Having just passed two dates that suggest horror and fright; ‘Halloween’ and ‘All Souls Day’, The Goan takes a closer look at a few places that are rumoured to send chills down one’s spine
In recounting supposedly ‘true’ stories about thesupernatural in Goa, and saying that Goan ghosts did exist, one would probablyscoff and say that such beliefs were ridiculous in response. And this sort ofbehaviour can be condoned as there is no such concrete evidence to supportthese (for want of a better term) theories. However, in bygone days, in thevillages of our beautiful state, things were quite different.
Igorchem Bandh, Raia
The occurrence of midday hauntings is quite rare, but yet isnot unheard of. One location that serves as an example of this uncommonhappening is the Igorchem Bandh in Raia. Aptly named due to its geographicalposition behind the church of Our Lady of Snows, the bandh is known to be asite famous for the possession of many a person. Legend has it that thecrossing of the bandh at 2 pm in the afternoon leads to giddy spells followedby ‘talking in tongues’. Though logic dictates that it could be a severe caseof sunstroke.
The Rodrigues Home, Verna
The house occupied by the Rodrigues family highlights thatthey are made of sterner stuff. The village, as a whole, acknowledges that thehappenings within its walls are quite of the ordinary, and typically straightout of a movie. From doors and windows that open and shut of their own accord,to the linen that goes missing in the dead of the night, it all happens at theRodrigues home.
Seminary Arch, Rachol
The arch that stands tall before the seminary at Rachol hasbeen known for well over two centuries to be ‘haunted’ by the spirit of asentinel from the Portuguese era. On certain days of the year, adorning hisofficial garb, the guard marches from one end of the archway to the other,manning his outpost as it were, and refusing right of way to those considered‘less worthy’.
The D’Mello House, Santemol
Village lore has the story pegged at two brothers whocouldn’t arrive at a reasonable agreement as to how to divide the ancestralproperty. The two brothers then entered into a violent exchange, which resultedin one brother’s death. It has been since rumoured that warring factions in thefamily will be cursed never to arrive at harmonious conclusion about divisionof an estate. No clanking chains here; just discord over property. It’s fair tosuppose that every Goan family must have a brother who killed another brotherthen.
Jakni Bandh, Navelim
The origin of the tale that surrounds Jakni Bandh isextremely tragic. A bus full of school children went over the little culvertthat helped the road link between Navelim and Dramapur. On some days of theyear, it is rumoured that the haunting wailing and crying sounds of childrencan still be heard in the dead of the night.
Christalina's Tree, Saligao
One Sunday morning, the parishioners gathered for the usualMass, but there was no sign of Padre Inácio Lourenço Pereira, the supervisor ofthe seminary. A few villagers walked briskly up the Donvaddo hill to hisresidence near the seminary where they found Padre Lourenço motionless.
His helper, Frank, and others began to unfold the happeningsof the previous night. As usual Padre Lourenço had gone for a walk around theseminary road, but that particular night he did not return. As there was nosign of him, some of the workers went in search of him. They found him quiteclose to the infamous banyan tree believed to be haunted by Christalina’sghost, flat on the ground with his face in the mud. All along he remainedspeechless and motionless. Rumour has it that Padre Lourenço later spoke inKonkani and in a female voice.
To this day, Hindu villagers living close to the hauntedtree have built a small niche and offer gifts to the spirit, whom they call‘Ximecho Devchar’ or ‘Boundary (Protecting) Devil’.
Nevertheless, irrespective of scientific developments, forthe elders of any village, till this day and age, ghost stories are a perennialsource of entertainment and evergreen, and ghosts in Goa, remain a veritableinstitution.
Disclaimer: As proving the existence of the supernatural isnot a viable proposition, and most stories accumulated are through folklore,stories passed down for generations and village hearsay, The Goan cannotcertifiably endorse these stories as true, and limits their possibilities tobeing merely entertaining stories.
