My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
A solitary structure rises over
the ruins, and stands out starkly against the unexpectedly blue sky. The
monsoon is still on, but the clear skies encourage me to explore. And here I am,
at the St. Augustine’s Complex in Old Goa. Once upon a time, this was a
sprawling complex, consisting of a church, a chapel, and also a convent, with
dining rooms, infirmaries, guest houses et al, all built by the friars of the
First Augustinian Order, who arrived in Goa in 1572.
The complex was abandoned in
1835, and the church crumbled over time. Part of it was demolished, and its
artefacts were either taken elsewhere or stolen, all over a period of time,
leaving just these ruins to remind us of its existence. The tower standing
today is the façade of the old church, and was once 5 stories tall. It is only
recently that efforts are being made to protect what remains of it, and
conserve the ruins.
Interestingly, the church is
associated with the story of the relics of Ketevan the Martyr. Haven’t heard of
her? Not really surprising. She was the queen of Kakheti, a kingdom in eastern
Georgia. After her husband’s death, she installed her underage son as the king,
and took on the functions of a regent. Sent as an emissary to Iran, she
volunteered to be a hostage to prevent Kakheti from being attacked. However,
her efforts were futile, and eventually, she was killed at Shiraz, Iran, after
prolonged tortures for refusing to give up the Christian faith and convert to
Islam.
What does all this have to do
with Goa? Well, as it happens, she was killed in 1624, and it was the St.
Augustine Portuguese Catholic missionaries who brought back her remains to
Georgia. However, the friars also brought along some of her remains
clandestinely to Goa, where they had already built their church, and interred
some of her remains here too. In recent times, there have been several attempts
to find these relics, which are of great importance to the people of Georgia,
but the St. Augustine Church crumbled soon after Old Goa was abandoned, and no
trace was ever found of the relics. There have been regular explorations and
attempts by the ASI in association with the Georgian authorities, and so far,
all that has been discovered are records that attest that the relics were
indeed said to have been placed in the church. However, considering the
condition of the ruins, it’s not really surprising that little else has been
found!
Standing there, looking up at the
tall, crumbling façade towering over the other structures, it is impossible not
to think of the story of the queen – her journey from Georgia to Iran, and
finally India, and I realise that this is what encourages me to travel – these
stories which bring the places alive, through the people who once walked the
same path I walk today. It is their journey through life, the choices and
decisions they made, which make places as interesting as they are. The
architecture and the scene may make the place look picturesque, but it is the
story which remains with me, long after I have returned.
This piece was originally published on the Club Mahindra Blog. You can read it here.
Because it is Friday, and because of those blue, blue skies behind the church, I am also linking this post to Skywatch Friday... For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page!
A beautiful setting and a sad story. It's amazing how such a thin remainder of the ruin can remain standing.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Fran! Its amazing how that thin structure has remained standing. And the story makes the entire thing even sadder!
Deletebeautiful sky and the ruin is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Photo Cache!
DeleteWhat a gorgeous place - lovely shots!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ladyfi!!
DeleteWell written. I love the way it stands so lonely out there.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Niranjan!!
DeleteVery beautiful photos and a sad story for SWF! Have a nice weekend and Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThank you Steffi!! Have a great weekend and Merry Christmas to you too!!
DeleteBeautiful images and so informative!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Laura!
DeleteThanks for this beautiful Description maa'm . It is on of the outstanding place in Goa .Beautiful captures .
ReplyDeleteBeautiful captures Anuradha! Due to early afternoon blazing sun I couldn't capture it nicely, still I'll post a couple of shots in my photo blog. Happy clicking :-)
ReplyDeleteHi I just visited the church and I was wondering if any paintings or such existed which showed the church before it was demolished. I understand that you probably wouldn't know a lot about that but still any help is appreciated .
ReplyDeleteYes, there are old paintings of the church.. and in fact, someone has posted a blog about them too.. just search on the net. i am sure you will find them
Delete