Aldona is the most beautiful village in the world. How often do you hear the whole village saying that? Wherever we went in the village and whoever we spoke to – we heard only one thing – It is the most beautiful village in the world. Asking them, how many villages have you been to is not a valid question. They are simply in love with their village. We spoke to a shopkeeper who makes savories, we spoke to a pharmacist, we spoke to people who run lovely boutique hotels here and we spoke to a recent resident here.
Everyone had just one thing to tell us – Aldona is the most beautiful village in the world.
Well, I must admit that a lot of literary giants are choosing to live in Aldona, so it must be true that it is the most beautiful village in the world.
Origin of the Name
Aldona as per author Maria Aurora Couto, who is a resident, has its roots in Haldi or Turmeric – a crop that was planted here in this village. As per another resident, we spoke to – it comes from the word ‘Hal’ which in many Indian languages including Konkani means plow. He argued that this is an agricultural village named after the agricultural instrument. In the recorded history though it was called Haldona till a Portuguese twist made it Aldona.
Aldona has a population of 6000
The first thing we noticed as soon as we parked our car was a statue of Edward J Soares on a traffic roundabout. I walk across to the statue to figure out who this gentleman was. It was a pleasant surprise to know that Mr. Soares was the first principal of St Thomas School established way back in 1923. How often do you see a local educationist being celebrated – are these places not reserved for political leaders only? Yes, Aldona – you are beautiful.
No wonder when people are looking for Villas in Goa, they come to beautiful villages like Aldona.
Sao Tome or St Thomas Church
Most villages in Goa have a church around which the village life is centered. It may have been a temple before it was a church and some villages do have both a church and a temple. Here it is the Sao Tome, a church built in 1596 CE on a plateau next to the Mapusa River. Whitewashed in pristine white standing in the middle of greenery, Goan churches are always charming to look at and so is this one.
Thanks to our friend Gouthami, we took a tour of the church and discovered the lovely paintings inside. On the side of the church, there was a house around a courtyard with various fruit trees. Technically, it is called a rectory. We noticed some nicely maintained wooden parts and a lovely altar. The most interesting part was the long list of donors along with their villages who have made donations to the church.
The day we went, the church was getting ready for a wedding and I met the beautiful bride sitting outside dressed in her white gown and tiara, wearing a smile that only a bride can. What was interesting was the green bangles that filled her forearms – a perfect example of how customs and traditions never die or may how they influence the communities that live together.
This church looks like a fort when seen from the river and from some distance.
Aldona Cemetery
This is the most beautiful part – the place where its dead live – the cemetery. In pristine white, its gate says the most profound thing in Konkani – AIZ MAKA FALEA TUKA or Today it is me, tomorrow it is you. A not so gentle reminder that all of us have to finally belong to the country of dead men. There are all kinds of tombs here small, large, and family packs. Some have angels sitting on them.
It is difficult to put into words how I felt looking at this lovely cemetery. I only remember that I could have looked at it for a long time.
Tale of three bridges & a fort
The village is flanked by two bridges across the Mapusa River, that flows along with the village.
Cable Bridge or Corjuem Bridge – Aldona
A small cable bridge connecting Aldona to Corjuem across Mapusa is a lovely bridge to both observe and cross. It is Goa’s first cable bridge and hence very special for the two villages that it connects. This is another reason for people to say ‘Aldona is the most beautiful village in the world’.
At sunset time, this bridge is very picturesque, with the Mapusa flowing silently below it.
Calvim bridge
Calvim Bridge is built on a tragic story. 4 schoolgirls and two adults died while crossing the river in Feb 2012 and that is when this bridge was commissioned. The Plaque gives the names, dates of birth, and photos of all these people, and the Calvim Bridge is dedicated to them. But for this story, this would be just another steel and cement structure connecting the two villages across a river. To me, this was another great example of remembering the locals who lost their lives in an accident. This is what makes Goa special.
I was told that you get lovely Samosas in the evening across the bridge and it is this Samosawala who drives the maximum traffic on the bridge. What bridges can do – feed hungry souls every evening with some tasty samosas?
