Anjediva Island
Anjediva
Ilha de Angediva | |
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Island | |
UTC+5:30 (IST ) |
Native name: Ilha de Angediva | |
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South Goa | |
| Sub District | Canacona |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (2011) |
| Pop. density | 0/km2 (0/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Goan Catholics (now resettled) |
Anjediva Island (also Anjadip Island) (
The island is about 1.8 kilometres (1 mile) south of Goa, and extends over 1.5 square kilometres (1 square mile). It was part of the
The island is home to the Portuguese-built Anjediva fortress, which houses the shrines of Our Lady of Brotas and São Francisco de Assis. The island is connected to the mainland by a breakwater and is part of INS Kadamba Naval Base, on the outskirts of the city of Karwar and hence under the jurisdiction of the Indian Navy.
Geography
The island lies approximately 1.8 km from the district of
The only regular presence is members of the Indian Navy. Occasionally, other visitors and fishermen come across the island. In the nineteenth century, some 200 people had permanent settlements there.
History
Origin
Vasco da Gama claimed the island as Portuguese crown territory on September 24, 1498 during his first trip to India.[1]
The Portuguese presence on the island began with the landing of D. Francisco de Almeida on September 13, 1505, who ordered the building of a fortress, which was destroyed seven months later. The Afonso de Albuquerque attack, which culminated in the conquest of Goa in 1510, was launched from Anjediva. The island was unoccupied until 1661 when the English settled there, waiting for the treaty of July 23 to be complied. This treaty eventually yielded them Bombay, which was transferred among the colonial powers in 1665.
English presence
The English presence came when Viceroy Antonio de Melo e Castro refused to hand
With the departure of the British in 1665, the island was vacant until the Marathas raids (led by
In addition to the Anjediva Fort, the island was defended by other forts. Military barracks were constructed. A church dedicated to Our Lady of Brotas was built, along with a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows (Nossa Senhora das Dores) and St. Francis of Assisi. A large tank for drinking water supplied water to the barracks and ships.
The present church of Our Lady of Brotas was built in 1729 at the site where Pedro Alvares Cabral landed on August 22, 1500. He was then in command of the second Portuguese expedition of India and attended a Thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Friar Henrique de Coimbra, in the presence of eight Franciscan friars. It was the first mass celebrated by the Portuguese in India[citation needed].
Refuge
During the Portuguese occupation in the 18th century, the island sheltered Christians and Hindus of the mainland coastal border. The invasion of the realms of
In 1856, the island was hit by a major epidemic, attributed to a cemetery near the source of water that supplied the population. Once the cemetery was transferred to the island's north side, living conditions improved significantly. The population that had meanwhile settled in Boca de Vaca in Panjim no longer wanted to return.
In 1954 relations between Portugal and India had started to deteriorate. Retired military personnel then settled on Anjediva. Following allegations of incursions by
In 1960, at the initiative of governor-general General Vassallo e Silva, the Church of Our Lady of Brotas and the Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi were restored along with the island's barracks.
Portuguese-Indian relations
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On November 24, 1961, just before the invasion of
Recognizing the strategic importance of Anjediva, the island was occupied on December 22, 1961. Lieutenant Arun Auditto led a landing party which assaulted and captured the island in a military action that cost the lives of seven Indian soldiers, remembered in a monument there. This reduced the civilian population to four persons: two elderly women, a man and a child along with 30 Goan and Portuguese soldiers. After 1961, the population of about 200 fishermen who frequented Anjediva migrated to the mainland. The island remained abandoned until 1982, when, at the initiative of a local priest, the church was restored and pilgrimages resumed.
Indian rule
Following an agreement in 1987 between the Goa government and the Indian Navy, the island became part of the Naval Base of Karwar in 1991. It is known as INS Kadamba or "Seabird". The base is projected to become one of the largest naval bases in Asia. This action, taken by Ravi S. Naik, who was, at the time, the chief minister of Goa, was strongly challenged, as the island was considered part of Goa's historical heritage. Construction of the base included the installation of a 1,800 meter-long breakwater connecting the northeast tip of the island to the tip of Binaga on the mainland, which allowed for road access.
The island celebrate the annual feast of Our Lady of Brotas, held on February 2, and the Feast of the Hermitage St. Francis of Assisi, held on 4 October.
In 2016, the
Geography
The island is located west of Karwar, Karnataka and is surrounded by the Arabian Sea.
Places adjacent to Anjediva Island | ||||||||||||||||
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Culture
The island is known for its annual feast of Our Lady of Springs (Nossa Senhora das Brotas) on 2 February and Feast of the Chapel of St. Francis D'Assisi on 4 October.[3]
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Nossa Senhora das Brotas with alter -
Ruins of Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
See also
Notes
- ^ Gaspar Corrêa, The Three Voyages of Vasco Da Gama, and His Viceroyalty, 1879, S. IXXX
- ^ "Handing Over of Anjadiv Island to the Defence Ministry". Business Standard India. March 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-13.
- ^ "Not only politicians break promises". O Heraldo. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
External links
- Francisco S. d'abreu. "Anjediva — 1". by Colaco.net. Archived from the original on 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
- Godfrey J I Gonsalves. "The Travesty at Anjediva!". The Goan Forum. Archived from the original on 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2009-02-05.