St. Jerome Fort in Nani Daman

Monday, July 9, 2012

Standing atop one of the bastions I could see the horizon at one end, the fishing boats parked in the Damanganga that divides Moti and Nani Daman on another end and the silent fishing village of Nani Daman in yet another direction.

Entrance to St. Jerome Fort in Nani Daman. Above the Door is a statue of St. Jerome with many inscriptions and carvings on the walls of the fort.

No wonder that the St Jerome Fort was built here to keep a watch on the vessels that ventured in via the sea and also to keep a check on the enemies of the state.

Fishing Boats parked on the banks of Nani Dman

St Jerome Fort has two entrances. The main entrance is near the sea; it is placed opposite the fort of Moti Daman on the other side of the Damanganga creek. To read more on River Damanganga http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.in/2012/05/bridge-over-river-damanganga.html The other entrance is a small one which connects the sleepy village of Nani Daman to the fort.

View from the main entrance of St. Jerome Fort. The fishing boats parked on the banks of both Nani Daman and Moti Daman. with River Damanganga flowing through it in the Arabian Sea

At the main entrance is a huge statue of St Jerome, a renowned Catholic priest. A few inscriptions in Portuguese are placed below the Portuguese emblems on either side of the statue.  Atop it is placed the Cross. As I cannot read Portuguese, I cannot enlighten you on what those words meant. If you can read the language, I’d appreciate it if you could translate it for me. There are two huge human figures carved in the walls near the entrance. Carved around 400 years ago, they are still in good condition.

Within the premises of St. Jerome Fort. It encloses the Church of Our Lady of the Sea, a school, a graveyard and an open ground.

The huge main door has developed cracks in it, but it continues to adorn the entrance of the fort.

Though the fort is around 400 years old, the walls of the fort are intact. There is no sign of any breakage around the fort.  But the fort is covered by graffiti, which ruins its splendour and reflects badly on the narrow mindsets of the people who have visited this place and left destruction and ruin where once there was only beauty.

Portuguese cemetary in the premises of the Fort.

The entire fort can be covered by walking across the thick walls of the fort. It takes around an hour’s time to see the entire fort. The fort offers a breathtaking view of the Arabian Sea, the Fort of Moti Daman http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.com/2012/06/fort-of-moti-daman.html ,and the colorful fishing boats parked in the waters of Damanganga.

The fort comprises the Church of Our Lady of the Sea http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.in/2012/06/church-of-our-lady-of-sea.html, which has now been converted into a school. A cemetery and an open ground also stand on the premises.

One of the many Crosses erected on the walls of the Fort

The walls of the fort have holes to support guns that were used to protect the fort. I could not locate any cannons on this fort. I found this strange, particularly as the fort is near the sea. There was always a possibility of the enemy attacking the fort. So did the Portuguese guard the fort with the guns they had and the infantry or was there more to it, which has been lost to us somewhere in the last 400 years?

A structure on the walls of the Fort spoiled by graffiti

Standing atop the fort, I felt as I was the Commander of this Fort, keeping a watch on the walls to check that we were not in danger of being attacked by our enemies.

There are a couple of broken down structures atop the walls of the fort along with the open spaces near them. I wondered what they were. 

This narrow staricase leads to nowhere, one upon a time it lead to somehere but now nothing exists there



Another well carved entrance within the fort premises takes us to the walls of the fort. These entrances were neatly carved as arches in the thick walls of the fort with emblems above them.

Church of Our Lady of the Sea in its premises

There are these two big rooms in here to which gates have been newly constructed. I guessed that these rooms were being misused. There were beer cans and broken beer bottles lying around on the walls of the fort, making it clear that people come here to drink.

The other entrance to the fort from land with a few gigantic rooms in its premises

Guys, this is a historical monument and not a place in which to drink and to do graffiti. Do you do the same at home? I don’t think so. Then why here? This is an ancient monument, a heritage structure, which needs to be protected by us, not destroyed.

One of hte large rooms in the fort premises now guarded with a gate as it was misused by the people. Inside I noticed waste paper, beer bottles and graffiti on the walls. Its good that this is kept closed.

So please do not drink or do graffiti on the walls of this fort or other forts anywhere.

Ruins in Our Lady of Fatima Daman

Thursday, June 28, 2012

In the premises of the Moti Daman Fort lie the ruins of an Old Portuguese Church in the campus of the school of Our Lady of Fatima.

The ruins of the roofless church are so tall that they can be seen from the road in Moti Daman Fort. I had been trying to figure out a way of reaching these ruins.

