Siolim

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Siolim
Siolim
State - District(s)	Goa - North Goa
Coordinates	15.37° N 73.46° E
Area
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Population (2001) - Density	10,311 -
Codes - Postal - Telephone - Vehicle	- 403 517 - +0832 227 -

Siolim (Konkani: िशवोली) is a village in Bardez, and a census town in the North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. A person from Siolim is known as a Siolcar

1 Location
2 Schools
3 The church in Siolim
4 Famous Siolcars
5 Historical firsts
6 Concerns
7 Miscellaneous
8 Demographics
9 References

[edit] Location

Siolim is situated about 7 kms from Mapusa. It is situated around Chapora River. There is a bridge over River Chapora in place of the ferry.

To Siolim’s North lies sleepy Oxel; green hillocks hedge it towards Assagao in the South and the East; Camurlim too lies to its East, and in the West flows serenely the Chapora river with Morjim and its pine-wooded beach on the northern bank in Pernem.

It has several vadde, including Igrezvaddo, Gaunsavaddo, Bamonvaddo, Marna, Portavaddo, Tarchi Bhatt, Guddem, Aframent, Vaddi and Oxel.

Siolim has three panchayats: Siolim-Marna, Siolim-Sodiem, and Siolim-Oxel. It has two comunidades as well--Siolim and Marna--and two parishes--Siolim and Tropa.

[edit] Schools

Holy Cross High School, which was a very popular girls convent in Goa, founded by the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross in 1933. However since 1977 it has been converted into a co-ed, with only the boarding restricted for girls. St Francis Xavier’s High School and Higher Secondary School was established at Bamonvaddo by Minguel Antonio D’Souza in 1937. Since it is being run by the Fransalians. Shri Vasant Vidhyalaya at Portavaddo, Keerti Vidyalaya at Raim and Shri Shanta Vidyalaya in Sodiem are the other schools.

[edit] The church in Siolim

Siolim's church is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. It was built by the Franciscans in 1568. The Corinthian style church possesses two steeples on the frontispiece and a statue of St Anthony holding a serpent on a leash. This is a depiction of the incident which occured during the construction of the church wherein a snake that was disrupting construction work was found caught in the cord placed in the statue's hand.

According to the book 'Siolim', the earliest church--Church of Mae de Deus--was at the Sonarkhett hill, wedged between Siolim and Assagao. It was located centrally to serve the spiritual needs of the new converts in the villages of Anjuna, Assagao, Siolim and Oxel. But being situated on the rising hill and probably being a kutcha structure, it survived for merely 32 years, leaving behind the black stone cross at Sonarkhett.

The Gaunsavaddo Chapel of Mae de Deus was constructed in 1847. Earlier the local Christians would attend religious services at the Military chapel at Tropa or Palchovaddo, which was raised to a Church in 1971. This place was well fortified by the Portuguese with police to ward off the Bhosle attacks. Hence the place was nicknamed Tropa.

The parish chapels include the chapel at Gaunsavaddo (Mae de Deus), Marna (St. Sebastian), Portavaddo and Tarchi Bhatt.

Three brothers from Gaunsavaddo--Ganexa, Zagre and Fonde Gauns--were the first Christian converts, their descendants are Fr Cyriaco, Victor Santana, Dr Cosme and Fr Damiao Fernandes.

[edit] Famous Siolcars

Siolim has produced many musicians, sportspersons, bishops and other famous people.

Among sportspersons, hockey internationals Gregory, Olimpio, Edgar and Egbert Fernandes and international hockey referee Domnick J Fernandes have done India proud. Marie (Simoes) Mendonca captained the Indian hockey team, represented India at the first and 2nd Asian Games in Delhi and Manila respectively in athletics and in 1956 wore Indian colours at the Melbourne Olympics. At the national level, Peter Fernandes (Vasco Club), and star player Franco and goalkeeper Caetano Fernandes (both of Dempo) earned honours for Siolim.

Music is an essential ingredient of Goa, and more so in Siolim. Pinta Xapai (the grand old patriarch who died at the age of 114) put up the statue of Beethoven in his courtyard in Gaunsavaddo. The rare landmark symbolises the love for the magical arts and music Siolcars are famed for. Famous musician Remo Fernandes hails from Siolim. Another well-known musician was Johnson (of 'Johnson & his jolly boys' fame). Rosario “Tequila” Basil was a famous saxophonist. Writer-trumpeter Reginald Fernandes, played for Hal Green, Nelly and her Orchestra. Known as ”Romansincho Patxai”, he has written a record number of Konkani novels...nearly 100. A musician of high repute, he has left behind several Goan Konkani compositions, which are played still on All India Radio,one of the well-known ones being the melancholic “Adeus Korchea Vellar” sung by Allan Costa. Antoninho de Souza was a music director and music recordist for the All India Radio. The music and lyrics for the beautiful konkani duet, "Rajan and Prema" were written by him.

The present Bishop of Sindhudurg diocese, Rev. Allwyn Baretto is from Siolim. Bishop Leonard Monteiro, former Archbishop of Nagpur is also from Siolim.The retired Bishop of Belgaum, the Rt. Rev. Ignatius Lobo is from Gaunsavaddo. His famed brother, John Lobo, from the first batch of Indian Police Service in 1948, who was the Director, Central Bureau of Intelligence.

Well-known cartoonist Alexyz is from Siolim. One of Goa’s most prominent tiatrist Kid Boxer came from Siolim as did Mini Diogo.

[edit] Historical firsts

Liberation brought in electric power in 1972 and tap water flowed in 1975. By 1980 Siolim had a telephone exchange, which has since shifted to a large building. The first KTC bus travelled to Siolim on July 14, 1981.

[edit] Concerns

Some of Siolim's most beautiful places are it's green fields and hills. However, these are being lost due to rapid increase in settlement, with a huge rise new constructions. Open spaces for children and youth to play outdoors are fast disappearing. At the present rate, the only open space remaining may be the football ground owned by the church. All Siolcars should awake and take steps to prevent this unplanned development.

[edit] Miscellaneous

The Sateri Temple, designed by Goan architect Ralino de Souza. is good for a visit.

Siolim has a few football teams, the most prominent being that of Football Club of Siolim (FC Siolim).

Siolim has inspired the Goan mando "Siole dongra sokolu"

[edit] Demographics

As of 2001 India census^GRIndia, Siolim had a population of 10,311. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Siolim has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 87%, and female literacy is 77%. In Siolim, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.