Glimpses of The Bygone Eras - Goa

During my course in Architectural Studies, it was mandatory to make 3D models of some of the buildings we designed: a few of them as basic presentations and others with extremely minute details like the windows, corbeling, roof tiles etc. Occasionally, we had to do detailed internal layouts as well. AutoCAD had just been introduced in Goa during my final year, hence CAD design in 3D was not included in our syllabus. Contrarily, today’s students are on par with modern technology and make use of it for their presentations.

Nevertheless, the patience required and detailing involved in the construction of a miniature model with one’s own hands provides a level of satisfaction that software simply cannot. 

Watching documentaries of excavated sites and analysis of artefacts has always been my favourite pastime, so much so that I remember designing an Archeological Study and Research Centre for Goa - a topic for my thesis project.

In later years, as I travelled the world and visited different countries, collecting interesting souvenirs was always a pleasure. Gathering miniature items of various kinds, especially those of heritage monuments of particular places (as a memory) has always fascinated me. From the Eiffel Tower to the Notre-Dame Cathedral, from the Statue of Liberty to the Egyptian pyramids, I loved adding these to my collection of souvenirs. 

Every time I returned home with these cute yet intricate designs of foreign heritage, it always intrigued me that Goa, despite having such a rich history, is unable to produce quality souvenirs for the people visiting our state. To my knowledge, not one heritage monument in Goa has a world-class replica of its own. Let's hope this will soon change.  

After a brief research on this aspect of making 3D models of all Goan heritage monuments and discussing with my co-workers, we were dejected on learning that it was economically unviable for various reasons, such as the rapidly evolving technologies like 3D printing. We are still working on making this successful 🤞

However, the deep-rooted urge to create something for people travelling to Goa as a take-away memoir never ceased.

We settled on presenting these ancient monuments by capturing them on camera.

The journey of hunting for the ‘UNPAINTED GOA’ thus began.

We decided to capture all Goan monuments with stone facades only, i.e., the un-plastered and unpainted ones.

Thus, Archaic Goa in stone was the theme for the capture of this beautiful collection of ancient monuments, some of them having stood the test of time for many centuries and each one having its own unique history and story.

Weathered rocks at a dry stream near the Mahadev Temple (Kadamba Period)

We headed for some of these places and photographed quite a few of them to our hearts' content until the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Some of the monuments we could capture were:

The Basilica of Bom Jesus

The Augustine Tower

The Viceroy’s Arch

 

The Safa Masjid, Ponda

The Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla

Some of few monuments we captured:
1. The Saptakoteshwar Temple.
2. The Jain temple 
3. The Safa Masjid, Surla.
4. Some forts and caves

After visualising these structures as different combinations, the concept ‘Glimpses of the Bygone Eras’ was envisaged. 

These were conceptualised, designed, and presented in four different versions.

a) GBE - ‘Stone on Wood’ (as wall art with a wooden base)

b) GBE - ‘Greyscale’ [as wall art (hanging or fixed) with a wooden base]

c) Hand-painted art by our master artist. 🖌 (Upcoming) 

d) The miniature lightweight version, as a souvenir: Oval (sepia) OR Circular (greyscale)

e) 3D models of Goan monuments (work in progress 🤞)

For the Love of Goa 💖

RNK

Insta @goa.decor

Basilios 7 Heights, Level 4, ST.INEZ, PANAJI-GOA.

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