In Goa, sign up for a tour of the governor’s residence

In the late 1800s, a small monastery in Goa’s Dona Paula was home to a group of Franciscan Friars known as Recollects. The religious men followed a strict code that restricted their movement beyond the monastery. All was well until a grave illness raised its ugly head. The closest medical facilities were in Goa Velha (Old Goa). In order to reach there, and not meet people via road, the friars travelled by boat from a small jetty—that proved to be a lifesaver—near the monastery. The priests and monastery are long gone, but the jetty remains, unused and forgotten.

This jetty is one of the many secrets that are part of the Goa’s governor's official residence, Cabo Raj Bhavan. The main residence is closed to the public and camera lenses, but there is a lot to explore on this 88-acre estate. This exploration comes courtesy of tour group Soul Travelling’s newest walk, in collaboration with Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) and Raj Bhavan.

When in Goa, sign up for this new tour

The Raj Bhavan was open for walks in 2019 but shut down at the beginning of the pandemic. Now, the tour is back in a shiny new avatar. Sign up for a peek inside this well-guarded heritage property.

At a small visitor centre at the entrance of the estate, we are given a briefing about the tour. Once called Cabo or Cabo de Palace (Cabo is cape in Portuguese), the present estate covers 88 acres, much of which is forest cover. Varun Hegde of Soul Travelling shows us a map from 1881 that points out the different forts built to keep out intruders from the sea, including Cabo Raj Bhavan, which was one of the most important and least accessible fortresses in Goa. History has it that the fortifications came up in the 1540s.

Outside the visitor’s area, a big colourful board announces the many avian residents of Raj Bhavan, including the Forest Wagtail, Black-naped Monarch, Jungle Babbler and Ashy Drongo. It is from here Soul Travelling guide and business development manager Clyde Tellis begins our tour, with the promise of seeing the other (lesser-known) residents, from the Malabar Tree Nymph to the mongoose.

Our first stop is the chapel, Our Lady of Cape or Bon Voyage, believed to be the first structure built on the estate. The laterite stone chapel at the top of the hill is a small, all-white, humble structure. Tellis tells us that a shrine, built in the 1500s, was once a landmark for seafarers: “when they left by ship for battle or other journeys, this was the last piece of land in their sight”. The shrine became a chapel, then a monastery, and finally a part of the Governor’s Palace.

Inside lies the grave of Dona Paula, the lady that gives the region her name and is the subject of many a legend. The daughter of a Portuguese Viceroy, Paula Menezes, married the affluent Antonio Souto Maior, whose family owned a sizeable amount of property in the area. Her grave occupies a side wall in the chapel.

The chapel’s greatest asset is the view — it looks out on the confluence of the Mandovi and Zuari Rivers. The wind is a paid actor here, trussing up hair and fluttering skirts and making the plants and flowers dance. Here, seated on a starry mud bench, we can see far into the horizon, right up to the ship-lined Mormugao Harbour.

Nearby, down a flight of stairs, is the shrine of St Paulina/Paula. The reclining statue of the saint lies in a small glass coffin. Tellis tells us the legend that the statue washed up on the shore nearby. Disinterested villagers threw it back into the sea. It kept returning so they believed it to be miraculous, took it home, dressed it in a sari and built a shrine. It’s an unusual shrine in that it reminds us of a temple, with bells at the entrance and a steel container containing haldi and kumkum.

From the hill slope, we move to the dark recesses of the garage where a magnificent ageing black Cadillac sits with quiet dignity, resting after its years of service ferrying dignitaries. It may have rust in pockets and an envelope of dust, but it still manages to evoke awe.

As we walk through the estate, we’re told the story behind how the estate sourced its water. Once upon a time — this isn’t a myth — an intricate system of conduits helped gather rainwater in huge tanks. There are remnants of this engineering marvel — stones with hollowed-out interiors — now lying discarded in the ground.

We get another glimpse of history at the small museum on-site, which has stone carvings recovered from across the state, including a Sati stone. The most interesting exhibits showcase pictures of the different festivals celebrated in Goa, which includes the mud festival of Chikal Kalo and Chor Utsav, which sees people buried in the sand as a symbolic act of punishment for crimes committed by their ancestors in the past.

Each corner of the estate we visit offers us unmatched views of the sea but it’s the gardens that are this estate’s most vibrant and photogenic secret. Butterflies flit across flowering plants. Trees form canopies over internal roads, each bearing a plaque announcing their names. Blooming Gulmohar trees offer a burst of radiant colour amid the foliage. These patches of green merge into jungle-like inaccessible areas, thick with intertwining branches. This jungle accompanies us wherever we go.

At one small clearing is Cannon Point, with a tiny park and lawn that has hosted many a party for previous governors and dignitaries. This viewpoint offers another stunning view of Panjim’s coastline going all the way north to the newly renovated Aguada jail. 

Our visit ends at the Aushadh Vatika. There, in neatly cultivated rows, are 100 plant species known for their medicinal properties; this garden is maintained by the state’s forest department. Here lies the Asian water willow, Indian rosewood, soursop, paradise tree, sugar leaf or stevia, miracle leaf or panfuti, spreading hogweed, mugwort, crepe jasmine and, of course, dukshiri (sarsaparilla, which is often infused in coconut feni).

The Raj Bhavan has always been inaccessible to the public: though the chapel has Mass, visitors have to register interest in advance. This tour is a short glimpse into what many would consider the oldest and most beautiful Governor’s Palace — the view certainly is unmatched. The estate is a maze of roads and greenery that successfully hides its more inaccessible parts. Though certain areas are off-limits, we are allowed to stop and stare and wonder about the number of rooms in the house, the parties conducted at the now upgraded Durbar Hall and whether anyone walks down the 130 odd steps to the tiny half-beach on the estate.

Some secrets, after all, are meant to remain hidden.

Tours are on weekends only. Book here. Cost: Rs500 plus taxes.