An ode to the old rugged Cross. Collection of almost 2000 types of Crosses -- By Nisser Dias

Cross with Station of
Crosses

For Christians, the cross is a symbol of the atonement that reminds Christians of God's love in sacrificing his own son for humanity. It represents Jesus' victory over sin and death, since it is believed that through his death and resurrection he conquered death itself. Hence for Christian faith especially as the Lenten season comes to end, Cross place a significant role to portray the sufferings of Jesus as he was condemned to death on the cross.

Interestingly there are different styles of Cross’ like the ‘Y’, ‘X’, ‘T’, Mexican, Russian, Eithopian,  Anchor, St. Peter’s, St. Andrew, St. Thomas and many more. It would be even more interesting to realize that the only Cross Museum existing in India is based in Goa.

The man behind the museum is Maendra Joceline Araujo Alvares, more popularly known as the ‘The Big Foot’ man.

Maendra Joceline Araujo Alvares

In conversation with Maendra says that it is a accidental discovery that led to investigate, gather and collect crosses from all over the world. He claims that in 2004 he picked up an upside down cross which brought out the curiosity in the artist. On researching he found that it was called St. Peter Cross. It is believed that St. Peter was crucified upside down at his own request as he did not feel worthy to die the same way as Jesus. Similar is the story of St. Andrew Cross, he requested his executioners to alter the style of the cross and was crucified on a ‘X’cross.

St. Peter Cross

From then on there was no looking back and in a short time he says he had collected 100 different crosses in Goa itself. “In 2004 internet access was either limited or patchy hence I had to speak to priests like Fr. Savio Rodrigues, Fr. Levis Gomes or visit libraries for details.

In 2005 he and his family went on an European tour and picked up 400 different crosses. Same year he held his first exhibition at Casa Araujo Alvares, Loutolim of 500 crosses followed by exhibitions at Fundacao Oriente in Panjim, then in Pilar and at Old Goa, “this had its effect, family members, friends and even priests started gifting me various crosses, Fr. Ozzie gave 4 Ethiopian crosses, Archbishop of Lesaka T. G. Mpundu Zambia, South Africa, has contributed some crosses from Africa.

Part of the Cross Museum

In 2006 Maendra’s collection had touched 1548 crosses, “with so many crosses I decided to open a museum adjoining ‘Big Foot’. “It was like a blessing because at the time of the inaugurating the Museum ‘His Eminence’ Paul Cardinal Poupard, President of Pontifical, Commission of Culture, Vatican Rome happened to be in Goa and did the honours of inaugurating the museum”.

Mexican Cross

This museum has also made it to the record books of World Record India & World Amazing Record in 2012, India Book of Record also in 2012 and Limca Book of Records in 2013. “On display from 2006 are 1548 various crosses, since then I have collected another 300 more which are yet to be displayed”.

Brief descriptions of some crosses according to the book published by Maendra Alvares based upon his research titled ‘In Search…’

‘Y’ or the Forked cross:- The Bible states that Jesus was crucified on a tree, and it is from there we get this ‘Y’ shape. It is also called a Thief’s cross or Robber’s cross since it is believed that criminals in the Roman Judea were crucified on a Forked cross.

‘Papal Cross’:- The Papal Cross is the official emblem of the Catholic Papal office and is used only by the Pope. The 3 beams represent different things to different people, but some of the interpretations include: the Trinity, the three crosses on Calvary, the Pope’s religious authority in the Church, the world and Heaven.

‘Russian Cross’:- It is similar to the Papal cross, the only difference being the slanted lower beam. The slant beam at the foot signify that those on the right side of Christ will rise up into heaven and those on the left will slide down into held.

‘Anchor Cross’:- Also call the St. Clement’s Cross or Mariner’s Cross. Clement is the patron saint of the mariners, anchor smiths, blacksmith and others. When Christians were persecuted and forced underground, their emblem has often been the Anchor Cross. To the outside world, it is just an anchor but to Christians it is a camouflaged Latin cross to keep their faith firm.

Felicitation of Parrikar and Amit Shah by BJP in Goa is indeed celebration of ‘Death of Democracy’ – By Nisser Dias.

Chief minister Manohar Parrikar and BJP president Amit Shah were felicitated in Goa for the formation of the government in the State by cobbling up the numbers when people did not give the BJP the mandate to govern.



