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Where birds and beauty abound

By on December 22, 2014
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The island village of Chorao has a rich legacy of folklore and history, cut off as it is from the mainland for centuries

Two tributaries of the Mandovi – the Mapusa River and the Naroa River – isolate the land mass of Chorao or Chodan, making it the largest island of Goa. As it basks in its isolation, the waters of the Mandovi keep out all the evils that have hit nearby villages. 
Chodan still enjoys the tranquillity which the villages of the yesteryears enjoyed – no noise or heavy traffic bottlenecks, no concrete monstrosities and no influx of loud tourists. The villagers treasure their seclusion and when a proposed bridge project has also been shelved for the moment. The ferry boats that shuttle locals to and from Ribandar and Pomburpa add to the charm.

The Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary: All this isolation, peace and solace have attracted a large population of birds. Though these feathered friends are found all over the island, a large portion of the land (1.78 square kilometres) is demarcated exclusively as avian terrain and is named after India’s great ornithologist Dr Salim Ali. 

Uday Mandrekar, the son of a farmer, headed the calls of the birds as a school boy and is today known by birders all over world for his in-depth knowledge of local avian life and for being able to row his way in the natural canals crisscrossing the mangrove tangles.


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.

 

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