Goa might be a just another tourist spot for many and for beach lovers' a great spot to picnic and enjoy, but Goa is special to me in a different kinda way! It is my second home. In fact, my Mom's second home. It is my second native place
Let me explain how. My parents are from North Canara (Uttar Kannada) district in Karnataka (on the border of Maharashtra/ Goa) from a place called Karwar. My Mom's dad (grandfather) was a freedom fighter when our country was still struggling for its freedom. He was part of Gandhiji's Ahimsa brigade. So, obviously, he was a wanted man by the Raj. So he escaped to Vasco, Goa which was under Portuguese rule to evade arrest by the British Raj. There he set up a second house.
When my grandpa came to Goa, there were not many good schools around. People seemed neither interested in religion nor education. He started a small school in Baina, Vasco and called it Ameniya. Today the same is known by the name of Ameniya High School.
My grandpa is no more now but all now all my maternal uncles are settled in Vasco, one uncle stays in Ponda (Goa) with an exception of one who stays in the old house in Ambejug (Karwar) and is a small time farmer.
We used to go to Karwar and Goa a lot when we were in School. Every alternate vacation we used to go to Karwar to my Dad's place and from there to Vasco, which is 3 hours journey from there. As we reached college and later started working, we wanted to see other parts of India too. So our Goa-Karwar trips reduced (making way for other places) and finally it had been 12-13 years when I had last seen my native lands.
Now most of my Dad's brothers and sisters are in Mumbai and the small house at Sunkeri, Karwar stands deserted. My Mom's cousins and one brother are in Karwar but all the other brothers have made Goa their home.
And so, Goa remains as a second home to me....