PC Parnavi Bangar

A compelling statue of Abbe Faria has been standing in the middle of a public square in Panjim, for 75 years, depicting him hypnotizing a woman. At a liminal place, between the current Panjim city and the history of Goa, with a forgotten legacy.  

Abbe Faria

(31 May 1756 – 20 September 1819)

was a Goan Catholic priest and one of the pioneers in the scientific study of hypnotism. Born José Custódio de Faria in Candolim, Bardez, Goa, he moved to Lisbon with his father in 1771.

Convincing the King of Portugal to support his studies, he went to Rome to pursue the priesthood, earning a doctorate and another degree focused on the Holy Spirit.

Faria departed from the then-popular theory of "magnetic fluid" in hypnotism, emphasizing instead the power of suggestion and the concept of autosuggestion. He demonstrated that what he termed "nervous sleep" was a natural state, laying the groundwork for modern hypnotism.

Faria’s impact extended beyond his scientific work; he also inspired the character Abbé Faria in Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel "The Count of Monte Cristo." In the novel, the character is an imprisoned priest who teaches the protagonist various skills, reflecting Faria's real-life intellectual legacy.

PC Gaurav Sawant

Interestingly, the statue's location across from the gaudy casino boats on the Mandovi River offers a striking contrast. This juxtaposition encourages tourists to consider Goa beyond its party image, appreciating its rich history and Panjim’s historic urban fabric. The statue is hard to miss for those living in Goa or driving into Panjim, forgotten but in plain sight.

Sakshi R Ghodake

Our love for flowers continues and Goa is vested with a bounty of gorgeous bright flowers that bloom profusely throughout the year. Following is a list of a some locally found species that are grow well in Goa.

Cordia Sebestena L. Tree

Cordia Sebestena L.

Common Name: Aloe Wood, Orange Geiger Tree.
Color: Orange.
Fruiting: Blooms throughout the year, particularly in the spring and summer.
Occasionally seen in gardens, can be seen in Kala academy and Garcia da Orta academy.

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Cascabela thevetia (L.) Lippold

Common Name: Oleander.
Color: Yellow, pink & white.
Fruiting: Blooms from summer to fall.
Is usually planted as a hedge plant and maintained as a shrub.

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Allamanda Cathartica

Allamanda Cathartica

Common Name: Allamanda Golden-Trumpet Golden, Trumpet Vine, Yellow Allamanda.
Color:Yellow, pink & white color.
Fruiting: It blooms from spring to summer.

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Plumeria Rubra L. Tree

Plumeria Rubra L.

Common Name: Champa
Color: Yellow, pink & white
Fruiting: Blooms from early summer to fall.

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Albizia Julibrissin Rosea

Common Name: Silktree
Color: Pink
Fruiting: Blooms from early summer.

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Caesalpinia Pulcherrima

Common Name: Peacock flower
Color: Yellow, orange, red
Fruiting: Blooms from late summer to fall.

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Brugmansia plant

Brugmansia

Common Name: Angel’s Trumpet
Color: Yellow, white
Fruiting: Flowers in mid to late spring in warm climates and continue into the fall (autumn), often continuing as late as early winter in warm conditions.

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Mussaenda erythrophylla

Common Name: Ashanti blood, red flag bush and tropical dogwood
Color: Pink, white, red
Fruiting: Blooms from March to June.

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Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Common Name: Hibiscus
Color: Pink, white, red, yellow
Fruiting: Blooms throughout the year.

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Nyctaginaceae.

Common Name: Bougainvillea
Color: Pink, white, yellow
Fruiting: Blooms from May to December.

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Ixora coccinea

Common Name: Scarlet Jungle Flame, Flame of the Woods
Color: Pink, white, yellow, orange, red
Fruiting: Blooms from spring to fall.

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FLOWERING CREEPERS

Campsis Radicans

Common Name: trumpet creeper
Color: Yellow, orange, red
Fruiting: Blooms during summer months.

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Clerodendrum thomsoniae

Common Name: Bleeding-heart, Bleeding Heart Vine
Color: White, red
Fruiting: Blooms during summer season.

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Thunbergia laurifolia

Common Name: Blue Trumpet Vine, Laurel-Leared Thunbergia, Laurel Clock Vine
Color: Pale blue, purple
Fruiting: Blooms from August to September.

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All Photographs are from the internet.

