DEATH: Themistocles (Themis) Damasceno Joaquim D'Silva, Goa-Book-Club member, a PhD in Chemistry and enthusiast on writing Goan village histories

[Frederick Noronha]

Dear all:

Sorry to be the harbinger of sad news. Just learnt from Dr Themistocles da Silva's cousin in Goa, of his recent passing. Themis was an active member of our network. In his early 90s, he was prompt to join discussions and raise questions on all issues that interested him. Though a PhD in Chemistry, over the last two decades of his life, he spent a lot of time writing rather detailed village histories on Arossim, the quaint, historic even if little-known village in coastal Mormugao (near the bigger and better-known Cansaulim).

He was very soft spoken yet knowledgeable. We grew close as we worked together to publish his two books, for which I clicked the cover photos and he would spend time answering all my queries about his village's history and related issues. After his second book release on Arossim, Dr Themis very kindly agreed to take four carloads of readers to tour through his area, with him guiding us at each step and explaining the peculiarities of Goan village history.

His work on Goa was well received and often cited. He lived a full life, and I appreciated his successful attempt at keeping Goa in his mind, even after having spent so many decades in the US, and North Carolina. I'd like to treat this as a 'thank you', and not a 'goodbye'. FN

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FN * +91-9822122436 * 784 Saligao 403511 Bardez Goa 

[Roland Francis]

Condolences to the family of a five star Goan.

Roland Francis
416-453-3371

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[Heta Pandit]

Heartfelt condolences to the families and friends.

May his soul rest in eternal peace. 

Heta

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[Albertina Almeida]

Oh I did not know he was as old as he was when he took us for the first Goa Book Club tour through Arossim. He seemed so agile.

 

Can we remember him with another book tour, by any other author, who is as enthusiastic in showcasing the site of inspiration of his/her/their book?

Albertina

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[Gerard de Souza]

Really sorry to hear about his passing. I remember him when back in GT, I had interviewed him about his first book on Arossim. He came across as very eager, interested, knowledgeable and down to earth. Interviewing him (it was more like an informal meeting) left me enriched by the experience.

May his soul rest in peace.

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Warm Regards
Gerard de Souza

Mob: 9765853312

Also at: gerard.a...@proton.me

[Amita Kanekar]

That's a great idea, Albertina. I somehow did not manage to meet Themistocles at all, though I enjoyed his writing on Arrosim. Would be happy to join in a memorial walk.  

Amita

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The past is never dead. It is not even past."
                            -- William Faulkner, Requiem for a Nun (1950)

Tel: +91 832 2462478 | +91 08007206134 | Panjim, Goa

[Jeanne Hromnik]

Michelle Mendonca Bambawale has written a book, Becoming Goan, that centres on Siolim. She might be happy to guide a group through the village. Frederick has her details.

(Jeanne)

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[Frederick Noronha]

First Rule of Volunteering: You can Only Volunteer Yourself.

For instance, if I was Jeanne (though I'm not), it could be: Next time I'm in Goa, a tour of the JM Nazareth, QC, ex-MLC Trail, in Moira and Beyond.

PS: Gratis copies of ebook strictly discouraged.

FN (breaking the FRoV for the sake of an example)

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[Jeanne Hromnik]

I was suggesting that Michelle be asked if she would like to conduct such a tour as she has done a lot of research on Siolim and is knowledgeable about many aspects of the village.

I was not volunteering her any more than I would volunteer myself for a non existent trail through a village of which I know little more than its reputation for breeding fools, albeit wise ones. 

Xxj

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[Frederick FN Noronha]

Since you have successfully hijacked this thread (see where it started), let's do a joint tour of Moira. It could be a case of the one-eyed leading the visually challenged. FN

[Cecil Pinto]

I do an Aldona Tour, only for friends, and interesting and interested friends of friends.
I change the route and the narrative depending on the audience.
Max. 4 people at a time.

Just saying.

Cheers!

Cecil
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[Eric PInto]

He was considerate and a gentleman.  He politely sought  my consent to use material i submitted on 

public fora. It was not required, I believe. I will miss his erudite compositions.

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/f51a03c4-8cbb-4c00-8ed5-063538c953ebn%40googlegroups.com

.

[Jeanne Hromnik]

The idea of a book tour was mentioned as a tribute to Themistocles D'Silva. I, too, think it is an excellent idea and a good way of showcasing a book that highlights a Goan village.

I'm sure he was a worthy man and a good historian and guide. I had no intention of hijacking a thread commemorating him.

JH

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[Eric Pinto]

Dad to hear about Themi's passing on. He was engaged on research on the dolmens in Karnataka. We need someone to take it forward with the same zeal.

Eric Pinto

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[Frederick Noronha]

Actually, that tour was led by Themis himself, many years ago, while on his last visit to Goa. Below are some of the photos from that 2015 trip, where you will see quite a few Goa-Book-Club members visible (if you know them). The first three pics were taken on some other day, I think... Don't miss the megaliths (much-misunderstood in Arossim, and called dovornem there, which Themis helped to uncover and explain... they are centuries, if not millennia old, long prior to the Portuguese... probably tribal spaces). 

  

[Amita Kanekar]

That's a big claim -- that the stones are centuries, if not millenia, old; and pre-Portuguese. Is there any scientific study which tested them and concluded this? 

Otherwise, looking at their quite regular shape (rectangular blocks), i. e. not so weathered, they don't look so old. Just my observation -- I don't know anything about them.

