mantralaya fame belonged to this math). Saraswats of South Kanara and Kerala were transferred to this Math. When Surendra Tirtha was head of the Math at Kumbhakonam, one of his disciples, Vijayindra Tirtha (a Saraswat Brahmin) was invited by Cochin Saraswats to undertake Chaturmasya at Cochin in 1539–1540 A.D. They requested Him to initiate a Saraswat boy among them to Sanyasa. In 1541, Sri Hanumantha Bhaktha was selected and taken to Kumbakonam. The new Sanyasin was named Yadavendra Tirtha who eventually became head of the new Kashi Math at Varanasi established in 1542 A.D. Shri Kumbhakonam Math gave two idols of Lord Raghupati (Rama) and Vyasa to Shrimat Yadavendra Tirtha along with the rights to guide the Saraswat Samaj in spiritual matters. Shrimat Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji the present pontiff and 20th in the lineage of Shri Kashi Mutt Samsthan was given sanyas deeksha by his preceptor, Shrimat Sukrateendra Tirtha Swami in Mulki on 24th May,1944.
The Kashi Math has its headquarters at Varanasi or Kashi. Kashi Math has an influx of followers from Kerala and South Kanara. Kashi math has its roots spread wide across the Indian nation from Haridwar to Tirupathi. It has organizations and branches at Kashi, Basrur, Bantwal, Baroda, Banglore, Calicut, Goa, Haridwar, Karkal, Kerala, Prayag, Rameshwaram, and Tirupathi. The math undertakes the responsibility of nurturing sanskrit schools and training purohits.
 
 
Chitrapur Math
 
Shirali
Shri Swami Sadyojat Shankarasharma

The group of Smartha Saraswats who migrated to Karnataka at the time of the Muslim invasion in the 1400’s were mostly the educators and administrators. This migrant group moved a little inland to North and South Kanara. Their intelligence and generations-old experience as administrators, allowed some of them to secure prominent positions as accountants in the courts of the Hindu rulers of the time. One such Hindu king of the Keladi kingdom, was so impressed by the diligence and skills of his Saraswat accountant, that he decreed that each village in his kingdom, be administered by a Saraswat. Eventually these Saraswats took on the name of the village as their last name. Once they had migrated to the Kanara district, the Shenvis were not able to sustain their unity with the Saraswat Brahmins they had left behind in Goa. Even though they continued to believe in Smartha tradition, their connection with the Kavalem math was cut off since the math at Kushathali was destroyed in 1564 A.D. and Swamijis shifted to Varanasi and were not available locally. Although the Saraswats were well respected as accountants, they were not readily recognized as true Brahmins by the local Brahmins (due to jealousy), accusing that the Saraswats have no spiritual guru in reality. Therefore, the Shenvis felt that it was necessary to seek a spiritual preceptor for their community. They pleaded with a Saraswat Sanyasi, Parijananasharma Swamy, visiting from North India, to become their Guru. He consented to guide the community and established a new Math for them in Gokarn in 1708 A.D. The people of Gokarn sent letters to the members residing in Mangalore and Vithal to notify them about the guru. Sringeri Shankaracharya math in the Kanara district was asked for their consent of the new guru which was granted.

This firmly established Parijnanashram Swami as the guru of the community. Shri Shankarashram Swami was ordained by Shri Parijnanashram Swami in 1720 A.D. as the second guru. In 1739 A.D., the ruler Basavappa Nayaka II donated land in Gokarn to build a math in reverence to their primary deity, Shri Bhavanishankar. Shri Shankarasharm Swamy when in his advanced age, was on his way from Udupi to Gokarn and while in Chitrapur, at the residence of Nagarkattikars an ardent devotee, he fell seriously ill and attained Samadhi in 1757 AD. When the question of location of His Samadhi came up, the Nagarkattikars readily offered their house for the Samadhi and a temple. A math was erected there at Chitrapur near Shirali in Uttara Kannada and soon it became headquarters of the Mutt.
The worshipped deity of the Chitrapur Mutt is Bhavani Shankar and follow the Smartha tradition. The last Swamiji Parijnanashram-III attained Samadhi in Bangalore in 1991 without appointing a successor. On February 27, 1997 Swami Sadyojat Samvit Giri was ordained as the reigning Guru of Chitrapur math and was named Shrimat Sadyojat Shankarashrama. The coronation ceremony was attended and blessed by H.H. Jagadguru Shankaracharya.
 
