2019

I had the opportunity to visit the magnificent old  Portuguese mansion, Villa Menezes Braganza , in Chandor, in the deep, deep South of Goa.

The town of Chandor is not very large. Centred around the main square are a few white mausoleums and a grand old house, spanning the entire length of the square, as long as a football field. Perhaps longer.

I had passed this mansion before, but never managed to visit. My curiosity and love for history was finally appeased. I was very excited to learn the family had opened their doors to visitors because I love old homes and my dream has always been to live in an old Portuguese house, like my favourite cousin does.

The large house, divided by Family politics is split into two wings that are seemingly at war with each other! They share a common lobby and staircase but are otherwise completely cut off from one another.

As I approached the main doorway flanked by gardens on either side, a rosy cheeked old lady called out to me from one of the many little balconies on the first floor, ushering me urgently upstairs and inside the parlour. A family had just finished their visit and I waited until they left, admiring the beautifully maintained old room.

The sprightly old lady was the effervescent Judith Menezes, chatelaine and caretaker of her family’s living heritage museum. Every piece in that home, from furniture to books and China and linen is lovingly cared for by herself.  Judith spends her days cleaning and polishing all the objets d’art till one can see them in all their former glory. Judith knows all the stories and is a worthy inheritor of the legacy from her departed matriarch mother in law Aida, who was a legend .

The  Menezes Braganza family were traditional Catholics closely associated with the Church and became rich landowners as a result, several centuries ago. The area for miles and miles around was their fiefdom, and people paid tribute by way of tax, agricultural produce and crafts to the family, the mundcars or landowners.

The family grew immensely wealthy over the generations despite the success of several generations who tried to  outspend this wealth. Disaster struck with the independence of Goa and the family lost all their Portuguese privileges , and their vast fief to the GOI. The compensation was measly, leaving them embittered and a lot less wealthy. Today, they are scattered across the world, a far cry from their heydays as one of the most prominent families in Portuguese society.

The house is a marvel of antiques especially chinoiserie. I marvelled at the long house with the little balcaos, a traditional sign of the upper class,  the old real wooden floors, and high ceilings and rafters.

There is an actual ballroom with Venetian glass and a grand piano. Crystal chandeliers and a grand piano. Oh how my mind dreamed of the days when this house was alive with the old- fashioned courtesies and courtings of the era!

A grand gallery with clusters of tables and chairs, overlooking the main square outside ( it all belonged to the house once upon a time) lend to intimate whisperings and love letters exchanged behind frothy lace fans and duennas keeping a stern eye on their beautiful young charges!

Another gallery is filled with cupboards of hand-painted china, chinoiserie and marquetry, urns, platters and treasures from far away. crockery, glassware and more, all a remnant of an elegant and refined past, lived in the highest European standards. Traditional mother of pearl windows flag the archways leading to tiny balcaos where the gentlemen of the house gathered to smoke and ponder over their fortune. A beautiful chapel, ornate and gilded, once had its own priest to say Mass to the family.

It is sad and nostalgic, this old home with it’s chatelaine, the running feud between family, the loss and the memories. In our quest for democracy and modernity, we are losing vast chunks of history and ways of life across the spectrum of Indian culture and traditions.

If you are in Chandor, a visit here is a must. If only to chat with Judith and follow her around the museum she so lovingly cares for.

Disclaimer:

In all honesty, we visited both wings of the mansion and it seems some of my photos are mixed up and I cant do justice to the left wing. My deep and sincere apologies. However, both wings are absolutely beautiful and deserve visits, so I urge you to ring the bell next door and meet the other side of the Menezes Braganza dynasty.