Sakshi Ghodake

Goa provides a trail of colorful wild flowers to be explored, specially during and post-monsoon. These flowers are not just creating beautiful travel spots in Goa but are also a part of the Goan lifestyle and culture. The wildflowers are used as medicinal herbs and help to improve the soil health, prevent erosion, improve the water quality.

Utricularia Malabarica are not so commonly seen, but are found on some plateaus in Goa. They are endemic to the laterite plateaus of the Western Ghats.

Harna (Senecio Bombayensis)

Impatiens Balsamina

The Impatiens flowers (above) represents Gauri and are worshipped during Ganesh Chaturthi in some villages of Canacona. The yellow colored flowers which blooms in August-September, known as Harna or Sonki in Konkani.
Impatiens Balsamina are native to Western Ghats and locally known as Chiddo which is usually found along roadsides, open green spaces. They are used in various rituals like Shravan month’s Aayatar Poojan, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc.

Wild Til (Sesame Orientalis)

Dhobi’s Handkerchief (Mussaenda Frondosa)

The Wild Til’s are bell-shaped pink flowers, seen almost everywhere in Goa during monsoons. As the name suggests, these are a wild variety of sesame seeds. The pods contain these tiny seeds.
The shrub of Dhobi’s Handkerchief flower grows like a wild creeper on other trees. The bract beneath the tiny orange flowers is white in color. It is locally known as Patri and is integral part of wild leaves and flowers, offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Tiger Claws (Gloriosa Superba)

Wild Turmeric (Curcuma Aromatica)

Tiger Claws or Glory Lily is a bright yellow-red colored flower with an unusual shape. It is a vine which is usually found in forested areas. These pretty flowers are poisonous and toxic.
Wild turmeric blooms during monsoon season. It is recognized as a medical herb with strong antibiotic properties.

Pagoda Flower (Clerodendrum paniculatum)

Pagoda flowers as represented (above) are a bunch of bright orange-red colored flowers that blooms during the monsoon period. These are mostly seen in green open spaces and are cultivated in gardens for their impressive flower display.

Celosia argentea

Buttonhead Pipewort

Celosia Argentea commonly known as Silver Cock’s Comb is said to be edible before it flowers. It is good for sight and controlling diabetes. These plants are a part of Goan diet in monsoon season and especially the Hindu month of Shravan and Ganesh Chaturthi as vegetarian cuisines are most preferred. The best species are seen on the plateaus.
The Buttonhead Pipewort are mostly found on plateaus near water bodies.

Little Persian Violet

Look for these gorgeous gifts of nature that flower abundantly in the Goan countryside, on the roadsides and fallow fields. People travel the world in search for wildflowers. Goa is home to many, only if one can slow down to observe and appreciate them. We at Grounded, hope to utilize these in our landscape design as well.

If you live in Goa or are considering a move to Goa, keep your eyes open for these beauties!
Inspired by Arti Das. For more information do visit here.

“Flowers are the music of the ground.
From earth’s lips spoken without sound”.
-Edwin Curran

I grew up in Delhi and I have distinct memories of the trees that I grew up amongst. These trees are sometimes more important in my memories than the people. I guess I lived in a bit of a dream world where these trees played a salient role. Here I have attempted a compilation of my most memorable flowers and flowering trees. 

champaka

Champaka tree

Champaka
Scientific name: Magnolia champaca

Champaka flowers are one of my favorite. They have a magical scent and are available in white and yellow color. They bloom during April to September. These are popular flowering tree varieties of Goa. If you live in Goa, then you can often find women selling bunches of these wonderfully fragrant flowers at the Mandovi bridge in Panjim.

parijat

Parijat
Scientific name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

Another favorite is Parijat, even though the tree is a bit scruffy, the flowers are glorious with a heady scent. These flowers are aesthetically very pleasing with a white head and an orange stem. These flowers always drop at night, so early morning, one is welcomed by a carpet of white & orange blossoms on the ground with a heavenly smell. I have fond childhood memories of making my way to this tree each morning during flowering season and collecting as many as I could and then fixing the flowers into each other to make flower ornaments. I also remember grinding them for their orange color :)

franjipani/ champa

Champa tree

Champa
Scientific name: Plumeria Rubra L.

