Candolim Village

Candolim  taps  lightly  on the shoulder of  its  tourism-twin  - Calangute   in the North. Hill-clad Pilerne lies to  its  North-East,  and a meandering stream of the Mandovi river separates  it at  Saipem  from neighbouring Nerul on the West.  Saipem   is  the gateway  to Candolim from the Betim side. "Saipem, is an idyllic place,  where you can forget the din and dust of big cities.

Fishing craft and dolphins cresting the waves make up  a  pretty sight on the horizon. Candolim's bewitching sights begin atop the scenic Sinquerim plateau

The feast of St Lawrence is celebrated on August 10. According to Bosquejo das Possessoes Portuguesas, "Before the day of St Lawrence nobody expects to see a sail on the horizon, because  it is  monsoon; but with the break of dawn one sees on passi ng by  a miracle, or there appears at the sandbar by his favour the vessel of the high seas, and the coastal vessels or the ships which have been  lying anchored during the monsoon get themselves ready  to leave.  It is because of this that the church faces the sea,  the churchyard is packed with curious people, the sailors make  their calculations  by scanning the horizon, and the pious  and  devout souls fulfill and make their vows on this occasion."

The plateau remains largely  deserted  most  of  the time except for the vehicles unloading innumerable tourists every day to have a glimpse of the historic fort. The seclusion of the plateau inspires young lovers to visit here often, unmindful of the thorny bora trees growing wild all around.

Candolim's  feast  of  Nossa  Senhora  de  Esperance  is  being celebrated  on December 19. People from the surrounding  villages gather  in  large numbers for the feast with hope and  pleas for intercession. Of course, being a part of the coastal milieu  with a penchant for celebrations, it's a day of great rejoicing in the village. They also  have a  rare monsoon festivity called Sangodd  on June 29 every year, coinciding with the  feast of  St  Peter. The Sangodd is an aquatic tableau ma de by tying together five canoes to form a platform and decorated  like a chapel. The floating stage is rowed gently along the river and the large crowds gathered along the banks move along watching the lively  musical  programme enacted aboard the platfo rm. Until  a decade  ago, there used to be three such floats but only the one at Orda Santa Cruz continues till date.