Capturing Goa in its True Glory BY Janice Rodrigues For Herald Features
Goa is blessed with immeasurable treasures and the book 'Goa Remembered' has beautifully depicted a number of them. Selling 500 copies even before its release, this pictorial book brings to fore many priceless facets of Goa. Herald speaks to the man behind the pictures, Pantaleao Fernandes, as he shares his ideas about Goa.
For many people, even a lifetime in Goa will not be enough to see what this beautiful state has to offer, but Pantaleao Fernandes through his book 'Goa Remembered' gives us a visual treat of everything truly Goan. He has succesfully captured Goa's scenic beauty, the colours of the carnival, the fervour of the 'zatras', the everyday chores of a true Goan village and much more over a span of three years. These events are something that many Goans are familiar with but very few have truly experienced. Bringing to the world the true nature of Goa is this civil engineer turned photographer, Pantaleao Fernandes.
Having had a relatively successful career in building homes, Pantaleao followed his heart's calling and turned into a full time photographer, writer and explorer, and ever since, he has explored almost every nook and cranny in the state. His book 'Goa Remembered' is a documentation of his travels and experiences. "I see things changing so fast these days; I wanted to bring out this book as a way of saving what is left of the true Goan traditions for the later generations," he explains.
The book which has four sections captures the different facets of Goa. "The first section 'A Place for You' captures the beautiful scenic landscapes of Goa. The second section titled 'Religious Fervour' exhibits the religious customs and traditions followed and the religious monuments all around the state. In the third section 'Sweat of the Brow' I have captured the traditional occupations of the state which are now dying out while the fourth section 'Goa Celebrates' has the vibrant colours of the various festivities all around Goa; some of these festivities are very rare and not many people know about them,' he explains.
The book contains not only a collection of the various sides of Goa, but the foreword is a concise yet in-depth look at Goa's past and present. "The book also has a comprehensive narrative of Goa's past, provided by the Padma Shri Dr Maria Aurora Couto, which is really informative," says Pantaleao.
Having had a base in civil engineering. Pantaleao says that it has helped him in his photography as far as the business is concerned. "My experience in construction has given me a base to be enterprising in the way I work. But I'm happy that I made this shift from engineering to photography; it is less stressful now. Also, I always had a knack for photography and I feel creativity gets recognised immediately."
Apart form writing articles, Pantaleao has been providing his expertise in photography to various magazines and around seven books carry his photographs. "I love to dig out Goa's past and promote photography too, people should see the beauty in Goa and get hooked on to photography," says Pantaleao. (ENDS)
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qEOrJQod2FshyzbqDx8QSg?feat=directlink ______________________________________________________ First published in the Herald, Goa - February 19, 2011
