Garden glory

In an era when limited recreational activity was available, it was the Jardim Municipal Garcia de Orta, (Municipal Garden) which was the center of activity and leisure for the gentry and citizens.

The square was developed as a garden in the second half of the 19th century, during the rule of the Portuguese king, D Luis 1(1861 - 1889). The garden was named after the king and called Jardim D Luis. Later, this garden was renamed after the famous Portuguese physician and naturalist, Garcia de Orta, who has written a treatise on plants and their medicinal values, entitled Coloquios dos simples e drogas de India, published in the 16 th century in Goa.

The garden is located opposite the square, where the majestic building of Primeiro Senado de Goa (Panjim Municipal Council) once stood. This square was known as Praca de Flores and was converted into a children's park. However the fate of this park following renovation is unknown.

Palatial, one – storeyed houses were built all around the garden square. While the first floor was inhabited by the owners, the ground floor was converted into commercial business houses.

The garden had access on all the four sides. There were tarred open spaces for people to move freely in the garden. Flower and plant beds were well organized and were on a higher level from the open spaces. At the center was a bandstand – a beautiful piece of architecture which had cement rims on top for creepers to grow. The enclosure had precast cement blocks shaped in form of harps.

Two flights of steps, on either side, led to the bandstand. Besides flowers and plants, there were mango and palm trees in the garden. Besides providing shade to visitors during the day, the trees were also a nocturnal resting place for crows and other birds.

Evenings saw Panjimites visiting the garden to spend their leisure time. People would stroll around or sit on the many benches scattered at various places and chat with fellow visitors. The regulars had their favourite benches, which were placed on the side of Café Central (today's Mr Baker), and near the bandstand. Men sat on one side while the ladies sat on the other. There were two small houses on either side of the entrance, on the southern side of the garden. In one of those, functioned the AIWC branch and Centro de Cultura Latina de Goa, founded by farmaceutico Renato de Sa. Another room was used by the record jockey to play the musical records in the garden. This structure has now been demolished. In the other house, was barber Guna's salon for men and women too. I think, amongst the many male salons in the city, Guna's was the only one which had a separate room and chairs for ladies.

In between both the houses, facing one of the entrances, stands a monument – a cement pillar with a base on which the Ashoka symbol stands. However, this monument was originally built to commemorate the 400 year jubilee of the discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama. It was erected in 1898. the monument consists of a pillar, resting on a big masonry block, formed of a pedestal box and a causeway. At the top of the pillar was a bust of Vasco da Gama.

In order to attract more people to the garden, the administration arranged live brass bands to play at the bandstand. Popular bands of the time like Caiado's, Police, Cotta's played regularly. The repertoire included western, light and classical music, which was announced in the local newspapers.

With live bands becoming an expensive affair, the authorities decided to entertain the citizens with recorded music. Those were the days of the gramophone and music records. Western, Konkani, Hindi and Marathi music was broadcast to satisfy all sections of society. This was seasonal entertainment because during the rains the garden was empty. I think the season started in the month of October and ended in May. Besides these regular activities, singing, carol singing, fancy dress contests, plays and other cultural activities were also organized in the garden. Even King Momo proclaimed his decree from the bandstand.

To fulfill the wider needs of the organizers a stage was built next to the monument. However while building the stage, due care was not taken to keep the monument in its original state. Finally, the steps around the pedestal box were covered with mud and vegetation.

At present, the garden is in shambles, and there are plans for a commercial complex in the area.

By Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues
GT Weekender, July 9, 2006

Posted By : Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues, Goa on 11/05/2007