Category Archives: Viva Goa!

Great Goan: C. Alvares (1920 – 1999)

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Veena Patwardhan

A tiatrist and a gentleman When a handsome, grey-eyed, young man named Celestino Alvares stepped on to the Konkani stage in the early 1940s to make his debut as a tiatrist, something exciting was taking place in the tiatr world. … Continue reading →

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Great Goan: Frank Fernand (1919 – 2007)

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Veena Patwardhan

Composer of timeless music One Sunday evening in Bombay somewhere in 1963, my family and I were seated on one of the tiered stone steps at the open-air theatre in Victoria Gardens, waiting for the tiatr to begin. (Yes, once … Continue reading →

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Great Goan: Dr. ManoharRai SarDessai (1925 – 2006)

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Veena Patwardhan

A truly cosmopolitan Goan poet Where do I begin when it comes to encapsulating the many talents, and wonderful qualities of mind and heart of a great Goan like Dr. ManoharRai SarDessai? Of a much loved poet who was honoured … Continue reading →

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Goa Medical College: Illustrious alumni

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Veena Patwardhan

Distinguished Alumni; Great Goans. Western medicine was practised and taught in Goa from as far back as around the end of the 16th century. But the Portuguese established the medical school – Escola Médico-Cirúrgica de Nova Goa (now called the … Continue reading →

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The 1967 Goa Opinion Poll and Scotland’s Referendum

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Veena Patwardhan

A tale of two referendums Today, the Scots will be using the power of a ballot referendum to answer the question: Should Scotland be an independent country? If more of them say “No” then Scotland will continue to be a … Continue reading →

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Viva Goa Part 3: Story of the historic Goa Medical College

Posted on September 6, 2014 by Veena Patwardhan

Goa Medical College: Where some of Asia’s first doctors studied Ever since Goa was made the permanent venue for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2004, each year in late November Bollywood bigwigs, international film personalities, and movie … Continue reading →

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Bird watching in Goa

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Veena Patwardhan

The delights of birding Imagine discovering the delights of birding at the ripe age of sixty. Imagine seeing even some of the common birds of Goa for the first time so late in life despite making trips there almost every … Continue reading →

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Viva Goa! Part 2 – A top birding destination in India

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Veena Patwardhan

Discover the beautiful birds of Goa Elegant beauties, aren’t they? The Eurasian Oystercatchers in the picture above, I mean. My son Nikhil clicked this photo one breezy morning in January 2012 when we were out bird watching along Goa’s Cavelossim … Continue reading →

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Viva Goa! – Part 1

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Veena Patwardhan

What makes Goa so special What’s so special about Goa? Well, going by what some tourist brochures seem to suggest and consequently what tourists sometimes think, unlike the rest of India, Goa is a beach bum paradise, a place for beach … Continue reading →

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Great Goans: Bakibab Borkar (1910 – 1984)

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Veena Patwardhan

Legendary Goan poet B. B. Borkar His poetry is a celebration of his Goan-ness, every word drenched in a deep understanding and a passionate enjoyment of all things Goan. Only someone Goan to the core could have written: Please Sir, … Continue reading →

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