Sun, Sand and Saffron

Amid the rising influence of Shivaji and a deepening 'insider-outsider' divide, the candy-coloured temples of Goa have taken on a political hue, even as 'original Goans' remain sceptical of endorsing politics of religious majoritarianism

- Rakhi Bose, Bicholim

SANDEEP Naik, 48, runs a general store near the Sateri temple along the Boma-Adcolna road, in Ponda, a hinterland taluka. Less frequented by mainstream tourists and tucked away from the Lusophone-inspired landscape along the coastline, Ponda often hides in plain sight and is known as the ‘Hindu’ part of Goa. Naik sustains his livelihood through local visitors to the temple. However, his shop, along with others, faces demolition due to an ongoing National Highway expansion exercise.

As Goa went to polls on May 7, the proposed displacement was a major electoral issue in Boma village, with 3,000 voters, which is one of the four assembly constituencies in Ponda and the only one that falls under the North Goa Lok Sabha constituency. “Both our MP and MLA is from the BJP,” Naik informs. 

Naik and other vendors have been allocated shops at a new market complex. “Temple visitors were our main customers,” he states. Portions of three temples, including the one dedicated to the goddess Sateri, are slated for demolition, upsetting locals like Kishore Naik, who also faces displacement. Villagers have demanded a bypass and challenge plot allotment to non-Goans in the area. “These temples are integral to their identity, says Naik. 

“North Goa residents have voted for the BJP for the last 25 years, but he has never met us and does not address our concerns. While PM Modi is inaugurating temples in Ayodhya, temples in Ponda are being sacrificed in the name of development,” Puthu Gaonkar, another resident, rues.