“Calizz”
The Heart of Goa
At “Calizz” (which
means 'HEART' in Konkani') you will discover the soul of Goa.
Spread across several acres by the Candolim beach,
it is a veritable treasure trove of artifacts. All belonging
to the private collection of Shri Laxmikant Kudchadkar.
“Calizz”
is a place which cannot be defined in a few words. It is one
of a kind in the world, situated in Candolim
"the nerve center of tourism activities in Goa".
“Calizz” which means Heart in the local language
Konkani spoken widely all over Goa is a perfect mélange
of old and new traditions, beliefs and architectural influences,
not only that it is a veritable treasure trove of artifacts
and antiques all belonging to the private collection of a
man with a vision of innovation Shri Laxmikant Prabhakar Kudchadkar.
At the entrance of calizz there are two refurbished
colonial mansions which were built in the Portuguese-era in
the year 1804. The architecture of the mansions at “Calizz”
is a perfect blend of Indian and European styles. The mansions
are as much as an example of intelligent conservations as
it is an evocation of the past, using a carefully selected
furniture and art while providing comforts unknown in the
18th century. The walls remain lime-stucco plaster, while
the roof covered with Manglorian tiles.
The main house in the Portuguese era was built
by a lady known as Dona Bertha who lived in this mansion with
her three sons and a daughter, she was a lady with values
and respect for the old customs and ethics set by the ancestors.
She followed one tradition which was not known to many people
in those days, according to this custom she gave one of her
sons to the people (who became a doctor), one to the God(who
became a priest), one to the devil (who became a Lawyer).
The main house is bifurcated into two sections the residence
of the family and the consultancies of the lawyer and the
doctor. The large and spacious rooms in “Calizz”
retain the old flavor using period furniture and elegantly
furnished with antiques. The rooms have beautiful frescoes
on the walls and stenciled borders at the entrance at each
door. In coastal Goa, where the sea, the
sand and a sunny climate encourage a languid pace of life,
verandhas and patios are a defining part of the architecture,
designed and built to catch the welcome breeze and to encourage
much family activity to take place outside.
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