Today Goa Forward and BJP are partners in crime.
'Murder of Democracy'

Parrikar now says that he has not done anything immoral but democracy is all about numbers and he had the numbers while the congress did not. 

It is well known, but since public memory is short let me remind them, that Parrikar does not believe in democracy in the truest sense but moulds and interprets it the way he wants to believe it or wants people to believe it. Secondly he interprets the meaning of democracy in two different ways – differently while in the opposition and just the opposite when he attains power. People of Goa know his crooked ways.

In a nutshell in 2004 the man named Manohar Parrikar had murdered democracy when he tried to cling to power by reducing the numbers of the Opposition in Assembly to win the Confidence Motion by bodily lifting legislator Filipeneri Rodrigues. Such an act cannot be of a person who believes in the basic tenets of democracy. For such an undemocratic act, his government was rightly disqualified by then Governor S C Jamir.

Nitin Gadkari 'The Negotiator'

Just as it said that leopard never changes its spots, the autocratic and despotic chief minister of Goa also will not change his crooked ways and means.

If he was a decent man he would have stuck to his portfolio in the Union, but no, he wanted to have absolute power to roughshod Goans as if they are his subjects and slaves. As a Defence Minister in the Modi government, Parrikar was no more than a pawn, as ultimate power was concentrated in the hands of the Prime Minister. Hence he was feeling like a dog on a leash.

Secondly his performance as the Defence Minister was dismal for a person who is perceived to be intelligent. Parrikar was a figure-head defence minister, decision to buy fighter jets from France were taken by the Prime Minister.

While Manohar Parrikar was enjoying his weekend in Goa militants were attacking our army bases and our jawans were being killed. It looks like the first opportunity Modi got to snatch the Defence portfolio from Parrikar he grabbed it, relieved him in less than 24 hours and sent him packing to Goa to form the government. Looks like Modi new that treachery and chicanery were Parrikar’s forte.

The 'Conductor' orchestrated the death of democracy



Today the government in Goa is not very different from a prostitution den. Prior 2012, Manohar Parrikar did not miss an opportunity to point out acts of omission and commission of the politicians like Pandurang Madkaikar and Vishwajit Rane. Aarlier to that Parrikar had filed criminal cases against Mauvin Godinho in power scam. Last five years Parrikar and Vijay Sardessai were always at loggerheads with each other. Today these same individuals are either ministers or will soon be ministers in Parrikar cabinet. For them nothings matters as long as they have ‘power’ they know  bountiful fruits flow from it.

Vijay Sardessai- The 'Facilitator'

Between 2012 and 2014 Parrikar alleged that Vijay had constructed his house in a low-lying area, that he was a land dealer who sold land to outsiders. Today the same unscrupulous chief minister of Goa has made the Fatorda MLA as his Town and Country Planning minister. The ministry deals with land in Goa thus Manohar Parrikar trusts the skeletal remains of Goa’s land to the same man he called a ‘dalal’ and a ‘dealer’.

While in the opposition during the Congress rule, he had accused Vishwajit Rane of trying to give acres of land belonging to Goa Medical College to an Israeli company dealing in arms and ammunitions to set-up a hospital. Today,

Vishwajit Rane 'Turn-coat'

Manohar Parrikar has welcomed Rane in his party with wide arms with promises to make him the Health minister.

Again during his last tenure as chief minister he had exposed Pandurang Madkaikar for usurping land that was meant to be acquired for public purpose and today Madkaikar is the Power minister.

Mauvin Godinho is also to be made a minister. It is the same man Parrikar had filed criminal cases against for power scam.

Pandurang Madkaikar
'Power Hungry"

Mauvin Godinho 'The Chamelion'

Manohar Parrikar’s cabinet consists of individuals whom he had exposed for wrong-doings which indirectly means that he has chosen the most corrupt MLAs as his cabinet colleagues. Parrikar indeed is a man without any principles and morals, who has proved that he has sold his soul to cling to power so that his sins of commission and omission will not be exposed.

For more than ten years now Goa has been gang-raped by the same thieves in guise of politicians, the current dispensation will undoubtedly pull the plug to squeeze the life out of Goa for their selfish gains.

