The name Fontainhas has been derived from ‘Fonte Phoenix’ (meaning Fountain of Phoenix), which was a reservoir of water built in the Portuguese era towards end of Fontainhas before climbing up towards the Altinho hill near the Mala area. Mala was a prominent Hindu settlement and is marked by the temple dedicated to Hanuman. According to noted historian Vasco Pinho, the spring was built around 1855 and so named because its lower portion depicted a painting of the mythical phoenix. The ‘tank’ was meant to be a public bath but the entry to it has now been restricted with a metal gate. Three spout like outlets carved of Basalt rock allow water to flow from the tunnels inside, towards the tank. The phoenix has long been painted over and is thus not visible today. As one cautiously ventures into the cool water, one may ponder about the age-old memories of little children from many years ago, having loads of fun here on a hot summer’s day. Crossing over to the left side, one steps into the damp, cool horseshoe-shaped vaulted tunnel, where three domes bring in beautiful ambient light through oval windows, thus illuminating the slippery, wet floor. The walls of the tunnels are decorated with crosses, each one different from the other. Niches carved into the wall draw out what Pinho refers to as “veins of water” from the stone. Even during the peak of summer, water at the fountain flows cold and uninterrupted.
The history of Fontainhas has it that the area was reclaimed by a wealthy Portuguese called “Mossmikar” in the 1770s. The gentleman’s real name was Antonio João de Sequeira. Since he had returned with good fortune from Mozambique (East Africa), he soon earned his new nickname. The area he owned became his private coconut plantation. The estate and its surroundings were occupied by plantation workers, sailors and fishermen. “The whole of the area spanning roughly from the Panjim Post Office until the Fonte Phoenix was referred to as Palmar Ponte” says Aires Antonio Andrade, a resident of Fontainhas. The word Palmar ponte may have been a corrupted version of Palmas ponte (meaning a palm bridge). Further Aires mentions that the whole of the development in Fontainhas happened in the early 1800s with his house being constructed in 1837. It was during a plague which hit Velha Goa that it was decided that the development of the Palmar ponte would be carried out. Since it was all done very quickly, there was not much time invested in planning the developmental works, hence resulting in closely constructed homes with narrow lanes. All of this, though was unintended in its hay day, has today given Goa its picturesque Lantin quarters which attracts hundreds of tourists on a regular basis. The aristocratic Portuguese officers resided in Old Goa at that time. In the later years, when Old Goa faced several epidemics, the Portuguese in the 19th century shifted their capital to Panjim. By then, following the last wishes of Mossmikar, the ownership of these plantation grounds had moved to Convent of Our Lady of Carmo at Chimbel. The Portuguese took over the land and set it up as the residential area for various administrative Portuguese officers. The area thrived from the 1800s and continues to do so until today. “Being situated at the foot of the Altinho hill, the wells in Fontainhas hardly go dry with all the catchment of the water filling them up”, mentions Aires.
In accordance with stories narrated down the generations, during the Portuguese rule in Goa, there was a rule which required people to paint their homes annually. This habit of annually painting one’s house is still visible and followed by the folks residing in Fontainhas. Colours generally used by people in Goa during the Portuguese regime included shades of blue, green, red and yellow. White was probably used only if the family owned a private chapel or had a family priest. This is one of the reasons why we see colorful facades all around Fontainhas painted in bright hues. These bright colors also served as a means of identifying one’s home amidst that of their neighbour’s, sharing common walls with theirs.
Looking around, one will find Portuguese words in names of the streets such as Corte de Oitero, Rua 31 de Janeiro and Rua de Natal. Each one having its unique story and significance. Though some buildings are dilapidated, they still hold on to their colonial charm. The red tiled roofs with embellishments, brightly colored walls, projecting balconies, beautiful porches and cobbled paths of Fontainhas are enough to draw one's attention for hours together. Fontainhas has basically been a residential area in Nova Goa. One may ask oneself - what is so special about a residential area such as this? Fontainhas is probably one of the most visible colourful legacy left behind the by Portuguese who ruled Goa for about 451 years. Fontainhas is unlike any other part of Goa. With colorful facades of houses and meandering narrow streets this part of Goa is like a maze; any traveler might love to get lost into. The houses and buildings in Fontainhas boast of a strong Portuguese influence in their architecture. Painted in pastels and fluorescents, Fontainhas was declared as a UNESCO heritage site in 1984. Today, many of the residential houses and buildings have been converted into heritage hotels, villas, art galleries and some exquisite cafes. Yet it still thrives as a residential area preserving the unique design, architecture and culture of a bygone era cherished by every Goan. The houses here have been uniquely designed bearing typical Goan architecture topped with traditional tiled roofs and small balconies suited for one or two. Houses belonging to the wealthy can be distinguished from those of the common man with elaborate designs above windows and layers of tiles in the form of cornices below the roof. Different window styles declared the class of the occupant and traditional mother of pearl windows lent translucency to them, thus allowing entry of light without disturbing one’s privacy.
The Tobacco Square in São Tomé, Panjim is bound by the General Post Office, the Capela de São Tomé and Casa da Moeda. What is now the General Post Office originally started out as a depot for trading tobacco hence resulting in naming of the Square as Praça do tabaco. The premises then went on to serve as the Police Headquarters for some time, ultimately becoming the center of operations of the city’s postal services known as Repartição dos Correios. An interesting fact is that Central Panjim and Maitri, India’s permanent research station in Antarctica, share the very same pin code: 403001. Recently the US Architectural Digest Magazine Announces Fontainhas, as one of the World’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Having tourists in Fontainhas is amazing, sadly not all tourists are the same. “Some misbehave, park their vehicles haphazardly thus causing a lot of inconvenience to the local residents” mentions an anonymous resident of Fontainhas.
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