Team Goemkarponn
CHIMBEL: In a striking demonstration of cultural assertion, residents of Chimbel gathered on Sunday at Kadamba Plateau near Dev Baigainkaar, adjacent to the bypass highway, to perform the traditional ‘Garane’ prayer. The ritual was a symbolic protest against the state government’s proposed Unity Mall and Prashasan Stambh (Administrative Building) projects, reflecting villagers’ deep concerns over their ancestral lands and heritage.
The ceremony came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah virtually laid the foundation stone for both projects. Through the ritual, villagers sought divine protection for their sacred sites, emphasizing the tension between rapid urban development and the preservation of local culture and identity.
The Unity Mall, proposed by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), is planned on roughly 12,000 square meters of land in Chimbel with an investment of Rs 132 crore under the Central government’s One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. The mall is envisioned as a cultural hub, featuring outdoor exhibition spaces, a children’s play area, an amphitheater, and conference halls, with the aim of showcasing and selling products from across India.
Alongside, the state government intends to construct the Prashasan Stambh, set to be Goa’s tallest administrative building at 15 stories and 75 meters in height. The building will occupy around 25,000 square meters of land recently transferred from the IT Department to the General Administration Department, with estimated costs exceeding Rs 300 crore.
The villagers’ traditional Garane prayer highlights the community’s enduring connection to their land and culture, serving as a powerful reminder of the delicate balance between modernization and preservation of local heritage.