A few locals advised me to enter via the school gate and I did the same. The school gate is usually closed while the school is on.

I asked the school peons about gaining access to the fort as I saw that the entrance to the ruins was locked. A steel door was in place. He told me that the door was open. No dates were mentioned on the walls so it was hard to figure out when the church had been built.

Ruins in Our Lady of Fatima School

The entrance to the Church had no doors. The metal door must have been put up years later.

The pillars were beautifully carved out of the stone wall and the design above the door was also very beautiful. The art work was amazing. A cross set in a circle was embedded within the walls.

As I opened the door, I heard a loud crank and the moment I entered, the door banged shut with a loud sound. Am I locked inside, was the first thought that came to my mind. But the door easily yielded when I tried to open it. Maybe the force of the wind against the metal door was what caused the loud sound.

Imagine yourself amid the ruins. What if the door were to suddenly close? Wouldn’t you be startled out of your wits? Believe me; the thought of getting caught in there gave me a rather creepy feeling.

A view in the ruins

The ruins have many arch shaped windows but none of them have window panes. It looks like the doors and the windows have been removed and kept away safely.

This place reminded me of the churches in Vasai Fort in Vasai near Mumbai.

I wish I could go back in time to view the beauty of this place around 450 years ago.

Can anyone design a time machine for me? I’ll be grateful to you for the rest of my life. :)

Monument of Liberation

Friday, June 22, 2012

In the Moti Daman Fort lies the Monument Liberation.

This monument is painted white in colour and has two miniature cannons erected next to it. This monument is maintained by the Daman Municipal Council.

Monument of Liberation

The monument has a marble stone erected in it which states that “Daman was liberated by 1st BN The Maratha Light Infantry on 13th Dec 1961 after a heroic fight. Thus ended the 450 years of Portuguese Regime.”

Jampore Beach

Monday, June 18, 2012

Six km from Moti Daman stands a white sand beach named Jampore.

I didn’t like the beach much, because the water was dirty, but I could still see people swimming in the water here. I guess people have got used to adjusting to situations.

Jampore Beach

A beach is a beach for them. They don’t bother to see if the water is clean or not. They just jump in and begin to enjoy themselves.

There were few people on this beach. I don’t know if this is the scene everyday or just today or maybe because I landed on the black sand shores in the afternoon. But I could locate more shacks on the beach than people. I found that the cost of cooked food is exorbitant here, compared to the cost of packed food items and beverages. I had a double egg omelet and it cost me Rs 40.

Paban the Camel

I saw a few camels on the beach, offering camel rides to people who wanted to avail of them. But since there were no takers, the camels were busy resting under the hot sun. The bodies of the camels had been decorated. The name of the camel was painted on its neck. 

A few horse carts stood around in the hot sun, waiting to take people for a ride.

More Shacks and Less People on the Beach

This is Jampore Beach. One can reach this place either by a private vehicle or by rickshaws. The rickshaws run unmetered but the fare is reasonable.

Fort of Moti Daman

Thursday, June 14, 2012

After crossing the pedestrian bridge over Daman Ganga, I landed up in Moti Daman. Again the entrance is via a small cutout in the walls. Mind it. This is not an entrance to the Fort, but was made recently by some people who cut into the walls of the fort.

As I was entering, school children were exiting the fort via this entrance cum exit. I guess these children were staying at Nani Daman, as the bridge connects the two with each other.

Fortification of Moti Daman from the bridge over River Damanganga

The fort of Moti Daman is bigger than the one at Nani Daman as it is home to various government offices, homes and schools. The walls of both forts appeared to be constructed in a similar manner. I guess both were built around 400 years ago.

Again this is a huge fort and it is best to climb up the walls of the fort to get a good view of the sea, Nani Daman and the structure inside the Fort.

Hole in the wall, used by school children as entry to the Fort

Some parts of the fort have been spoilt by graffiti. Even so, it is good to see that most of the walls are as good as new even though they are 400 years old.

There is a lot of greenery inside this fort. Steps have been taken by the government of Daman to beautify the fort premises.

There are a number of cannons on this fort. The mouth of each of these cannons has an engraving of a crest and a year. I have been too many forts and seen a number of cannons, but never have I seen a cannon with the crest and year of manufacture inscribed on it.

Fortification with huge trees on it

A few ruins of broken down houses still exist on the fort walls. I wondered what they must have been like in their heydays.

There are two lighthouses on the Fort. The old and the new. Civilians are not granted entry to the New Lighthouse, but the Old Lighthouse can be easily viewed. No one is allowed to walk on the walls near the lighthouse for security reasons. A locked gate stops us from entering its premises.

