With the background information about the previous post of the fort on the opposite side of river Mandovi, Fort Gaspar Dias, I had to put these pics together and get this post going… This time I will not use prose to describe the fort, but instead use poetry…

THE EMPTY FORT

Reis Magos fort towers

Dark are the stones of this fort,

Dark they become in time’s cruel games,

Some stone couldn’t stand the test of time,

And on the ground they have fallen, long time back.

The path leading to nowhere

Once the fort guarded lives of dreams,

Now it stands as a monument of those dreams,

Dreams that outgrown time, Yet still lingered,

All around the fort, invisible, yet heartfelt.

The closed door - vertical panorama

Side tower

What magnificence once filled this fort,

Greatness never feared to distinguish,

But those who never felt the greatness,

All from the forces from outside extinguished.

Sole cannon

Though the fort stands empty from inside,

The lingering air, the very air one breathe,

Fills in those great feelings so wonderful,

But succumb to the understanding,

All that felt, just a waste of time.

Church associated with the fort

The Overseer

The reason why the fort was shut

Satellite pic of the Reis Magos fort

I found a detailed note about the fort on a website, which I include here:

The construction of the Reis Magos Fort in the North Goa taluka of Bardez, about two miles North-East of Aguada, began in 1551 and was probably completed in 1554 during the reign of Viceroy Dom Afonso de Noronha. Even before Afonso de Albuquerque could conquer Goa, Reis Magos was a Muslim stronghold, controlled by Adilshah of Bijapur. The fort was expanded on a number of occasions and re-erected in 1707 during the reign of Viceroy Caetano de Mello e Castro. In times gone by, the Gaspar Dias fort, which has since disappeared, was facing it from across the Mandovi river in Panjim.

The fort was defended by 33 guns and a small garrison. A spring, following a little way to the East, provided it with excellent, potable water. Adding importance and beauty to the emerald surroundings, is the Reis Magos church, which rises above a large flight of steps, at the foot of the hill, on which the fort stands. The church was built on the ruins of a pagoda in 1550 by the Franciscan missionaries and its façade, sanctuary and other places bear a crown and the royal coat of arms.

The Reis Magos fort cannot match the vastness and solidity of several other forts dotting Goa’s long coastline and the river mouths. But what no other fort can match is the splendid view, which it commands, its proximity to Panjim city and its ideal location at the gateway to North Goa’s resort belt. Moreover, while most of the forts have either kissed the dust or have been rendered unsuitable to habitation, Reis Magos is still in a shape amenable to conservation.

Known as the Royal Fort, it was where the political prisoners were jailed once, after its value as a defense structure had diminished. Came Liberation in 1961, and there was no political prisoner left as an inmate of the fortified structure. So the fort logically joined the 42 sites of ancient monuments in the list of the State Archives and Archaeology Department. Subsequently, the idea dawned that there wouldn’t be a fitter spot than Reis Magos for a heritage hotel, by virtue of its matchless view. This fact prompted the authorities to denotify it. The government even toyed with the plan to turn the fort into a heritage hotel but a High Court ruling stumped the proposal.

After Liberation, the Reis Magos fort was converted into a sub-jail, where under-trials were lodged. But on July 2, 1993, it remained a lock-up no more. The steep pathway to the fort, blocked by a corroded gate, is covered with weeds and bushes. Symbolically almost, there is a handcuff locking the gate, locking out curious visitors, many of whom are foreign tourists en route to Sinquerim-Candolim via the riverine road passing by the panoramic Quegdevelim beach.

There are some things which when you see almost everyday, you never even notice they are there. Until you stop… and look again.

This time, I had parked around the Miramar circle and saw this monument in the rear-view mirror. And and I saw it for the first time.

Miramar Monument

Details: There is next to nothing about this monument/statue that I could find. Just two things:

1. Originally a fort stood here (Fort Gaspar Dias) at the start of the Miramar beach. This would be directly opposite the Reis Magos fort. Between them they were designed to defend the entrance to the Mandovi, although they were of limited use. There is no fort here now, but the most prominent position on the beachfront is taken up by this statue representing Hindu and Christian unity. (Lonely Planet, Guide to Goa 2003)
2. The canon kept on the round-about at Miramar is one of the 16 original canons from the Gaspar Dias Fort.

Another version explains the monument as being “twin statues depicting late PM Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’.”

