A hamlet full of surprises

“We’re going to Santorini. Keep your passport ready.” - said my cousin with a dimple in his smile and glint in his eyes. He then turned on his car’s engine and started playing Coldplay’s Paradise.

The four-wheel drive took-off on time. Fuelling itself with few gallons, its tyres gave a big hug to the road below and then kept kissing the black beauty until the breaks pulled it off with a squeaky sound. As we had to halt at a junction that connected one with the bylanes of a hamlet.

However, the cozy scene continued once our car swished through the small lane that connected ancient homes and renovated mansions. The village still had an old world charm despite tremendous transformation happening around.

When the car finally arrived at the destination, my mind opened up like the eyelids that wake up in the morning after a good night sleep and look forward to a promising day. The place was Siridao; parallel to Panjim-Margao highway but it seemed that it had turned its back from the bustling roadway so that it can quietly revel in the confluence of Zuari River and the great Arabian Sea.

As we walked, my steps experienced a slight upward movement. We were climbing the edge of a hillock. Forty seconds of walk towards a gate and my eyes discovered one of the oldest chapels in Goa - The Jesus of Nazareth Chapel.

At a glance, it seemed that the place of worship is upheaved from the Island of Santorini; white-washed walls with a touch of bright blue shade on its borders. But what also enhanced its beauty was the orange hues of the setting sun.

Were we static human sketches walking amidst God’s own painting? Were we fine strokes on a canvas made by the Almighty’s own brush? The thoughts kept revolving as I kept gazing.

But then a salty breeze approached me like beach bubbles, washed away all mind-made conceptions and pulled me to sip in view of its wall-less home - the Ocean. It was vast like an unexplored mind, innocent like a sleeping baby, soft like a silk sari yet dangerous like a volcano ready to erupt anytime. It was a view that the chapel has been cherishing it for years.

If the blue & white together gave it a Greek look, the dome behind, uplifted the edifice's beauty. Some Historians say that the unusual dome is a key evidence of pre-Portuguese Christianity in Goa and multi-cultural society in the area.

As the seconds turned into minutes, the very hour started experiencing the warmth of twilight. The lights were evenly getting distributed. Unveiling an ideal backdrop to do some magic with the lenses. It seemed that it was nature's way of telling us that I'll provide you the resources, it’s your task how to leverage them.

Right from the moment I stepped inside the chapel’s compound to the moment I left behind my footsteps at the shore next to the hillock, I, along with my cousin lived surprises that the hamlet had to offer without a passport.