Enchanted by Divar

Travel has always been one of my passions. Unfortunately for me, I’ve studied in very strict schools & colleges and long distance tours were a big No-No. Even today when I see school children go to other states and countries on tours I get real J…

I also love nature a lot and one of the places in Goa which is a perfect blend of natural beauty and has totally enchanted me with its beauty is Divar.

Its located just across the Ribandar road and one needs to travel to Divar by ferry. Whilst traveling by ferry one can see a lot of barges in the water. The barges are used to transport iron ore. As one alights from the ferry, there is a bus waiting which I guess is used to ferry people to the village and back. The road is a long narrow one and one can catch a glimpse of the village from the ferry point. The bus & ferry timings are coordinated in such a way that as one alights from the ferry there’s a bus waiting for you to go to the village.

At the ferry point there is a bus stop (read concrete structure) but I don’t think people use it. The only people who probably use it are the rowdy boys (or gals) who have scribbled a lot of gupshup on it.

The mangroves out there remind you of the backwaters of Kerala and one will notice a lot of wildlife like birds, insects, frogs or even scary snakes. Now it all depends on how you look at nature. Mind you, snakes can be cute too. There was this small fishing boat (Pic) tied to a tree and it looked very inviting. Now before you think that I went and untied the rope and went for a boat ride naaa.. I spared the fishermen the trouble of rescuing their boat.. So, thoughtful of me.. He he..

There is also a small white washed grotto where there are Holy Statues. (Pic) And just across it there is another Statue of Hindu Gods. This is pretty common in Goa and shows how people live in religious harmony.

Whilst going on the winding road to Divar if one sees the top of the hill, the Divar church is visible whereas if one strains one’s eyes to see on the right hand side, the steeple of the Old Goa church can be seen.

Once you enter the sleepy village you will be totally mesmerized by the pin drop silence. Of course the humming of birds and the occasional vehicle sound exists but that’s totally negligible. The beautiful old Portuguese houses are a treat to the eye especially if you have an eye for Goan Architecture.

At the top of the hill is a church and next to it is a Cemetery. One can get an amazing view of the Mandovi river as well as Ribandar from here. You will also be charmed by the pleasant breeze blowing out there. The entrance of the Cemetery has a sign in Konkani which reads, ‘Aiz Mhaka Faleam Tuka’ (Pic) Translated in English it means, ‘Today me tomorrow you’. Ok the grammar ain’t right. Lemme change the sentence without altering the meaning. Hmmmm…. Its something like, ‘Today its me, tomorrow it’ll be your turn’. Sure gives you that creepy eerie feeling. Booooo……

The famous festival of flags called Bonderam is held here annually but unfortunately I’ve never been for it. My brother has been for it and he said its really nice. I sure hope to go for it someday.

So, people if you want to be surrounded by nature then the island of Divar is the place to be.