Goenkarponn to fore as Goa marks historic events

Porvorim:Goa will celebrate Goenkarponn through the seal of Opinion poll 50 years ago, historic milestones of 175 years of declaration of Panaji as the capital town and 350 years of Shivaji’s visit to this land.

Manohar Parrikar in his 2017-18 budget speech referred to these landmarkshistoric and emotive for many Goans for different reasonsas he announced the government’s plans to prepare and celebrate them appropriately.

“My government will celebrate this Golden Jubilee year of the Opinion Poll with various activities organized throughout the year with emphasis on Goan identity till January 16, 2018,” Parrikar said in the assembly on Friday.

Perhaps, the Opinion Poll milestone found a place in the budget speech after Fatorda MLA and Goa Forward Party coalition leader, Vijai Sardesai, had pledged in an interview to TOI to take up the issue with the BJP-led government.

“The reasons and struggles to maintain a separate identity should not be forgotten. The event should be relived, with renewed vigour, to ensure that our distinct identity is safe and sound and not diluted,” he told TOI. Sardesai’s Goenkarponn mantra has been in question after his political U-turn.

Parrikar announced that various activities will be conducted throughout the year to celebrate 175 years of Panaji’s declaration as a capital town. “Emphasis will be given to the upgrade the infrastructure of the city,” he said.

He pointed out that its selection as Smart City under AMRUT and Smart City Mission of the government of India will boost the infrastructure upgrade. But heritage lovers and citizens had criticized the beautification of Azad Maidan under AMRUT, alleging that it would deface the historic and heritage site.

The government is looking at another approaching milestone – 350 years of the Saptakoteshwar temple at Naroa and Shivaji’s visit to Goa. Shri Saptakoteshwar, a form of Shiva, was a family deity of the Kadamba kings. After the Bahmani Sultans gained supremacy in Goa in 1352, several temples were destroyed. But the Vijayanagar King restored most of them circa 1367, only to be razed by Portuguese in 1560. The linga was shifted to Naroa and installed at the new site, where Shivaji built the temple in 1668.

The directorate of archives and archaeology (DAA) has undertaken work to complete the restoration work by 2017 for the event in 2018.

Parrikar in his budget speech said that the temple restoration work will be completed shortly. “To create awareness about this, an archival exhibition will also be organized of rare Portuguese and Modi Marathi records,” Parrikar said.