Cannon with royal emblem and year of manufacture, i guess

The Old Lighthouse was, I guess, built during the Portuguese reign. Painted white, it has a spiral staircase in it. The lighthouse is around one storey tall. The lighthouse has an inscription on it stating when and by whom it was built. But the information is rather unclear. The lighthouse offers a very good view of the sea. Of course, the New Lighthouse would have afforded a better view, but we civilians are not allowed there. L

Around the fort premises are many roofless structures standing with wild grass growing around. Due to forest fires this grass has been burned down but the ruins of these walls still stand. How I wish I had a time machine to go back in history to view the splendor of this fort back then!

Light House, New and Old

The house of Portuguese Poet Bocage is very close to the Main Entrance of the Fort via the sea. A marble tombstone has been erected above the door of the small structure denoting that Bocage used to reside here. His house is very small. The government should have worked on renovating his house so that people could see it from the inside. But instead it lies there locked. The window panes of his house are broken. Neglected.

The wall next to the main entrance to the fort has “Rua Martin Afonso” inscribed on it. And on the wooden door, painted beige with rusted metal on it, I saw “ESTA PORTAF OIFEITA AOS 8 DE AGO TODI.” It was Portuguese, but it seemed like Greek and Latin to me. Totally incomprehensible.

House of Bocage

Fortunately, there is some boasting I can do. Rua is Portuguese for road. No doubt the road was named after some important Portuguese official.

The Fort of Moti Daman houses the Court of Civil Registrar, The Secretariat, GHSS Moti Daman, Excise Forest, Collectorate, Government House, the local hospital, the houses of the locals, schools and other ruins. It also houses the Cathedral of Bom Jesus, the Chapel of Our Lady of Rosary and the Dominican Monastary in the Fort premises and the Church of Our Lady of Remedies and the Church of Our Lady of Agustias on the outskirts of the fort.

Underground tunnel near the entrance of the fort

Some parts of the fort are under renovation. Looks like the Daman Municipal Council has taken the initiative to take care of its rich heritage. I noticed that there are two underground tunnels on the fort. As I had no torch with me, I thought that it would be more sensible not to visit them. Someday I will be back to view the tunnels. It would be interesting to see where they lead. A hidden cave with a treasure trove lying undisturbed for centuries or a hidden entrance to some place. Or maybe a dead-end.

The other entrance to the fort near the Post Office leads to Moti Daman outside the fort. There is an inscription in Portuguese placed on the Entrance. Above it is a statue with an emblem alongside. Higher above this is a Cross, indicating that this is a Portuguese Fort.

It took me around 5 hours to see the Moti Daman Fort in its entirety. The place is certainly worth a visit and is worth exploring, particularly if you like walking.

Daman

Monday, June 11, 2012

Whenever one thinks of Daman, what is the first thing that comes to one’s mind?

If your answer is liquor, then you are absolutely right. Daman is supposed to be a haven for people who love to drink. Most people visit Daman to drink liquor as it is available a cheaper cost, compared to Maharashtra and Gujarat.

There are liquor shops all over the place. Every third shop is a liquor shop plus most of the hotels too serve liquor. I guess this is the reason why it is a haven for all drinkers. But of course the price of liquor is cheaper in Goa than in Daman. Then why do people head here? I don’t know.

Daman was a Portuguese colony like Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Vasai and Mumbai. For a history buff, Daman has loads to offer, including old churches, forts and old houses.

Daman is located near the confluence of the Daman Ganga River and the Arabian Sea. As history states, Daman was acquired by the Portuguese from the Shah of Gujarat. For 400 years, it was ruled by the Portuguese until in 1961 it was integrated into India after the Indian Army, the Navy and the Air Force joined hands to make it a part of India.

Daman consists of Moti Daman and Nani Daman. Moti Daman is older than the other. But both are old enough. Moti Daman and Nani Daman are connected by two bridges, one meant for heavy traffic and the other for pedestrians and cyclists. Though the water in the river recedes when it is low tide, one cannot cross via the water. The fishing boats parked at both Moti and Nani Daman do not allow passage between the two.

Daman has many historical monuments. The forts that guard the coast are St Jerome Fort in Nani Daman and the Fort of Moti Daman. As Daman is a Union Territory, all the government buildings are located in Moti and Nani Daman. It is also famous for its beaches, Devka Beach and Jampore Beach.

