This was exactly what I needed after spending the last two months at my abode in the Valley of Dehradun. I decided to venture towards a very old destination, one that I was very fond of in my younger days. In fact, in my twenties and thirties, I frequented the city of Goa quite often. One needs to take a connecting flight from Dehradun to Delhi and then to Goa. I had already planned the trip with my longtime mate Ani; we had not seen each other for eight years, and I had not visited Goa in over a decade. This was going to be a nostalgic trip and an opportunity to reconnect with my past and my youth, which is now slowly fading away. The flight was comfortable, but the journey was a bit taxing as expected. Ani was there to receive me at the airport in his car. We had booked an apartment in Dona Paula, Goa, which cost us Rs. 5000 per night. We also had a car to move around and enjoy the famous beaches of this part of Goa.
Dona Paula is a tourist neighborhood in the city of Panaji. Known for its lovely quiet beaches, it also offers an exquisite sunset. There’s a haunted story associated with this place. The legend has it that Dona Paula was a pious lady who lived here and fell in love with a fisherman, but they could not marry as her father opposed the match. Finally, Dona jumped from a cliff and committed suicide. The place is also called Lovers’ Paradise, and it is said that the soul of Dona still haunts the area near the cliff from where she jumped.
Dona Paula, Goa
The movie Sigma was also based in Dona Paula, and the film features many shots of the roads and other locations in the city.
The real history of the place says that Dona Paula was a historical figure, and she and her family arrived in Goa from Portugal in 1744. She was a woman of charity who helped the villagers, who, in turn, named the place after her.
Another famous hit film, Ek Duje Ke Liye, was shot on the beaches of Dona Paula and starred Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri in the lead. The film was a super hit. There is a whitewashed statue perched at the jetty, which is also a famous tourist attraction.
I, for one, first tucked into a breakfast of poha and keema pav, along with orange juice. That is how I started my morning. I also went for a long walk and swim to get the juices flowing. But it was the sunrise and the walk around the fishermen’s colony that was most exhilarating, and I managed to catch a glimpse of this part of Goa. Slowly, the feeling of being in a hotter, more humid climate began to sink in, and I realized I definitely needed a cotton t-shirt to get by in this city.