Stone Bridge
There is a third stone bridge Gouthami showed us, on the backwaters. A small bridge with three arches stood in the middle of the wilderness allowing you to savor a bit of it if you cross the bridge. Small colorful fishing boats rested on the banks. At sunset, it was the best place to enjoy the wonders of nature.
Corjuem Fort or Forte de Corjuem – Aldona
I have been to this Fort a few times and it looks more like an open outpost to me. The architecture of this fort is absolutely unique. It is a square structure with four tiny towers on all four corners. As you step inside, the only living thing you see is a small chapel. The inscription on the gate places it in the Portuguese era but locals say that the fort is much older.
It is also said that its original construction was by Desai of Sankhali before it went to Bhosle of Sawantwadi. The material used is local laterite stone so it could be older. There is a hint of Islamic architecture in the corner towers.
Ramps
Inside the Corjuem fort, the most intriguing feature is the four-wide ramps in all four corners leading to the roof that runs around the fort wall connecting the four ramps. I assume that these ramps were meant to roll supplies of some kind or to take animals on top. The rooms if any no longer exist. There is a well bang in the middle of the courtyard. It almost feels like a mansion that belonged to some rich family. The small size of the Corjuem fort tells me that there is nothing much that could have been guarded inside the fort.
It may have been a place to keep an eye on the surroundings and make sure that no invaders are coming through the land or river route.
A legend says that a Portuguese female traveler by the name of Ursula e Lancaster was traveling around the world dressed as a man, as women could not travel on their own in those days. However, when she reached Corjuem Fort, she was caught and had to let go of her incognito travels. Not sure how true this is, as when I asked the locals about this story, they said – Who knows! Here you can hear a new story every evening. No wonder best-selling fiction writers love to live here.
Next time you are in Goa, check out this village most beautiful village in the world.
More to read on my travel blog on Places to visit in Goa.
Chorla Ghat – Drive through Hinterlands
Offbeat Places to Visit – In a day
A Walk of Discovery at Arvalem
Amazing blog! And very beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you 🙂
Thank you Anuradha for this beautiful write up of my Village Aldona. I spent my entire growing up years in this village. Am proud to be an Aldonkar!!!
Merlyn, you are blessed to be an Aldonakar – the most beautiful village in the world.
tempted 2 visit haldona….goa again
my family…only xtended cousins had a 3 day stay in north goa..calangutee phase 5 in a beautiful village. in a 7 bed room villa.
only cousins without the spouses.
wow, it was gr8. boys n girls all cousins aged 39-65.
total 0f 22 people.
just returned 2 days back.
nostalgia is stronger now after readin yr. mail.
Proud to see my mother’s village described so beautifully. Thanks Anuradha!
Oh, how lucky you are to be related to Aldona, Savio. Will talk to you in detail about your stories of Aldona.
The other world of Goa. It is so serene and beautiful.
Yep, the hinterlands of Goa are simply beautiful Niranjan.
Nice to hear bout aldona….as I was born and brought up there…& I still live there
..????
So happy Zuricka that this post is connecting me to so many people from Aldona…and I must say you are a very lucky person.
Even my village Socoro is nice!
Oh yes, Socoro is lovely too…will do a post on Socoro soon.
Very elaborate and authentic research conducted …hats off to u …Indeed our Aldona is very Beautifully Blessed …
Thanks Janice. Yes, your Aldona is the most beautiful village in the world.
Guyz I was the one who totally surveyd aldona/haldona for electric power indexing….and I hav never imagined such a beautiful village in the world..
Thanks Sunit, for confirming that Aldona is indeed the most beautiful village in the world.
Thanks for the lovely description of my village, i live in Quitula, Aldona. Much much more to see in the village such as riversides, springs, a few temples, the village square, etc.
My pleasure Mt Fernandes. Next time I come towards Aldona, will check out the springs and temples.
The nice people and the beautiful villages around this place is what makes Aldona a nice, peaceful and happy place worth living in. If only the people around Aldona could take care of their ancestral land and not blindly sell off themselves and their land to outsiders then Aldona would continue to be that beautiful place it always has been
Hope so Joe. Aldona remains with Aldonites.
