Latest

Tales of Aguada and Tiracol

By on December 23, 2017

As we celebrate Goa's Liberation on December 19, we look at two of the state’s forts that have been witness to accounts of daring escape and courageous sacrifice

Nearly all of Goa’s forts boast picturesque locations, near the sea or rivers. Visitors are awed by the breathtaking view and return home satiated with the landscape.

But scratching the surface reveals tales of valour and courage, blood shed and glory.

Woven among the skirmishes between Goa’s neighbouring kingdoms and the Portuguese are tales of local heroes lost to the world.

As you sit in silence at Fort Aguada, recreate the scene of a daring escape by a smuggler. It involved freedom fighter Pandurangrao Rane, barely a teenager, and a group of friends and reads like a thriller:

The year was 1956, and Pandurangrao Rane from Ranache Zuem in Nadora, then aged 17, had come home on school vacations from Gwalior where stayed with his uncle. While in Goa, he became so fascinated with the freedom struggle that he never returned to school.

As a student, history was his favorite subject, with Shivaji, Rana Pratap and Pritviraj Chauvan fascinating him.

He recalled, “They inspired me to put up a fight on my own. Perhaps this would be our last chance to participate in the freedom movement and be part of history. So when I came to Goa on vacation in 1956, I joined the Goa Liberation Army (GLA).”

Read the full article in 'Viva Goa' magazine copy.
Viva Goa magazine is now on stands. Available at all major book stalls and supermarkets in Goa.