Travel a bit of Daman and Diu

ANURADHA GOYAL Daman is a small town on the west coast of India — sandwiched between the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. But it has managed to establish to hold a niche identity for itself. Some of this identity is rooted in its past as it was a Portuguese colony along with Goa. You might remember the Union territory of Goa, Daman & Diu from your school textbooks. A contemporary identity of this union territory is that it’s a small island where you can drink alcohol unlike in the neighbouring dry state of Gujarat. In fact, this is a big reason for the Gujaratis to visit this Union territory. Especially over weekends and holidays. The town is situated on both the banks of the River Daman Ganga that merges here with the Arabian Sea. Another way to look at it is that the town is divided into two parts by the river. Moti Daman on its Southern Bank and Nani Daman on its Northern Bank. Moti means big and Nani means small in Gujarati — a language that is mainly spoken in Daman (pop.59,000). The irony is that the Moti part is the smaller of the two, but it is older. It offers more for the history seeker. While the Nani part is for the business traveler and thrill-seekers in general. I began my exploration with the Nani Daman as that is where I lodged at The Deltin. Nani Daman We started by visiting the Daman Ganga Estuary where on one side stands Saint Jerome Fort. The tide was low so the boats seemed to be parked on sand. But I was told every evening Nani Daman witnesses the high tide and boats start floating. Across the waters, we could see a black and white watchtower standing like a lone sentinel keeping an eye on the sea. Fort Saint Jerome A tired-looking fort stands on the north bank of the Daman Ganga River. Its entrance has carvings on it with a cross on the top. I do not understand these icons or the stories behind them. But the inscriptions in Portuguese safely place this fort to the days when this place was a Portuguese colony. A splendid Statue of St Jerome stands on top of the entrance arch. History books tell us that this fort was built about four centuries ago. To keep an eye on the maritime activity in the Arabian Sea. Our Lady of the Sea Church, St Jerome Fort As soon as you enter the fort you see an open ground with the church in one corner, surrounded by the thick wall that wears an even thicker veneer of age. I chose to climb a staircase leading to the upper story that looked ike a rooftop from the ground floor. However, the view was not disappointing. There was a thick wall going around the ground. Wide enough for a few people to walk side by side and keep an eye on the area surrounding the fort. There…