Very proud of our Aldona Constituency
You should be very proud Raju. Aldona is so beautiful.
Proud to be an ALDONKAR and too an NRA
Great to hear from you Arsenio. Can’t stop laughing at NRA !
Great article! However I’d just like to point out a few spelling mistakes to be corrected: SOARES and not SOARS and AIZ MAKA FALEA TUKA (not AAZ, FALAE).
Teresa
Thanks Teresa for pointing out the mistakes. Correcting them right away.
Anuradha,
That’s an “extreme” well presented description of Aldona. Truly a “Donna” among the villages of Goa. Maybe you would like to visit and do a similar story on Assagao, Bardez. It has similar aesthetics and a story waiting to be told by someone like you: with extra ordinary sensitivity, passion and skills at writing and taking photos ( I did’nt say pictures for a reason). Your photos tell a visual story of an era gone by.
I can set you up for Assagao.
I do travel writing myself for Trip Advisor so in that sense we are on one page.
Regards,
Orlando.Braganza. ( Pune/Goa)
Sure Orlando, I have been planning to visit Assagao. Please do connect with me some interesting people in Assagao. I am game to visit any day in July.
Thank you for all your compliments.
Yes, write a story on Assagao so that it will soon become like Moira, a playground for the rich and callous from Delhi, unaffordable to most Goans. Wonderful story about Aldona, by the way. Thank you Anuradha; I am sure your audience in Delhi is busy discussing how to invest and divvy up this beautiful unsuspecting village. Why don’t you people understand – Goa is best left the way it is, away from the spotlight and the attention of hungry sharks across the country.
My village mayem also you need to write about..mayem and chorao..
Sure Rajiv. I will try to write about Chorao & Mayem.
Thank you for this article. Aldona is a great village, I am happy to be a grand-daughter of that village. I have lived and studied there and my maiden name was Soares.
So glad to hear from you, Sallie. Aldona is lovely and its people are beautiful and that is what makes the village beautiful.
Hi Sallie Was your dad’s name Natividade?
Its truly amazing to hear about Aldona on the internet. A well written article by you Anuradha. It is where my ancestors are from and still is home to my granny. I got married in Goa and had the obvious choice of having my mass at Saint Thomas Church where my late granpa was also buried. I still get to hear some fantastic stories from my dad and granny about their lives in this wonderful place which i believe too is the most beautiful village in the world. Aldona is the one place i visit every time i am in Goa. Being from Mumbai it is a really great breath of fresh air. Cheers Anuradha
So good to hear from you, Doyle. I am so happy that this article is connecting me to so many of you from Aldona. It is so re-assuring to hear that you all love your village so much. Keep visiting and keep your memories of Aldona alive.
Spectacular images, gives a complete feel of this place. I have added this village in my journey list 🙂
Thanks No Name. I wish I knew your name.
oh God! Anuradha you have made my day. Somebody from Aldona please adopt me!!
Jokes apart ( I am serious); I am love with the place and the people, though I haven’t visited Aldona yet, your pictures have convinced me to live and die in Aldona – Who knows!
Thank you Anuradha and People of Aldona 🙂
May you soon travel to Aldona, Avi.
very beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing
Glad you liked the post on Aldona Dharanendra. Keep coming back for more travel blogs.
Very well written .. Thanks????
Thanks Vailanko.
Aldona is so serene. I really love the white-washed church and cemetery, one of the instances when covering a building in one color also gives it a stronger personality.
Yes Danial, you are so right. Who could have thought that a simple white color can give such a strong character to the public places. It also stands for purity.
Appreciated write up on aldona my spouse hails from there
Glad that you enjoyed the post on Aldona William. Stay connected for other posts too.
Very nostalgic about the way you portrayed my Aldona. I’m from Aldona, lived and studied there and have loved every moment of it. The structures,the landscape and the people themselves complement it’s Beauty. It’s history is worth reliving through stories told by the elders to experience what it is today.
So glad Josefa that my post could connect you back to your memories of Aldona. Please do share your Aldona stories with us.
Superb .I enjoyed your Beautiful village in the world and comments and your apt repllies thereon.Great.My time worth spent.Simply superb Mam.