 
Dabholi Math
 
Dabholi


Kudaldeshkar Brahmans follow Shankaracharya’s Advait school of philosophy,and have tier own three centuries old Math in Dabholi village in Maharashtra. The first pontiff of the Shreemat Purnanand Swamiji was initiated into Sanyasa by HH Vishwananda Swamiji. The present 20th pontiff of the matha is HH Shreemat Pradyumnanand Swamiji.

Dabholi Math is renowned known as the Kudaldeshkars Math mainly due to its Smartha followers. It is located near Vengurla in Sindhudurg, Maharastra. The followers of this math are fragmented around few areas of Sawantwadi, Ratnagiri, Belgaum, Hubli, Dharwad and Kolhapur. This math promotes its preaching skills and its religious culture.
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Flight of Gods 35. Devachirai (Sacred Groves)

The Flight of Gods

by Mohan Pai

Forests have been the lifeline fo tribals and other forest dwelling communitiesr since distant past. Communities have been setting aside certain patches of land or forest dedicated to a deity or village God, protected and worshipped called Devachirai in Goa. Goa had an extensive distribution of the sacred groves and few have survived till today. Most of the sacred groves that have survived are in Sattari and Sanguem talukas. Ranging in size from less than a hectare to many hectares, sacred groves are often the only remaining haven for plants and animals in areas with destruction of their natural habitat. Ajobachi Rai in Sattari taluka is the largest sacred grove in Goa spread over 10 ha.

Icons worshipped in a sacred grove in Sattari – photo by Mohan Pai

Devachirai or the Sacred Groves are more or less pockets of climax vegetation preserved on religious grounds. Several such pockets are located in remote tribal areas of the Western Ghats and Goa has quite a number.The ’protection’ tradition originally forbade any interference with the biota of the grove in any way whatsoever, and not even the leaf litter could be touched. Grazing or hunting was not allowed within the grove and hence they represented a sample of vegetation in its climax state. In view of the protection and optimum growth condition prevailing in the sacred groves some arboreal species exhibit their grandeur and become a fascinating sight. Earlier, human beings relied on sacred groves for the supply of various medicinal plants, shrubs and creepers. In order to pluck these plants they had to perform some rituals to please the forest God. Even today, in the remotest parts of Goa, locals who are still far away from any rural health services, go to these sacred groves for herbal medicines.

In many villages, locals believe that the forest Goa or spirit would get offended if the trees are cut, flowers or fruits are plucked or if the animals inside the sacred forest are harassed or killed. That is why these groves are not molested and are well preserved. The sacred groves are traditional institutions, deeply involved in the conservation of not only few individual species in isolation but also the ecosystems at large.Niramkarachi Rai – the sacred grove at Nanode, Sattari – photo by Mohan Pai

 
Bambar
The Sacred Grove located at Bambar in Satari Taluka is the abode of rare medical plants. This forbidden spot is a refuge for a unique forest community and it is classified as Myristica Swamp Forests having great ecological significance. The trees have unusal aerial roots which are analogous to pneumatophores or stilt roots of mangrove forests. The area of the grows is about 0.25 ha of undulating terrain and is situated 11 kms from the Goa – Karnataka border.Historical PerspectiveThis grove is known to exist for the last 250 years and the reigning deity is the God ‘Nirankar’, who is worshipped by the people of three villages namely Maloli, Ustem and Nanode. Their deep rooted religious belief strengthened by the cult of nature worship, has ensured that the vegetation remained more or less untouched for the last 40 to 50 years.People of these three villages used to assemble at the site during the years gone by to venerate the Lord “Nirankar” who is considered the ‘Rakhandar’ (Protector) of these villages. After the sacrifice, the ritual is performed and food is cooked, but only the male members eat the preparation. These customs and rituals have now been neglected due to the changing life style of the people and other pre-occupation for their material gains.VegetationThe natural vegetation of the area is of tropical hill forest dominated by evergreen broad leaved species. The floral composition of the grave shows the presence of the following plant species: Alstonia scholaris, Artocarpus hirsuta, Calamus thwaitesii, Calophyllum inophyllum, Combretum sp., Canarium strictum, Holigarna arnottiana, Holigarna grahamii, Hydnocarpus laurifolia, Lophopetalum wightianum, Machilus macrantha, Myristica malabarica, Piper nigrum, Stereospermum personatum, Osbeckia sp, Tetrameles nudiflora, etc. In addition, there are several species of algae, lichens, epiphytes and under growth plants which are yet to be identified.One of the unique features of the trees in this habitat is the presence of numerous aerial roots in the shape of “U” arching over the mud. These roots resemble a knee when the leg is folded. The ecological significance of these peculiar knee roots is an adaptation or reaction to overcome environmental stress. Presumably this is two fold – one in which the plants overcome poor anchorage in a soft bed; and two ensuring root aeration when oxygen is not available in the soil. In either case it is analogous to the adaptations found in mangroves. The knee roots suggest the presence of an underground stream creating conditions similar to those of mangrove swamps.
Bambar is located approximately 60 kms. from Panaji on the Valpoi-Nanode road and is easily accessible.
 