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[Frederick FN Noronha]

Amita, Have you read the book? Better still to visit the place. Do it soon. This part of history is being buried by all kinds of roads and "modern development". Sharing some of what Themis wrote:

THE discovery of any ancient artifact crafted by humans,
be it a stone monument or a hand tool, is a testament
that the area has long been inhabited, and this greatly en-
riches our history and heritage.
Since the publication of the first edition of the book on
Arossim in 2011, several large stone structures – megaliths
– resembling dolmenoid cists, were identified along the rice
fields in Arossim, Cansaulim, Cuelim, and at nearby villages.
These huge stone monuments in various stages of peaceful
ruins are estimated to date to the Neolithic Period, when hu-
mans first settled in this area as agriculturists, having transi-
tioned from a nomadic hunter-gatherer and pastoralist past.

ng, with foreboding signs of a rise in sea level....
Chapter 1 deals with a brief history of the earliest settlers
of this land and how people with superior force subordinated
and ruled over the earlier tribes and races. The large laterite
megaliths along the comunidade rice fields to the east, and
in the neighboring villages of Cansaulim and Cuelim, attest
to the existence of Neolithic tribes (earliest farmers), dating
back to the Iron Age or perhaps earlier.
The three main tribes from more recent history are Gaudé
(or Gauda), Velip and Kunbi – the Gaudés being the largest
majority followed by Velips....

Oldest man-made structures: Megaliths in Arossim
Four unique stone structures exist along an ancient trail
passing through the comunidade paddy fields, starting from
Arossim to the foothills of Cuelim. To the local farmers these
ancient structures are known as dohanim (pl.) (dohannem
– singular) or dovornim and were assumed to have been

erected to enable the tired travelers to rest and refresh at the
nearby pond, by temporarily placing the load off their heads
on these platforms unaided. Presently, many of these are in
ruins and in disuse.

Several interpretations were advanced to explain the ex-
istence of similar stones in other parts of India, before they
were excavated and studied by archeologists. A typical
dovornem seen in Camurlim in the district of Bardez is shown
above. Others, seen in Bardez, also have an adjoining stone
benches.
Professor K. A. Kennedy, Department of Archeology and
Anthropology, Cornell University, on seeing the photograph
of the intact structure still standing in the village of Cuelim,
opined that such megalithic structures resemble dolmenoid
cist or grave markers.
Based on the size and the number of stones lying at the
other sites studied, it appears that all were of similar config-
uration. Such monuments are also seen elsewhere in South-
ern India and other parts of the world. The megalithic granite

dolmens in Kerala have been dated to Iron Age and Neolithic
Period. The worldwide occurrence of such unique structures
points to a common universality in human nature with re-
spect to death and burial.
These prehistoric monuments, erected with dressed la-
terite stones – commonly used stones in Goa - measuring
more than five feet long (from above ground), usually unno-
ticed by the rest of the villagers, acquire special significance
annually on January 6th, the feast day of Three Kings, held at
the Chapel on the hill top of Cuelim.
In the local version of the re-enactment of the Biblical
story, three boys attired in kingly robes, selected from among
the ganvkars of the three contiguous villages, walk in sepa-
rate processions accompanied by a band of musicians, along
the ancient trail and meet at the foot of the hill for a brief rest,
prior to jointly climbing up to the Chapel to present their gifts
at the altar in time for the High Mass....

[Amita Kanekar]

Thanks, Rico.

Yes, would love to visit Arrosim before everything disappears.

Amita

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[Dr. Vivek Pinto]

आपण ते सांगितले आहे. 

हे अतिप्रचंड आणि अनावश्यक आहे, अमिता.
वैज्ञानिक पुरावा आवश्यक आहे आणि निखळ नम्रता.
विवेक

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[Dr. Vivek Pinto]

P.S. प्रो. केनेडी आणि इतर कोणीही काहीही म्हणू शकतात, परंतु जोपर्यंत वैज्ञानिक पुरावे मिळत नाहीत तोपर्यंत ते शैक्षणिक नाही आणि कागदाची किंमत नाही, जर मी म्हणू शकेन.

[Dr. Vivek Pinto]

If I may and with all respect and politeness, one neither has to read the book, look up the footnotes, or visit the site.

Photographs are sufficient to arouse query and questions, though never sufficient by any stretch.

One does not have to go to the Arctic to see from photographic evidence that there is ice, icebergs and they are decreasing over time and a certain temperature is needed to adduce it, please.

Or, to see hungry children in Palestine, from photos, that they are dying of lack of food. So kindly respect us readers, please.

Vivek

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[AF P]

Sadly we now live in the world of mailing lists, Instagram, and emojis. But lets take good with what we character as bad. If these stories weren't published in however humble form, people like me, part of a family and a generation 150 years out of Goa and living 15,000 kms away, would never know there are surviving megalithics erected 3000 years along these ancient travelling routes across Goa. This kind of realisation triggers wonder and appreciation of the past, thoughts of the souls who have gone before, and their contributions which are foundation of our current lives. Wow :-)

This reporting triggers plans to visit and drink the local beer, but far more importantly I think, it triggers additional, deeper, and broader research. It's PHD material. Artefacts and source material draws students,  and a queue of students fosters academic programs and the development and growing of institutions. The study of rocks and men moving rocks grows wonder, launched careers, and provides reasons for local economic development.

Goa has a rich past and a far far richer future. Maybe one day someone will discover a stip of then ancient concrete and a tour will be arranged to examine the remains of an airport or ship launch facility. Maybe a old Costa Coffee location will be found, accidently, wonderfully preserved, and be received with as much fascination and curiosity as murals found in Pompeii.

I can tell you the former is true only because I've gone airport remnant  hunting in farmers fields and residential suburbs across Ontario and New York State.

AP

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Albert Peres

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