Champa or Frangipani, comes in various whites and pink color. We had a big Champa tree just outside my family's house in Delhi. The tree flowered throughout the year, had white flowers with a yellow heart and a strong perfume. Ah, my memories of this tree and the flowers... They would play a role in all my pretend-plays, end up dried between books, stuck in collages and made into garlands. Champa is a favorite choice for landscape design, and simply transforms the any area with its beautiful form. It maybe a tad over-used at this point but if used correctly it still retains its magic!

kachnar/ apta

Kachnar/ Apta
Scientific name: Bauhinia purpurea

Bauhinia purpurea are available in white and pink color. These flowers bloom during October to January. We had a large purple-Kachnar tree that grew close to our house. It would flower profusely and was a sight to behold. Sometimes, my dad and I would go to the tree in the early morning to pick flowers that my grandmom would later cook the flower. Unfortunately, I do not remember the taste of the dish.

pongamia

Pongamia tree

Pongamia
Scientific name: Millettia pinnata

Pongamia is available in white color and it usually blooms during May to December. This was a large tree close to our house and I loved its flowers that had a beautiful scent. I found there clusters to be soft and romantic. But I remember that they would wilt really easily so whenever, I tried to bring them home, they would not last a long time.

bottlebrush

Bottle Brush
Scientific name: Melaleuca citrina (Curtis) Dum.Cours.

Bottle brush is red in color and it blooms during Febraury to May. We would find these trees in the district park close to our home in Delhi. I loved this flower as it was so unique, resembled a bottle brush and the possibilities of its use in pretend-play were infinite!

Inspired by the book ‘Tress of Delhi’, by author Pradip Krishen. Read the book here.

It is such a joy to see our project House with Three Pavilions find beautiful space in print and on the cover of Livingetc Magazine’s June 2022 issue. Aptly titled - ‘A Home with A Verandah’, the article draws attention to our countryside Goan house’s tangible connection to nature. It throws light on our tropical modern design approach and celebrates our efforts to create seamless indoor-outdoor spaces that allow our clients to take everyday life outdoors.

Read the published story here.

If you are considering buying a house in Goa, read our blogpost: What to Look For While Buying A House in Goa

To know more about our design process, take a look at: Designing A House in Goa

Goa is a goldmine of biodiversity and trees are the crucial negotiators that tie these ecosystems together. As awareness increases about habitat loss and deforestation, people have taken the responsibility of hosting planting and re-wilding drives. The first step in this process is to identify and select plant species which are most effective and resource efficient for natural landscaping.

Here are popular, easy to source, and easy to plant species that are commonly found along Goa’s roads and within Goan homes.

AVENUE TREES

These trees are typically used for roadside planting owing to their large and extensive canopies that offer shade throughout the year. One often finds seasonal flowering trees chosen as avenue trees. However, fruiting varieties are typically avoided and are found mostly in private properties.

01 The Indian Laburnum

Cassia Fistula or The Indian Laburnum or Amaltas as it is locally called is a medium-sized deciduous tree. It is a sun loving tree that is known for its abundant and glorious yellow summer flowers. The tree is extensively found in Goa, especially along the roads of Panjim.

02 The Scholar’s Tree

The Scholar’s Tree or Satvin as it is locally called is a tall, evergreen tree with branches in whorls. The tree blooms in the winter with white, fragrant flowers that are found in clusters. The tree is found all over Goa and is also otherwise known as The Devil’s Tree.

HOME TREES

Goa’s incredible biodiversity is best experienced at home. Homeowners can choose to plant any native flowering or fruiting tree without worrying about extensive care or maintenance. Many of these trees are also found in Goa’s public gardens and are known to attract a wide variety of birds and butterflies. These trees also support a lot of insects and creepy crawlies. This post tells you how you can design to coexist with and celebrate Goa’s diverse flora and fauna.

03. The Frangipani Tree

Plumeria Rubra or Plumeria Obtusa or Frangipani or Champa as it is lovingly called is a tropical tree and is a residential favourite in Goa. The Champa shrub has a lovely sculptural form and requires little maintenance. The plant does not require too much water and can thrive in any well-drained soil. The flowers are fragrant, bloom throughout the year, and come in different colours.

04. The Traveller’s Palm

The Traveller’s Palm is a picturesque spreading tree that looks beautiful when used along compound walls and the site edges. The fan profile layers over and blurs the hard site edge while also creating privacy. The palm is water loving and retentive, making it a valuable landscape feature during Goa’s heavy monsoons.