There are four churches here. The Church of Our Lady of the Sea is situated in St Jerome Fort, and the other three are located in the Fort of Moti Daman. These are the Church of Our Lady of Remedies, the Church of Our Lady of Augustus, the Church of Our Lady of Rosary and the Cathedral of Bom Jesus.

Moti Daman Fort also houses the New and the Old Lighthouses, the Dominican Monastery and the House of Bocade and offers a spectacularly beautiful view of the fishing boats parked in the creek that divides Moti and Nani Daman.

The streets near the beaches are very narrow and mostly deserted. But these streets lead to beautiful and old houses. These houses are either ground-floor structures or a storey tall with tiled roofs. They are brightly painted and provide good material for photographers. Most of the houses have a small porch ahead of them, but nothing like the houses in Goa. Even though both Goa and Daman were earlier ruled by the Portuguese, the architecture and design of the houses is markedly different.

The windows of these houses are what caught my attention.  Though all of them are made of wood, each one appears to have been designed in a different and unique manner.

The markets here are flooded with goods, both Indian and Chinese makes of almost everything. Daman offers accommodation options to suit everyone. There are options for the budgeted traveller, businessman as well as those willing to shell out more for luxuries. In terms of food too, there is something for everyone. North Indian, South Indian, Moghlai, Gujarati food, take your pick. Sadly, Daman does not seem to have anything special to offer by way of its own particular cuisine.

There are mini buses, taxis and rickshaws which cater to travel needs within Daman, other than the private vehicles. But they leave from various locations across Daman. There is no common point for public transport here. Daman is so small that you can view all the sights here in two days.

Most travel websites talk about Daman and Diu together. I guess this is so because of long-ago history lessons in which we learned to speak of Goa, Daman and Diu in the same breath. I too made the mistake of assuming that Daman and Diu were near each other on the map. In reality, you have to undergo a ten-hour journey just to reach Diu from Daman by road or rail transport. So don’t be fooled the way I was into thinking I could tackle both places on the same trip.

As for how I got here, I alighted at Vapi and got in a shared taxi, which took me to Nani Daman.

Daman is very close to Vapi railway station. Outside the station there are shared taxis which charge Rs 20 per head, rickshaws which charge Rs 150 for a special trip and Gujarat State Transport buses. I don’t know the price of the bus ticket. One can reach Daman by road, rail and air as a mode of transport.

So do plan a trip to Daman. There is much to see and do here.

Church of Our Lady of Remedies

Friday, June 1, 2012

On the outskirts of the Moti Daman Fort stands the Church of Our Lady of Remedies.

One glance at the Church brought memories of the churches of Goa to my mind.  Once again, the same whitewashed walls and wooden doors.

Church of our Lady of Remedies

This church was built by Rui De Mello De Sampaiyo, the Governor and Captain of Daman in 1607 AD.

There is a lovely white cross outside the church. It features a plant bearing flowers with names written in Portuguese. I have no idea what the words mean but this is the first time I have seen a Cross bearing names.

Grotto

A beautifully carved bell, suspended from a wooden stand, hangs outside near the entrance of the Church. The bell has been re-painted brown to match the doors and windows of the Church. The paint job was a bad one. The painters had managed to paint over and completely obscure the design on the bell. I guess they should have let the bell be the way it was.

Cross made of Flowers

A small grotto of Mother Mary stands next to the Church, adjoining one of the walls of the church. Next to it stands a beautiful cross made of flowers, live flowers growing from the cross. I have been to many churches before, but this concept of having a cross made in the garden truly stands out.

Church Altar

I met the Parish Priest, and requested him to show me around the Church. The Priest was in a hurry but he still decided to show me around. A big thanks to him. The church is painted blue on the inside. It had a pulpit, canopy altar and the 14 paintings of the Way of the Cross.

I liked the paintings done on the pulpit and the altars. Truly commendable. A salute to the great artists whose work they were.

Church of Our Lady of Augustia

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

As you exit from the Fort of Moti Daman to Moti Daman, very close to the football stadium lies the grave of Agostinho Xavier de Silva Vidigal, who was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and expired in Daman. A Church has been built over his grave.

Based on its size, I mistook it for a chapel, but it is in fact a Church.

According to the caretaker of the Cathedral of Bom Jesus, this Church is closed to the public as it is under renovation.

Church of Our Lady of Augustia

The church has been whitewashed with the artwork done up in blue. The edges of the door and the Church are painted blue.

Somehow I liked this combination of white and blue. Perhaps they should have used the same combination in the Cathedral too.

Chapel of Our Lady of Rosary

Monday, May 28, 2012

Walk straight on from the Cathedral of Bom Jesus and we reach the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary.

