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Welcome to Calizz, a heritage site seeing place of Goan life through the ages. At Calizz (Which means 'HEART' in Konkani) you will discover the soul of Goa. Spread across several acres by the Candolim beach, it is a veritable treasure trove of artifacts. All belonging to the private collection of Shri Laxmikant Prabhakar Kudchadkar.

"Calizz" - "The Heart of Goa"

When I was a child I was always fascinated by the stories of the past told by my parents and teachers. I always use to imagine that one day I would make a time machine to go back in time to experience the life of people of the past and their way of living. As I grew older my fascination faded with time but the curiosity to spend a day in the history remained somewhere in my heart.

So began my journey of exploration to find the places of historical importance all over India. When I visited Goa I never thought that my childhood dream would become a reality and I would discover something which would enrich my vision of history such as my visit to "Calizz" has.

"Calizz" is a place which cannot be defined in a few words. It is one of a kind in the world, situated in Candolim "the nerve center of tourism activities in Goa". "Calizz" which means Heart in the local language Konkani spoken widely all over Goa is a perfect mélange of old and new traditions, beliefs and architectural influences, not only that it is a veritable treasure trove of artifacts and antiques all belonging to the private collection of a man with a vision of innovation Shri Laxmikant Prabhakar Kudchadkar.

Let us take a peak into the ostentatious world of imagination. At the entrance of calizz there are two refurbished colonial mansions which were built in the Portuguese-era in the year 1804. The architecture of the mansions at "Calizz" is a perfect blend of Indian and European styles. The mansions are as much as an example of intelligent conservations as it is an evocation of the past, using a carefully selected furniture and art while providing comforts unknown in the 18th century. The walls remain lime-stucco plaster, while the roof covered with Manglorian tiles.

The main house in the Portuguese era was built by a lady known as Dona Bertha who lived in this mansion with her three sons and a daughter, she was a lady with values and respect for the old customs and ethics set by the ancestors. She followed one tradition which was not known to many people in those days, according to this custom she gave one of her sons to the people (who became a doctor), one to the God(who became a priest), one to the devil (who became a Lawyer).

The main house is bifurcated into two sections the residence of the family and the consultancies of the lawyer and the doctor. The large and spacious rooms in "Calizz" retain the old flavor using period furniture and elegantly furnished with antiques. The rooms have beautiful frescoes on the walls and stenciled borders at the entrance at each door. In coastal Goa, where the sea, the sand and a sunny climate encourage a languid pace of life, verandhas and patios are a defining part of the architecture, designed and built to catch the welcome breeze and to encourage much family activity to take place outside.

Goa is endowed with the unique sea-port advantage of a highly indented coastline with a deep draft and trading in those days was done from Goa to various places all around Europe and To learn the importance of the trading in the Portuguese Goa there is a Tobacco house which was used for the trading of Tobacco which was undertaken by the family members of Dona Bertha as a part of the family tradition of following a trade which was started by the ancestors. The Tobacco house explains the various tools which were used for the trading of tobacco as Goa was a major port of Asia from where various things were traded and it was the first European colony which was made in Asia. Following the Tobacco house is the Carpenter's hut which shows the vision of a Carpenter who played an important role in the completion of the goan houses as it was a job of creating a masterpiece of art from wood. The last house of the Portuguese era is the fisherman's hut which accompanied by a very old boat which was used for shipping in the olden days.

After the completion of the tour of the Portuguese era comes the most interesting part of "Caliz" "The Pre Portuguese era” it is a platform which explains the difference in the culture and customs and the architecture of the houses. The first house in this era belongs to "Laxmibai" wife of a Hindu Brahmin. In Hindu houses there was no concept of privacy as it is in the western world this reflected in the open plan of the house and in the use assigned to one room used for various household functions. Spaces in the house were flexible and were put to use as the occasion demanded it. Goan Hindus had a very little furniture within the house almost all the activities were carried out on the floor on "mats", "patts" or "baithaks". This minimal use of furniture further accentuated the flexibility of interiors. The Hindu concept of a house is that of the Universe as an ordered division of space ranging from vulnerable to sacred areas, Goans happily embrace the cycle which links humankind with nature and the universe. Pollution has to be kept at a bay. This involves controlling access to the sacred space. Women may not enter during her monthly periods; indeed she is usually confined in a secluded room.

Women prepare and cook food crouching at ground level. There is no dining room, the Thali (little tray) of food is carried to the menfolk wherever they may be. When the men have eaten food the women can follow suit. On formal occasions diners sit cross legged on mats their Thali placed on a Chauki (low wooden platform) before them. At the entrance of laxmibai's house is a Swing or a Jhoola often used in Hindu rituals as the to and fro movement is said to signify a state of bliss and detachment from the everyday cares of the mortal world.

Last house of the pre Portuguese era is the landlord Gopala Pilgaonkar's house which shows the influence of various dynasties which ruled Goa before the arrival of the Portuguese It also shows the glimpses of Hindu mythology in different forms and the methodology which is used is very simple in the form of small theaters with sound and light systems. In addition to this is the gallery of Raja Ravi Varma, he was an Indian painter who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. His paintings are considered to be among the best examples of the fusion of Indian traditions with the techniques of European academic art. In Goa people happily embrace the cycle which links humankind with nature and the universe.

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