Discovering Damao In Daman

DISCOVERING DAMAO IN DAMAN


Vasco Da Gama discovered the sea trade route to India in 1498, but the Portuguese discovered Daman only in 1523 and that too by default. India’s Viceroy D.Nuno da Cunha had ordered ships to set sail towards Hormuz; when the one carrying Diogo de Melo got caught in a huge storm resulting an off coast embankment on the Daman Ganga river.

Enchanted by the grandeur of the city’s port, Diogo brought it to the Viceroy’s notice. However, the Portuguese could conquer Daman only on 2nd February 1559, when Constanino de Braganza, the Governor of Goa, attacked the local Abyssinian defense of 3000 soldiers with a fleet of more than 100 vessels.

The Governor ordered a new, stronger fort –St.Jerome to be erected, strategically located at the harbour, just a stone’s throw from the town market and appointed Diogo de Noronha as Captain – Major of Daman, with a team of 1200 men .For 400 years since, the twin fort city remained under Portuguese rule, until Operation Vijay launched on 17th December, 1961 by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force linked the territory to become an integral part of India.

Four centuries of Portugal’s influence gave birth to new customs and cultures and the locals went with its flow. Historians confirm the territory of Daman, known as the Northern Province, extended from Bulsar to Bassein ( Valsad to Vasai). The Portuguese masterminded export of Indian goods to foreign shores from Daman’s market. ‘Trade and finance in Portuguese India ‘, by Celsa Pinto points out how Daman and Diu derived their strength from Gujarat’s plains, noted for their fertile soil and agricultural productivity like cotton, centers of textile like Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot supplied woven fabric while lowlands surrounded by hills and jungles benefited for opium production and teak. Daman’s percentage of coastal traders was higher than the other two Portugal settlements of the Estado.

A paper written on Damao, by author Athos Fernandes for an international symposium,now published as a book on Goa-Portugal Their Cultural Links, informs readers about Portuguese domination in Daman - The first coin mint was established in 1617, when D.Lourenco de Tavora gave the license to mint copper coins known as bazarucos. The second and third mints came up on 1617 and 1769.Till date, locals often use the term ‘Num te bazaruco’- “I don’t have money.”

In 1773, the prime minister of Portugal announced that the shipyard at Daman-Caliana had done more than the entire maritime unit of Goa had achieved in a century. Christened Royal Shipyard thereafter, it made famous vessels like frigate ‘D .Fernando e Gloria,’ (19th century) which sailed for 33 years, transporting military personal from India to Angola, to Mozambique and back.

By the 19th century, Daman had its own newspaper -’O Portugues em Damao’, a weekly which began on 18th July 1835 and was so much in demand that it got distributed at night itself .Its editor was Prof.Solinas ,from Goa. Unlike the British who concentrated only on trade, the Portuguese were on a mission to spread religion and conversion. Churches, convents, colleges and seminaries sprouted up, beckoning neighbouring denizens. ’Our lady of Remedios’ at the Church in Moti Daman is believed to be a Hindu, one of the seven sisters of Goddess Laxmi, worshipped by seamen. .

Flavours of culinary cuisine such as espetada de leitao, pao-de-lo, alh –piment de bombilins,xacuti,dal bafad,dampaca, bacalhau and borao ,savoured with imported wines along with locally prepared bolo de sura-fermented sap of the palm tree found favour at local tables on festive days. Caravel dance and Portugal’s fado music retained immense popularity with the Damanense. Fishermen’s folk songs merged with local lore are still sung out at the sea.

Four hundred and fifty years since Daman was first influenced by the Portuguese, the impressions of its culture remain stamped all over the town. Last week, the Damanense celebrated World Daman Day on 2nd February, in nostalgia, sighing ,’Saudade Damao’and singing as Portuguese poet has penned in his collection ‘Mensagem’-

“O Mar Salgado, quanto do teu Sal Sao Lagrimas de Portugal !”

(Oh salty sea, how much of your salt are tears of Portugal!)

DRY DAY, DAMAN.

‘Booze is the social glue of all mankind’, said dear old Barbara Holland who really loved her wine. Little did the dear departed soul know that prohibition in Gujarat leaves one asking for more.

Magan Batla and aunty Batli are being hounded in the dry state, post the hooch tragedy by the king of ‘gud’ times.

The intelligent agencies have all of a sudden, brilliantly discovered that 50% or more amount of illicit liquor in the state wades in from Daman via land or the waters of Arabian Sea.

Hence, all of a sudden, Gujarat’s Cavalla, is threatened for its very existence. Back tracking to the source has meant double jeopardy for all in the business of booze and wine shop owners had 19 to the dozen meetings a day to figure out a way to avoid face off situations.

Last Saturday, might as well go down as one of the darkest day in its Hic –History.

The Daman bandh call by the locals was so well supported that even paanwallahs had shut shop to catch up on siesta. Well meaning political parties have offered full support in exchange of vote banks.

Meanwhile, Goa’s country cousin had visitors left in the lurch, stranded on the rocks instead being able to enjoy one on the rocks. There was ‘water water everywhere, not a drop to drink.’

Regulars and first timers who had visited Daman from dry states or elsewhere, for a whiff of fun, fags and freedom got no high and were left dry .No more a booze shopper’s paradise, where alcoholics could feast their eyes with the sight of their favourite slugs and new stuff on the block.

Here is a farmaish, from them, about their feelings on Dry Day, Daman-

Hungama hai kyun barpa thodi si jo peeli hai-with random checks at the border for even vehicles that were coming into Daman, tourists were left wondering ‘daka toh nahi daala, chori toh nahi ki hai!”Little did they know someone else was cost cutting on the excise front.

Ek toh sharab kum aur paimaana toota hua-With no dearth –e-daru- syndrome ever in the past, people were caught unawares and had not stocked up. Spanning the quaint town resulted in a no win situation with all possible sources at protest against the injustice.


Hui mehengi bahut hi sharab ke thodi thodi piya karo-Alcoholics were singing this number, not nagging wives. Since wine shops were shut, visitors had no options but to drink expensive alcohol by more than 50%-70%, instead of paying corkage charge and drinking their own in local restaurants.

Nashaa sharab mein hota toh naachti bottle-Sang the poor souls who were fleeing the eerie town, as strict vigilance checkers made them open up boot and bags to find nothing.

Sharab cheez hi aisi hai na chhodi jayee-Stalwarts in the habit, took refuge in neighbouring Udavada and lit up the sleepy town with ‘jaahan char yaar mil jaye’

Ek taraf uska ghar, ek taraf maikada-Surat is to have 25 new city gates at the cost of rs.25 lakhs, to welcome people coming in. With most of its exit points leading closer towards its favourite water hole, booze lovers now shudder to think of what kind of welcome will they get on returning into the city.

Tum nahi, gham nahi, sharab nahi, aisi tanhai ka jawaab nahi-Surtis and others returned home on Sunday after a miserable Saturday, with a lesson learnt the hard way.

We try to hold, in full hypocrisy, to the principles of our dear Bapu, the Mahatma when it comes to prohibition.

It’s a shame then, that the heritage walk path of the Dandi march between Surat Navsari has now been conveniently shoved to non existence due to need of the hour road development.

The only question the now bitter but otherwise sweet Surtis want to ask the people concerned is,’Maine pi sharab, tumne kyaa piya?”