Nirancarachi Rai
It is an unique Micro-climatic ecosystem with Myristica Swamp forests located at Nanoda in Sattari taluka. It covers 0.2ha. Area duly protected from all the encroachments and disturbances by fence. It has characteristic of swamp forests, which is found at present only in Kerala State. Nirancarachi Rai is a sacred grove which is comprising of about 19 different evergreen species and has the roots protruding out gaining inverted ‘U’ shaped which is a characteristic of myristica swamp forests. The place is also of great educational interest and worth seeing and studying the phenomena of nature. From Valpoi 15Kms Via Nagargao-Sattari.
List of the Sacred Groves in Goa:
Rashtroli Pernem Gavadewada (Mandrem), Kurlyachi wadi Pernem, VarkhandShevro Bicholim, Kharpal, Sidhdachirai Bicholim Vadawal, Ajobachirai Sattari Keri, Maulichirai Sattari Vagheri (Keri), Pishyachirai Sattari Keri, Sidhdachirai Sattari Morle, Devachirai Sattari Saleli (Onda)Devachirai Sattari Nagve, Holayechirai Sattari Caranzol, Ajobachitali Sattari Brahmakarmali, Devachirai Sattari Koparde, Dhupachirai Sattari Derode, Devachirai Sattari Satre, Poshyachirai Sattari Bondir, Devachirai Sattari Shelop – Khurd, Devachirai Sattari Surla, Nirankarachirai Sattari Bambar–Nanode, Devachirai Sattari Thane, Devachirai Sattari Pali, Devachirai Sattari Shel – Melavali, Devachirai Sattari Shiranguli, Devachirai Sattari Assodde, Devachirai Sattari Malpona, Devachirai Sattari Shirsode, Devalachemol Sattari Dabe, Devachirai Sattari Bhironde, Devachirai Sattari Golauli, Devachirai Sattari Mauxi, Devachirai Sattari Ivre – Budruk, Devachirai Sattari Ivre – Khurd, Devachirai Sattari Pendral, Avali Dano Canacona Cotigao,
Kuske Dano, Canacona, Cotigao, Badde Dano Canacona Cotigao, Paikapann Sanguem, NeturlimPaikapann Sanguem, SalginiPaikapann Sanguem, KumbhariPaikapann Sanguem, Bhati, Devadongor Sanguem, RivonVasantagal Sanguem, Rivon Patryatali Devrai Sanguem Rivon, Vaghryapann Sanguem, Rivon, Paikapann Quepem, MorpillaPaikapann Quepem, CazurBetalapann Quepem Barce, Vaghryapann Quepem Barce, Gadgyapann Quepem Barce, Siddhmaddi Quepem Barce, Shivapann Quepem Barce, Devipann Quepem Barce, Mahadevapann Quepem Barce, Durgadevipann Quepem Gokulde, Devatipann Quepem Bennudde.
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The Flight of Gods 34. Gomanteshwar Temple, Brahmapuri

The Flight of Gods
by Mohan Pai

Sri Gomanteshwar Temple
Brahmapuri (Old Goa)
 
photo by Mohan Pai
 
The temple of Shri Gomantadev, Goveshwar or Gomanteshwar situated at Brahmapuri near Old Goa is associated with Madhav Mantri, the famous General and Governor of Vijayanagar Empire in the 14th century AD.
Brahmapuri was established in the 14th century and probably became a great seat of learning and riligious power under the patronage of Vijayanagar kings.
It is believed that Madhav Mantri restored the temple and reinstalled the idol of Shri Gomanteshwar and constructed a ritual bathing tank at Brahmapuri. The remnants of the tank still exist is and called Madhav Tirtha.
 
photo by Mohan Pai
 
Brahmapuri is located near Ela farm at Old Goa and is linked to the town by a kuchcha road. Mahadev was worshipped during the days of Kadamba kingdom in Goa. The Portuguese damaged the temple and built the Church of Santissimo Trinidade (the most Holy Trinity) in the 16th century. The shrine, rebuilt after the Inquisition, was ruined again by the Portuguese in 1779 by the Viceroy Dom Frederico Guilherme de Souza. Originally built in the 14th century, the temple was once again rebuilt in 1947 AD.
 
photo by Mohan Pai
 
Mahashivratri is celebrated with much religious fervour. This is a protected heritage site, where restoration work is going on.