This Submerged Goan Village Reappears for Just 2 Months Every Year |
A theatrical miracle plays out in South Goa every May. As summer envelopes the state in a blazing embrace, the waters around a piece of land in the Sanguem taluka dry out, and from their depths emerges our protagonist — the Curdi village of Goa.
Its performance is short-lived, stretching across April and May, following which, it gracefully bows out, submitting itself to the monsoon, and its underwater position for the next ten months.
But for the two months when it makes its cameo, Curdi becomes an integral part of Goa’s social fabric. Its once-in-a-blue-moon sighting lends to its allure, drawing scores of tourists who want to feast their eyes on this fleeting wonder.
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Eish Kakodkar has frequented the village many times, as part of the expeditions he leads for Soul Travelling, an initiative specialising in off-beat tourism across Goa.
He recalls his Curdi rendezvous as bittersweet.
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“In summer, we can finally see Curdi. It’s exciting because we feel like we are uncovering something that wasn’t known before. But, when you think of it, the larger picture is tragic; you see remains of houses that once were made up of terracotta tiles — so beautiful, but now bits and pieces. It makes you wonder how the village was in the past.”
Curdi in Goa is a submerged village that emerges out of water for two months of the year, Picture credits: Eish Kakodkar
As he meanders through the village, he finds himself concocting stories of its heyday.........