Slow ride to pilgrimage nostalgia: Old-timers recall era of 2-day trips

Panaji: For some eighty-year-olds, the “pilgrimage” to Old Goa from far-off places like coastal Salcete or other areas is a breeze. In decades past, however, the same trip to pay homage to Goencho Saib would take them nearly two days.
Before carreiras appeared on Goan roads in the 1930s or so, the residents’ travel plans were badly restricted. Mobility improved after the introduction of these quaint vehicles, also called caminhaos, with low roofs and unconventional seating arrangements.
Although they brought relief and comfort, there were still several problems that pilgrims faced on their spiritual journey. “It was not possible to return from Old Goa in a single day. The carreiras were irregular and fewer people moved out of their homes due to economic and other reasons,” recalls Salvador Rodrigues, 86, from Carmona.
Recalling the trials and tribulations of the late 1940s and 1950s due to poor transportation, he stated that long waits and delays were common.
“We would leave home after lunch and travel first to Margao,” Rodrigues said as he went down memory lane. At the old market bus stand in Margao, the next 19-seater carreira would often be irregular.
The vehicle would pull out after a long wait and head to Panaji over the Borim bridge. The untarred roads were rough and bumpy, and travel not too fast. Some passengers would experience motion sickness, as they sat with their backs to the driver. “They would feel giddiness, as they were not travelling much,” said Panaji-based senior citizen Milind Angle. Passengers would sit on each other’s laps or they would be left behind.
But nothing mattered by the time they reached Goencho Saib’s feet by dusk. “We would find space in the Basilica (of Bom Jesus) for a soulful experience of being close to the saint’s relics,” he said.
The next day, they would attend a novena or the feast Mass and undertake the journey back home.
Another pilgrim, Thomas Antonio da Costa of Varca, recalls travelling in a carreira on a special trip directly to Old Goa via Borim. “This was back when ferryboats in Cortalim were small,” he said. D’Costa also recalls a memorable walking pilgrimage to Old Goa with his neighbours. “We rested overnight at Pilar and continued to Old Goa across Batim and Goalim Moula,” he said.
The transportation system improved with the introduction of buses and bigger ferryboats. “The first bus – owned by Shamba Fatarpencar — was introduced on the Betim-Mapusa route for the Exposision in Nov 1952,” said Angle, who has a collection of vintage photos.
Combined with the improved transportation system and people’s economic conditions, pilgrimages to Old Goa became more convenient. “Pilgrims from South Goa had it easier after bigger ferry boats were introduced at Cortalim around 1956,” said Angle.