Goa: Rush for memories as Kurdi village resurfaces

MARGAO: The thrill of exploring an underwater

village

located amidst idyllic surroundings has been drawing hordes of visitors to

Kurdi

for a few weeks preceding the monsoons. Among the visitors are residents of the erstwhile bustling village reviving their childhood memories.


While Kurdi reappears every year for a few months preceding the monsoon, increased footfalls have led to citizens raising apprehensions over the safety of the vehicles using the roads and crossing old unused culverts.

Locals also frequent the village to go fishing using canoes. The fact that the area is out of range of any mobile network adds to the concerns as it could hamper any communication in case of a disaster. The nearest health centre as well as fire station are located 20km away.

Residents of surrounding villages have also expressed their disapproval over the nuisance created by some visitors by leaving behind empty beer bottles and leftover food in the open.

The Kurdi village — once known for its rich produce of cashew, jackfruits, mangoes, bananas and coconuts — went under

water

after it came under the

reservoir

submergence of the Salaulim irrigation project over 30 years ago.

The receding waters have uncovered relics of the centuries-old Someshwar temple, remnants of a Ganesh temple, ruins of a high school, besides vestiges of the entire village. An RCC building that once housed a police outpost, a grocery shop, a teashop, etc, is another landmark that bears telltale marks of the village.

Hindustani classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar, mother of Kishori Amonkar, hailed from Kurdi and the ruins of her house close to the Someshwar temple can still be seen. After a brief reappearance, Kurdi goes under water once again once the monsoons set in.

The natives of Kurdi get together at the resurfaced village every year, an event that has now turned into a public gathering.

However, as the waters have yet to recede to facilitate a safe congregation, the event has been cancelled this year.