Thank you Chandramohan Ji.Glad that you enjoyed the post on Aldona.
anuradha my name is vincent ! Can you tell me the connecton of “QUITLA” WITH ALDONA and can you give me some information about Quitla please?
Vincent, apologies, I have no idea what Quitla is 🙂
Quitla is a large kettle used for making tea.
Hi Anuradha Goyal
I am some what of a newbie to internet marketing and blogging.So with that being said. I am very glad that I found this blog post. I’ve heard talk of “ALDONA GOA – MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE IN THE WORLD” but never really knew what it was all about. however, i can say that I understand a lot better now.i plan to stay connected to your blog can’t wait to see what you’re going to write a next.Thanks.
Deepak, wish you all the best for your blogging journey. Do keep visiting IndiTales.
Very elaborate and authentic research conducted …hats off to u …Indeed our Aldona is very Beautifully Blessed …
Stephen – Yes, Aldona is beautiful and blessed.
Most beautiful village with loving Aldoncars with mix religion with one peace of mind long live Aldona and its people. My birthday place and still stays there panth- lanckdem.
May it always stay the most beautiful village in the world, Romeo.
I spent my very early years in Aldona – was baptized in the lovely St. Thomas church. Fond memories but I doubt the house still exists. I loved reading this. Thank you.
Del, so happy that you enjoyed reading IndiTales post on Aldona – you are blessed to have spent your childhood in such a lovely village.
My village if u had gone straight before the bridge you would come across quitula with its beautiful chapel and a few metres away my heritage House built in 1707.yes indeed Aldona is the best
So glad to hear that Dr. Rocha.
Wow !!!!
🙂
Yes! A very serene and idyllic environment.
Not yet affected by pollution like most of the rest of Goa.
Don’t miss Andron, an hospitable, cosy and ambient Restaurant, in the heart of the village, with authentic Goan cuisine made by the Family, in original Goan palates, like sorpotel, vindaloo and yummy seafood!
Sure, Thelma. I hope they have some vegetarian options for me.
Pomburpa is also a beautiful village. The whole belt extending up to Aldona has its own beauty.
I am from Panaji but I’m love with Pomburpa and Aldona.
Right, Girish Ji. That whole stretch is very beautiful. We love walking around in that area.
Yes, it is really a beautiful village, is there any cottage where one can stay in the village?
Thanks, Simon. There are many cottages and homestays where you can stay in Aldona. I have personally not stayed in one.
Great article inditales. We lived in Aldona for a year and a half. We used your photos with credits in our blog post about that village. At the time we had moto G and our photos just do not do justice to that charming village.
We will publish the article which has your mention by end of this month. Feel free to check it out! Also if you have any issues with us using these photos please drop us a line.
Once again great photography! which camera do you use?
I am very excited to read your blog on aldona and going there. Hope to get some vegetarian food and accommodation. Lots of love and blessings to Anuradha
Goa has limited choices for vegetarians, but there should be something you get. Visit the local bakeries to see the making of bread every day.
My father and grandfather were from Quitula, Aldona. I spent a lot of time in Aldona, specially in April, and May, in the 1940’s. I taught at the St. Thomas High School, in 1955/56, before I left for the USA. The Principal
of St. Thomas was Mrs. Soares.
Enjoyed the article, and agree that Aldona is indeed, a very beautiful village
Wow, thank you for sharing your memories with us. I am sure it Aldona would have been even more beautiful in those days when you had to take ferries to cross the river.
Dear Anuradha,
I chanced on this article as a curiosity to know about the village where my ancestors came from (on my maternal grandfather Kamath Sequeira’s side). Maybe also Farias my husband’s family.
My father’s family is Naik Alvares and I suppose maybe also from Aldona. It’s really a picturesque presentation! Thank you!
I am a Mangalorean born and brought up in Mumbai. My book is known to give a background of why we fled from Goa! ( The Goan Inquisition!)
Dr. Kranti Farias
Beautiful pictures, the whole place looks so beautiful. My Mom was from Goa and we occasionally visited Aldona as my Mom’s sis lives there in Santarxeth Aldona.
Carvalho family
Megha, Aldona is indeed a beautiful village.