This chapel reminds me of the chapels in Goa, called “Copel in Konkani.” In Goa, there is one chapel in every village, but this was the first one I had found in Daman.

The architecture of the chapels in Goa and Daman is remarkably similar, but that is not surprising, considering that both places have a strong Portuguese influence.

Chapel of Our Lady of Rosary

It appeared to me that a chapel feast had recently been celebrated here as there were buntings and festoons hung at the porch of the church. This church is not accessible to public. So I couldn’t see it from the inside. But I did learn that it was built in the 17th century.

Next, I headed off to see The Church of Our Lady of Augustia.

Cathedral of Bom Jesus

Friday, May 18, 2012

Looking at the window pane, you would never believe that this Cathedral, completed in 1603 AD, is around 450 years old. It seems like it was only just put in place. It is only when you take a look at the entrance that you realize that the Cathedral is really very old.

The walls have been painted beige in colour with white borders. The wooden glass windows have been painted dark brown while the door is dark brown in colour. 

Entrance to the Church

I wondered if the painters had forgotten to paint the entrance of the Church. Or maybe they had been paid just to paint a few portions. Or perhaps the painters did not know what colour combination to be used for the pillars and the art work created 450 years ago.

The main door is painted brown in the beautifully carved arch. The work on the pillar next to the arch and the other art work next to the door is amazing. This I have noticed is common at all Portuguese churches. There is a beautifully designed logo above the main door of the Church.  

View of the church from the side

Again as in all Portuguese Churches, this too had a pulpit, canopy altar and the 14 paintings of the Stations of the Cross. The pulpit of this church was beautifully carved; the minute details were clearly visible as was the image of Christ carved on it.

The main altar and the side altars were also beautifully carved and painted in blue, white, red and golden colour. All the altars were made of wood.

The Main Altar with Canopy Altars placed next to it

The roof of this church was very high and there was a mezzanine floor to accommodate additional crowds in the Cathedral.

The walls inside were also painted beige. The painters who had worked on it have done us a favour by leaving the old artistic work made by the Portuguese artisans as it was to ensure that we would be able to see the splendid work for ourselves.

The Pulpit

They made a mistake in painting the outside though. They should have kept it the way it was to represent its past glory. Or at best they should have painted everything white, in the manner of the Churches in Goa which were also built by the Portuguese.

The inside ceiling was whitewashed and supported by wooden arches. At the entrance of the Church there was another crest painted on the ceiling.

The caretaker of the Church told me that he had been posted in Daman for 25 years and looked after the historical sites here on behalf of the Daman Municipal Council. Services are held in the Church in English and Portuguese.

Inside the Church

The caretaker introduced me to Frankie, who used to stay in Mumbai a long time ago. Twenty-five years, to be precise. Once he came here to visit his in-laws. He liked this place so much that he decided to settle down here. He lives on the outskirts of Moti Daman Fort.

Frankie told me that the current generation is not interested in looking after the church but is in fact interested in making money far away from Daman. The caretaker and Frankie and a few others usually come here to kill time.

I felt nice being inside this Cathedral. The art work on the pulpit, main altar and the side altars was amazing. Even the minute details were taken care of. And the best part of it was that it has remained intact for 400 years. 

Bridge over the River Damanganga

Friday, May 11, 2012

The river flowed gently into the sea. I could see small fishing kayaks parked in the middle of the water on one side. On the other side, I could see coloured fishing trawlers parked on either side of the banks of Damanganga. One side was Moti Daman; the other was Nani Daman. No prizes for guessing that I was standing on a bridge.

Bridge over the River Damanganga

There are two bridges that connect Moti (Gujarati for big) Daman to Nani (Gujarati for small) Daman. One is meant for heavy traffic and the other for pedestrians and cyclists. I was on the one meant for pedestrians. It takes around 15 minutes to cross the bridge.

As I walked on the bridge, there was a heavy rush of the wind, which hit me even at 1:00 in the afternoon when the sun was directly overhead and beating down upon me with full force. Thanks to this breeze, I could barely feel the heat.

Fort of Moti Daman

The bridge, which was designed like the Howrah Bridge, offered a sight of the green waters of the Damanganga. Standing on the bridge, I could see the fortification of both Moti Daman and Nani Daman. The construction of the fort was the same. Both were built around 400 years ago.

From here I could see the entrance of Nani Daman Fort and the Church of Our Lady of the Sea in Nani Daman and both the lighthouses in Moti Daman.

Fort of Nani Daman

After spending some time here, enjoying the view of the sea, I headed off to see Moti Daman.