We were exploring Goa in a very leisurely fashion, which was the best way to admire the state. There were large hoardings advertising the local casino joints. Gambling is big business in Goa, and many make a living from it here. I ventured into an antique furniture shop called Centurion Furniture to check out some old pieces of furniture. Some of the items, like paintings, desks, and chairs, were over two hundred years old. There were porcupine vases, cupboards, wall clocks, and even old walking sticks made out of cane, studded with ivory at either end. The owner was selling these for as much as twenty thousand for one piece.
I walked through the shop; they even had a few antique mirrors one could admire. I quite liked the white charioteer with a glass chandelier—all in one piece—it stood apart from most of the stuff in the shop. There were monogrammed desks, bookshelves, and even porcine plates on display. One could spend hours in this shop and still not get bored.
Antique Furniture | Goan Architecture
The latter part of the evening was spent taking pictures of the most beautiful and quaint corners of Goa, the truly traditional Goan houses. These are homes of the old Goans who have been living here for generations. They were painted with the brightest of colors, like green, red, orange, and beige. It was all very wonderful, and I loved capturing them through my lens. On the way, I even managed to walk into an old carpentry shop that specialized in making coffins for the dead. It was strange that I captured a traditional wedding and also visited a coffin shop on the same day. The coffin shop had a few coffins lined up against the wall, all made from standard wood.
I even managed to venture into an old church that looked like a cathedral. I did not get into the church as it was closed, but I was struck by the statue of a saint. The man was dressed in black and looked like a priest. He must have been a famous priest who had served the church and the Christian faith. The church had cream-colored walls, and it was adorned with a cross at the top. This was in the Nagoa area of Goa. On the wall of the coffin shop, the name “Fern’s Coffin Shop” was written, along with the owner’s mobile number. These were standard-sized coffins made from local teak wood.
I learned a lot about Goan weddings. The Chuddo ceremony is the most important ceremony in a Goan wedding. Here, the bride is made to wear green glass bangles, called Chuddo. These bangles bring good luck and reflect married life and womanhood. There is a dowry that the woman’s family gives, such as jewelry, furniture, clothes, and kitchenware, along with cash at times. There have to be two witnesses, along with the bride and groom and their respective parents, during the wedding ceremony. Also, the bride should be over eighteen, and the groom should be over twenty-one.
