My forefathers left Goa because other than farming and fisheries there were no jobs available. No industry, no colleges, no growth.
My grandfather, Francis John Campos — (Frankjaon as he was commonly called) was the first engineer from his village Saligaon, a fact that meant so much to his fellow villagers.
He was a Latin scholar and a brilliant musician, influenced by his father. He found his way to Hyderabad, where he started working for the Nizam’s government. After working in Badlapur, he was responsible for remodeling the entire waterworks of Hyderabad-Secunderabad, making it the finest of its kind in India even to this day.
Francis John Campos’ father — Francisco Salvador Campos, my great grandfather — was born in 1849. He was known as the most learned musician and composer of his day in Goa.
He opened a music school on his return to Goa, giving India some of its most prolific musicians such as Ottoline D’Souza (pianist), Hermenegildo Coelho and Caetan Paul Vaz (violinists).
For generations we had limited opportunity. As locals, the only major industry to bring in revenue for us was tourism — and even that was only after Goa’s liberation in the 60’s.
Today the story is so different.
People all over our country and from other countries have seen the possibility of living a good life in Goa. The potential for Goa to be a world-class city in the near future is evident.
Residents get to enjoy the clean air, clean surroundings, fantastic connectivity and good infrastructure, while still experiencing the quaint village life we all know Goa for. Further, today Goa also offers all the opportunities we so badly needed for growth.
The COVID-19 pandemic added another layer of possibility by opening up the work from home space. Many of us today have the opportunity to run our businesses remotely, leaving us free to move back home or make a new home for ourselves.
Goan’s like me are flocking back to our roots to learn more, explore more and build second homes back where we belong. I often say that I have never felt more at home anywhere I have lived other than in Goa.
My family drilled into us the fact that we were Saraswat Brahmins from the Catholic community. This was a very confusing, but important fact that defined our culture so strongly. It reminded us of our brutal history where we were converted during the Portuguese inquisition.
Our devotion, as a family, is to Mother Mary — stemming from the Mae De Deus Church, a landmark of Goa in Saligaon. Yet, we strongly follow and hold to our Saraswat traditions.
My heart bleeds for my ancestors and the atrocities they were subjected to, to comply with the norms set by their invaders both religious and cultural. However, the Goan could never be taken out of Goa. It’s a place that I connect with at a spiritual level as well as at a cellular level — I am Goan in every sense of the word.
I love walking down the street and smiling at random people, stopping to speak to the vegetable vendor (Prakriti, who’s a college going girl helping her parents out in the evenings), being greeted warmly by the family who runs Martinho Lobo, a quaint and heavily-stocked little store selling groceries in Aldona that has absolutely everything I need, local and imported.
I love the fact that I buy fresh flowers and they last 10 days, that I can pluck beautiful Ginger Flowers and Birds of Paradise that bloom in my garden and they stay fresh in my vases for weeks.
The poiwala drops off fresh kadak pao in the morning and pois in the evening — still warm, fresh and loaded with fresh bran. I enjoy a bounty of fresh produce, vegetables and fruits and an abundance of seafood, all delivered to my doorstep.
I love the hustle and bustle in the village square where absolutely everyone knows everyone. Sometimes, in their excitement to catch up, they forget they are in the middle of the street and cause small traffic jams that they happily clear when you honk.
We have lost ourselves and the human connection in the larger cities. With the politics of living within gated communities, we forget that neighbors should be neighborly. Instead of fighting over parking spaces, petty agendas and political motives, they should band together and be supportive and caring. What we all need is a dose of Goan life every now and then to keep sane. I know I do.
My Goa home in VLH’s The White Grove (our completed project) is my sanctuary, my time for self reflection and prayer, my time to connect with my roots, a home where I share experiences of my culture with my friends and the perfect surrounding for me to work peacefully. It is also a place where, just as my parents taught it to me, I teach my children about their roots.
Vivienda Luxury Homes offers you a lifestyle where we curate all the above local experiences for you, easing your transition into a simpler life filled with wholesome and meaningful experiences. You can do as much or as little as you would like to do here. That is the beauty of Goa. You have a choice.
Karen Campos Bhatia
Nutritionist, Exercise Physiologist, Disease Management Specialist and Lifestyle Expert
Co-Founder of VLH