And here is another link

ristotle once said, ‘I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God that has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forego their use.’The first movie made in post taliban regime in Afghanistan…

for those who enjoy movies with no happy endings, where the story is not tied into an expected outcome, here is a treat. In a mosaic of stories which are in fact experiences of both the director and the actors, The movie leaves you with a unbearable feeling of emptiness at sheer extent of human depravity

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God that has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forego their use
- Aristotle

This is the first movie made in post-Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

For those who enjoy movies with no happy endings, where the story is not tied into an expected outcome, here is a treat.

In a mosaic of stories (which are in fact experiences of both the director and the actors), the movie leaves you with a unbearable feeling of emptiness at sheer extent of human depravity

sometimes, you can have an unexpected visitor. This butterfly came a wishing the other day.

There was a time as a child when i would believe that a moth or a butterfly not seen around was a spirit of a loved one come to say hello… the odd thing is that I would still love to believe that.

Sometimes, you can have an unexpected visitor. This butterfly came a-wishing the other day.

Butterfly spirit

There was a time as a child when I would believe that a beautiful moth or a butterfly is a spirit of a loved one come to say ‘hello’… the odd thing is that I still love to believe that.

Found an interesting article on the same out here

Diwali Dhamaka

A good picture with a good message and a thought to go with it.

I picked up this picture from one of the popular social networking websites, however I was thrilled by the message that the picture was bundled with. Read in the papers yesterday that this year a number of college students are going to celebrate Diwali minus the noise. Hats off to them!

As for why this picture struck a chord for me… I was taken back to my childhood when I would see these crackers and shudder with fear at the thought of lighting them. Even now, if I ever see anyone lighting up one of these, my fingers don’t take more than a fraction of a second to plug my ears

What makes this picture unique is not the suprising fact of how I got my car into such a spot (that could be anyone’s guess)

Grassy pan

Believe it or not, this panorama has been clicked on a cell phone and that too a VGA one!

Only goes to endorse the fact that it is not the camera but the one behind it that makes a picture

(Got this inspiration from a recent article at the Digital Photography School)

“Can you carry a camera in cabin luggage?” Yes you can! And in India you can even use it all along! (with a little discretion of course)

For security reasons I will not be able to mention the name of the airport nor the place I was flying to. Suffice to say that the last few snaps are over Goa!

Modern art at the airport lounge

Airport art on glass

(this is a clue for those who are trying to guess the airport!)

Tail friends

Runway competition

Nose up

(as close as I could get to the nose of the plane)

Landing or Taking off?

Deserted craft

Wing span

Great hues of blues in the sky above and below

Cloud formations

Indi-go

I just couldn’t resist taking this shot. Everyting around me was so …indigo

Plane over Vasco

This is an aerial view of Vasco city, the place where the journey finally ends

Window views triptych

Myth or reality, fable or parable, this story serves as an example of tolerance and respect for each other.

One dialogue in the movie summed it all:

Defence Minister’s Wife: I wish I could be a better neighbor… a normal neighbor. But I suppose it’s a bit too much to hope for. There’s too much blood and too much politics… and then there’s the lemon grove between us.
Defence Minister adds: And that’s why it’s so important to cut it down, so it no longer be a problem

I call myself a Goan, and have come to realise that I have not seen much of Goa. Mollem wildlife sanctuary was one such place.

Reaching there takes about an hour and a half from Panjim and after paying the toll fee we were into the wild!

Three main stops and I had my camera brimming with pictures.

STOP 1: BUTTERFLIES & DRAGON FLIES

Butterfly feast

Look into my eyes

Dragonfly break

Dragonfly on the bridge

STOP 2: SPIDERS & WORMS

Giant orange spider

Worms and Worms Inc.

STOP 3: MUSROOMS AND MUSHROOMS

Giant mushroom

Have you seen mushrooms 'on' a tree?

Washed away

Snowflake mushrooms

Out of place

Catch me if you can

The day ended with a heavy downpour… all part of the package!

Vegetation art

UPDATE: For a great pic of the Devil’s Canyon (a rare landmark in Mollem), go to Elton’s site

At times it may appear I am living in a jungle (given the fact there is an overdose of greenery on this blog!). But then if you look closely, you will in fact find a world of creatures out there! And they are all out to have some fun.

Wassup dude?

What a challenging look this caterpillar gave me while I tried to frame it!

Can you do this???

The caterpillar wouldn’t take ‘No’ for an answer each time I tried to push him away from the house, back into the leaves.

This perch is my perch

And this little cricket managed to stay this even though I tried to shake it off its perch.