Goa Chitra Celebrates International Museum Day
With Senior Citizens of the State. 
In compliance with the motto and philosophy of Goa Chitra, the museum threw open its doors to the aged and senior citizens of the state on international museum day. The theme selected by the ICOM was museums for social harmony. As a significance to integrate the aged into the main stream of Goan society, visitors from the home of the aged and senior citizens from across Goa were invited for a Free and special tour of the museum on the 18th of May 2010. Special tours were conducted personally by the curator and collector Victor Hugo Gomes at 10.00 a.m., 12.00 noon and 4.00 p.m. transport was sponsored by Ruby realtors and Evancio Quadros .
The event was met with an overwhelming response as busloads of aged arrived to spend the day at the museum. Armed with wheel chairs and walking sticks, they filled the corridors of the Goa Chitra museum echoing Konkani lexicon along with the curator and adding their own Portuguese translation. For Victor Hugo Gomes this was an equally emotional experience since it was not long ago that he heard similar stories from his grandmother.
For 94 years Mrs. Olga Da Costa, the oldest visitor to Goa Chitra, the day was an extremely emotional experience. With tears in her eyes she confesses to the surprise she felt to see tools and implements that she once so ordinarily used being put on display. To her it was going down memory lane when life was simple and everything had meaning and purpose.
Another senior citizen from the Benaulim Home for the Aged, Olinda was grateful for this experience. This land lady was definitely proud to see the ‘hando’ and promptly recounts her familiarity with the use of these tools. For Robert Fernandes, it was an instant connection not only to the implements on display but to the entire concept of preserving it for the future generations.. “How else would tomorrow’s youth know their ancestry?”
For Dorothy, her smile was enough to express her awe at the display. “In the past these were things that we would use every day, and now to see them on display makes me happy. Thank you for taking on this endeavour. It is not only us the aged but also the younger generation who shall be forever grateful. God bless you and your wife”
In their own wisdom, they knew that all they saw is now history and was grateful to this experience. One could feel the hesitance as they had to leave, because for many they had come home to their youth. The tour’s ended with a interaction over snacks and soft drinks served to the guests.
Goa Chitra, Goa’s first and only ethnographical museum, situated in Benaulim is open to public on all days except Mondays between 9.00 am to 6.00 pm. For details call 08326579877, 08322772910, 09850466165 or email goachitra@gmail.com.
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Goa Chitra is a tribute by its founder to his ancestors and to their way of life using age-old wisdom passed down through generations. It is an unique collection and display of traditional farming implements and other ancient tools of trade set up against the backdrop of a traditional organic farm.
Beginning with the original 200 privately collected items, the collections have now grown to more than 4000 objects on display. The museum nevertheless preserves its universality in its collections of artifacts in representing the culture of ancient Goa. Each of the artifacts is supplemented by information that was collected in situ by interviewing the elder members of the community and through the study of its application in daily life.
Reutilization and recycling of materials like wood work, doors, windows, pillars, railings and other materials and elements from over 300 demolished traditional houses that have been recovered by the designer contribute to the contemporary outlook of the structure with its blend of traditional elements and modern technologies.
The concept of the museum is in holding with the philosophy that resources in today's world should not be wasted if their use is not necessary.
Goa Chitra believes in reviving age old traditions through the museum display and outreach programs thus allowing the younger generation to share the wisdom of the past which would otherwise be irretrievably lost. This we hope will create awareness about nature, its influences, and benefits on human life.
19 May 2010
Benaulim, Goa, India
- As forwarded to www.goa-world.com
& gulf-goans e-Newsletter team via email.
For this show, three styles had to be portrayed—classical Indian style, a mix and a European-Indian style.