In his hunger to cling on to power Parrikar has accepted the tainted politicians from the Congress into his party-fold which indicates that he too cannot do without power so that he can dominate everyone and anyone.

'Salazar' of Goa

His latest targets are the journalists who refuse to tow his skewered line of thoughts and functioning. He not only refuses to answer pointed questions put to him, over and above abuses reporters. Just because he has the power and state machinery with him, he runs his wrath over the innocent hard working people but a day is not far, when Goans will say enough is enough of his despotic ways and show him his place.

So what is this felicitation of Parrikar, Union minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping and BJP president Amit Shah all about? It is nothing more than a celebration of ‘death of Democracy’ in Goa by these three individuals.

Pandurang -- has had you eating out of his hands for 45 years -- By Nisser Dias

Pandurang Atamaram Gawas is an unassuming man but he has seen the transformation of commercial city of Goa – Margao like no other just by standing with his bhelpuri handcart in front of the State Bank of India for 45 long years.

“State Bank of India was originally a residence given out on rent for the bank to start its services, but now what you see is different” he says.

Pandurang a native of Dodamarg – a bordering district of Maharastra crossed over to Goa when he was just 12 years old in the year 1967. Today he is 68 and for the last 45 years he has had Goans eating bhelpuri, shevpuri, pani-puri, ragdda pattis and pav bhaji out of his hands. Pandurang goes on to narrate his long journey from then to now. When he strayed into Goa he got employment at Mahadev Ashram eatery ‘khanavoll’ near Mandovi hotel.

After working there for four months he along with couple of other workers were lured by a businessman with higher salary and brought to Margao to work at Penguin hotel and ice cream parlour. Pandurang recollects at that time somewhere in 1967, nowhere in Goa could you find ice cream that could be cut and served like slices. His employer had already brought in people from Bombay to teach his workers how to prepare such ice cream. To his bad luck the employees formed an Union within two months of joining work in Margao. Immediately the owner sacked them from service. “It did not end there, the owner made sure we did get employment anywhere in the city, the moment we were engaged as waiters, the previous owner would send a word to the new employer that they would ruin his business by forming an union and we were sacked outright and since there were only a few hotels it was easy to keep tabs on us”.

He went to reminisce that for two years I worked on daily wages whenever work was available for mere Rs. 2 or sometimes Rs. 3. Other days when there was no work I use to eat at the house of my friends. Those days he recollects that nobody would refuse food.

Pandurang says that he used to sleep in a carpentry shop at Pedda, Margao. In 1971 the owner of the carpentry shop seeing him struggling to get work on daily basis built a hand-cart for him and told him to start bhel-puri.

Since then there was no looking back for Pandurang, “which ever theatre in Margao running a good movie, I used to be outside with my handcart selling bhel, shev, pani puri and after that come and park at the Municipal garden”. On Sunday, it was time to go to Colva at 3.00pm and come back to Margao at 7.00pm”.

“During those days I used to charge 10 paise for a plate of bhel, shev or pani puri and make Rs. 30 a month equivalent to the salary I used to get at the hotel”.

After some years, I asked to move from the side of Municipal garden to the present place as the authorities started doing the pavement on the periphery of it. And since then he is stationed at the same spot, “I bring my cart at 4.00pm and wind up by 9.00”. He goes on to add that from 10 paise today the price has gone up to Rs. 25 per plate of his savouries. “Some of my customers from 1971 not only patronize even their grand children do”.

Nisser Dias

Datta Gaundalkar on who grew up eating this evening delicacies, says, “my father used to bring us here 35 years ago and I continued to patronize it and I have introduced my children to it, I have stuck to Gawas because of good taste, I do not think the flavour or taste has changed since I started eating it”.

Retired teacher of the Fatima High School Nina Coutinho recollects that she was introduced to this stuff by her friend, “It is now 32 years that I have been eating Atamaram’s delicacies sometime even twice a week, he is like a family member to me”.

50 years old Sayyed Khalik says, “I first ate bhel from Gawas in 1980 as a 13 years old and till date of and on I relish his preparation. What is important is that he has managed to maintain the consistency of his taste for so many years”. “Besides Gawas too has remained the same man he  is – a man of few words but fast to laughter”.

Pandurang lost his wife Rukmini two years back and has two daughters and two sons who are employed at two establishments in Margao.