Many people dream of escaping the stresses and strains of urban life and
moving to Goa. Katharina Kakar and her husband, the psychoanalyst and
writer Sudhir Kakar, followed their dream and boldly took that plunge—
buying a charming old house in a tranquil south Goa village, where they
hoped to find a whole new way of living and working.
Ten years later, they are still there, living the idyll—and the reality—of life
in Goa. So which is the real Goa? Is it all about sun and sand, beaches
and bikinis, feni and vindaloo? This book captures the allure of all these,
as well as the festivals and rituals that punctuate the rhythm of village
life. It portrays fascinating local characters, ranging from ageing hippies,
beach boys and elusive workmen to the aristocratic residents of Goa’s
grand old mansions. But it also reveals lesser-known aspects of Goa: the
hidden—often shocking—histories of its colonial past; and the debates
and fissures that engage and divide Goan society today.
In part personal memoir and travelogue, in part an insightful look at Goan
history and society, this book portrays Goa with all its paradoxes and
problems, its seductive pleasures and, above all, its unique and enduring
charm.
moving to Goa. Katharina Kakar and her husband, the psychoanalyst and
writer Sudhir Kakar, followed their dream and boldly took that plunge—
buying a charming old house in a tranquil south Goa village, where they
hoped to find a whole new way of living and working.
Ten years later, they are still there, living the idyll—and the reality—of life
in Goa. So which is the real Goa? Is it all about sun and sand, beaches
and bikinis, feni and vindaloo? This book captures the allure of all these,
as well as the festivals and rituals that punctuate the rhythm of village
life. It portrays fascinating local characters, ranging from ageing hippies,
beach boys and elusive workmen to the aristocratic residents of Goa’s
grand old mansions. But it also reveals lesser-known aspects of Goa: the
hidden—often shocking—histories of its colonial past; and the debates
and fissures that engage and divide Goan society today.
In part personal memoir and travelogue, in part an insightful look at Goan
history and society, this book portrays Goa with all its paradoxes and
problems, its seductive pleasures and, above all, its unique and enduring
charm.