Also read about the native trees of Goa here.

Find a detailed list of Goa’s native trees in this directory.

Read our blog post on Protecting the Western Ghats here.

Celebrating Navovado, our design-build vacation house in the Goan countryside through a gallery of photographs of the courtyard house. Earlier this year, Navovado won the prestigious Platinum Certification from the Indian Green Building Council. Navovado harvests all of its roof rainwater and recharges the water well on site. The use of low-flow water fixtures further improves water efficiency. Focus on use of insulation on the roof, double-glazed glass, low­energy use appliances, LED lighting and 100% hot water from Solar power makes this home extremely energy efficient. The structure is constructed using locally manufactured materials and materials with a high recycled content such as Laterite stone, Matti wood, Fly-ash brick and Slag cement. The garden is planted using native local species to reduce water use for ir­rigation. Finally, large openings allow for maximum daylighting and cross-ventilation, reducing the energy use for lighting and cooling.

The heart of the home lies in the large central courtyard that is an extension of the kitchen, living and dining space. The courtyard houses the swimming pool and provides a green private space to be enjoyed by all the residents of the house. The courtyard morphs in its use depending on the time of day and occasion. The guest bedrooms on the ground floor are designed as pavilions on either side of the courtyard, while the first-floor bedrooms have a large terrace overlooking the courtyard that connects the two levels.

Find Navovado featured in detail on our Instagram page here.

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In this IG Live, I speak to Dr Pallavi Latkar, the technical brains behind the ecological site planning at our project, The House with Three Pavilions . Pallavi is an ecological expert, she is the Founder and Director at GRASSROOTS Research & Consultancy in Mumbai. Over the Live session, Pallavi and I discuss the extensive rain water harvesting system we have created at The House with Three Pavilions. For this site with many contours and topographical variations in Goa, this monsoon ready water management has been a great way of rainwater harvesting and distribution to recharge the underground water table. Over the course of our conversation, we get into the details behind the site planning and construction, discussing the key techniques we have employed. We also speak about the benefits of conserving natural water systems and debunk myths around the maintenance of these systems.

Here are some additional takeaways from the session:

• Every site has a story to tell - the story of its soil, water, and vegetation. Listen to the story - smell, see, touch and feel its elements.

• Our sights have many hidden clues in plain sight - within the trees, plants,and shrubbery. FOr example:

  • A Mango Tree with a dense canopy tells us the site has a good water table.

  • The presence of wild Colocassia indicates the spot where water will stand and collect in the monsoons.

  • Moringa and Neem Trees are native trees that are most beloved by birds.

  • ‘Shankasur’ or Cesalphinia is a favourite haven for bulbuls.

  • Fish-tail Palms will attract Barbets, Coppersmiths, and Hornbills.

• Young architects who do not have access to an environmental consultant can start off by using free and universal tools such as:.

  • Google Earth Imagery from which contour levels of the site can be approximately extracted. 

  • Toposheets of India can be found online - it may require some searching on websites of Landscape Universities worldwide. 

  • Rainfall data and history are available online at various sites including The Meteorological Department website to ascertain the precipitation on your site.

  • The website of The Irrigation Department of India which gives the specifics about soil in every region. 

  • Software like Google SketchUp, Revit and Grasshopper which allow you to geo-locate and model the site and surroundings in 3D which will help you visualize the terrain.  

With the goal to reconnect with nature, each element in our homes is designed to be harmonious with nature. When it comes to external paving, we tend to maximize permeable paving rather than creating a non-pervious concrete surface. This typology allows the rain water runoff from the site to be absorbed back into the ground hence allowing the underground aquifers to recharge and reducing the storm water run off from the site that burdens the municipal drainage system (when they exist) and flooding of low lying areas (when they don’t).

Verandah at Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Front Elevation at House of Three Pavilions. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Landscaping is an important aspect of the design process at Grounded. We usually populate the landscape with native local species to reduce water use for irrigation. Our landscape design aims to blur the lines between the two textures- the verandah flooring, the green cover, and the soil. We pick local species that can co-exist and help give the landscape a naturally verdant look, rather than an unnatural manicured one. 

Image of ongoing project House with Three Pavilions. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

Image of Navovado. Photography by Sanjeet Wahi.

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