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Visitors from Croatia came to Gandaulim, about 4 km from Old Goa, in the 16th century. They may not have stayed there long, but the restored church of Sao Braz that they built next to the Cumbarjua Cbad is a reminder of this stay in this small riverside colony. 39, about 200 inhabitants.
It is quite by chance that the Croatian indologist Zdravka Matišic discovered a reference to Goa ties of his country by studying Sanskrit in India. Matišic continued his research in the state archives. The great view of the church of Sao Braz – a much smaller version of the church of Sveti Vlaho in Dubrovnik, Croatia – standing out against a blue sky would have filled it with joy. However, she was disappointed to find the entrance of the river to the church, decorated as the arch on the port of Dubrovnik, in ruins. The PWD overturned to allow vehicles to reach the ferry crossing point two decades ago.
On April 1, 1999, the first official delegation of Croatia arrived in Gandaulim to explore the ancient ties between Goa and Croatia. The 15-member parliamentary delegation was accompanied by the Croatian ambbadador to India, Zoran Andric.
Historians believe that the Portuguese may have brought the Croats to build ships – their expertise in this area was respected – or that they arrived at the village of Gandaulim, then a bustling suburb of Old Goa , as merchants.
In his book, the Portuguese writer Gomes Catao refers to a population of 12,000 inhabitants during his glory days. The women of the upper clbades of society here were transported in palanquins by slaves to the church of Sao Braz, writes Gomes.
Since 1999, the village has been receiving visitors, Croats developing an emotional attachment to the place. "Whenever a Croatian boat arrives at the port of Mormugao, sailors come to visit our church," says Braz Silveira, a villager. A Croatian pediatrician, Dr. Marija Radonic, who came more than ten years ago, came back and collected donations for the church, he adds. "I visited her home two years ago, and she has pictures of our church before and after the restoration," he says.
Tea Batinic, owner of an art gallery in Dubrovnik, donated his paintings to the church after a visit. These were auctioned to finance church repairs.
Last year, a Croatian team visited the village to film a documentary. "We are waiting to see the documentary that records the historical landmarks of our village," says a resident, Esperance Silveira e Vaz. The relationship between villagers and Croats has grown over the years. "The relationship with the people of Dubrovnik is very close to my heart, especially after three days with them," says Braz Silveira.
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