Loutolim or Loutulim ''Lottli'' pronounced:,

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: ''Loutulim)'' is a large village of

South Goa district South Goa district is one of two districts that comprises the state of Goa, India, within the region known as the Konkan. It is bounded by North Goa district to the north, the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state to the east and south, whil ...

in the state of

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is an important settlement in the

Salcete Salcete ( Konkani: ''Saxtti''/''Xaxtti''; pt, Salcette) is a sub-division of the district of South Goa, in the state of Goa, situated by the west coast of India. The Sal river and its backwaters dominate the landscape of Salcete. His ...

sub-district.

Etymology

Loutolim derives its name from ''Lovótollem'', coined from the Konkani words—''Lovó'', a type of grass and ''Tollem'', a pond—since those grasses used to grow abundantly around the pond. In Konkani, the local language, the village is known as ''Lottli'' and its native inhabitants are referred to as ''Lottlikar''.

History

According to a legend, Brahmins from northern India founded the settlement of Loutolim when they emigrated to Goa after the

Saraswati River The Sarasvati River () is a deified Rigvedic rivers, river first mentioned in the Rigveda and later in Vedic and post-Vedic texts. It played an important role in the Historical Vedic religion, Vedic religion, appearing in all but the fourth bo ...

in their homeland dried up. The village community was based around the temple of Shri Ramnath. There were other smaller temples dedicated to Shri Santeri (

Shantadurga Shantadurga (Devanagari:शांतादुर्गा, ) is the most popular form of the Hindu goddess Durga revered in Goa, India, as well some parts of Karnataka. She is a form of the ancient Mother goddess known as Santeri. She is wors ...

) in the village. A new temple of Shri Ramnath was built recently at the same spot. The original idol of Shri Ramnath now stands in a temple of Indo-Portuguese architecture at Bandora, that had been built during the eighteenth century AD. ChurchatLoutolim

Beginning from the 1500s, the

Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

undertook the task of the Christianisation of Salcete and in AD 1567, the

captain of

Rachol Fort The Rachol Fort is a historical Portuguese era fort located in the village of Rachol, Salcette ''concelho'', in the state of Goa on the west coast of India. History It was originally erected by the Sultanate of Bijapur, then ruled by Ismail A ...

, Dom Diogo Rodrigues ordered the burning and destruction of all the temples in the village. Many villagers were tenaciously attached to their

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

religion. In order to preserve their culture, they had to flee to safer grounds in the territories governed by the Hindu King, the Sonde Raja, across the Zuari River with their idols, most famously the idol of Shri Ramnath in what was later known as the ''

Novas Conquistas The Novas Conquistas or "New Conquests" are a group of seven ''concelhos'' (administrative subdistricts or municipalities) of Goa and Damaon, officially known as Portuguese India. They were added into Goa in the eighteenth century AD, a comparat ...

'' (New Conquests). Those who chose to remain behind had to embrace Christianity. The ''Salvador do Mundo'' ( Saviour of the World) church was built by the Jesuits in AD 1586 to look after the spiritual needs of the local converts.

Unlike some other villages and towns in

and

Bardez ''Bardez'' ( kok, Bardes; pt, Bardes; IPA: ) is a ''taluka'' of the North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It was a ''concelho'' in the Portuguese State of India before 1961. Etymology The name is credited to the Saraswat Br ...

, where churches were built over the demolished temples, in Loutolim, the plot of land where the old Shri Ramnath temple stood remained vacant due to some opposition among the locals. Today, Loutolim has a mixed population of

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

and

s, many of them of

Goud Saraswat Brahmin Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) (also Goud or Gawd) are a Hindu Brahmin community of the north. The Konkani speaking Gaud Saraswat of Goa and southern India claim to be descendents of these Gaud Saraswat Brahmins of the north that migrated to K ...

lineage.

Geography and demographics

Location

Loutolim is located approximately from

Margao Margao or Madgaon is the commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It stands on banks of the Sal river and is the administrative headquarters of Salcete sub-district and South Goa district. It is Goa's second largest city by population ...

, the headquarters of

. It has an average elevation of and is situated in

. Its beautiful, scenic surroundings, cool breeze, green hills and blue rivers are distinct to its location between the hills, fields and river. The river

Zuari The Zuari River ''Zuvari,'' pronounced ) is the largest river in the state of Goa, India. It is a tidal river which originates at Hemad-Barshem in the Western Ghats. The Zuari is also referred to as the Aghanashani in the interior regions. It ...

flows along one side of Loutolim and it is surrounded by the villages of Verna,

Raia (United we advance architecture) , predecessor = , merged = , successor = , formation = , extinction = , status = Professional body; members association , headquarters = L1/41 Exhibition St, Melbourne , leader_title = CEO , leader_ ...

, Camorlim,

Borim Borim or Bori is a census town in Ponda taluka, North Goa district in the state of Goa, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh ...

and Quelosim. The village is easily accessible by road from Margao, Ponda (across the Borim Bridge) and Cortalim (along the riverside about 12 km from the

Zuari Bridge The Zuari Bridge is a bridge between North Goa and South Goa, India. It carries the NH 66 over the tidal part of the Zuari River, between the villages of Agaçaim and Cortalim. It is a few metres downstream of the Konkan Railway Bridge. The br ...

Language

The Saxtti dialect of Konkani, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages, is the local language and spoken widely by the people of Loutolim. Konkani, is primarily written in the

Devanagari script Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental Writing systems#Segmental syste ...

Architecture

Loutolim is among Goa’s delightful villages, with lush green paddy fields and tranquil village roads that lie under a canopy of forest trees. Architectural relics of Goa’s grand Portuguese heritage can be seen around the unhurried village of Loutolim, some 10 km northeast of Margao. The centre of the village is the majestic whitewashed Church of Salvador do Mundo (Saviour of the World), one of Goa's most impressive

Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...

Neo-Roman Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

-style churches built in 1586.

Culture

Religion

As in other parts of Goa, in Loutolim, both Hindus and Catholics live together in peace and harmony, mingling with each other during their religious festivals. The religious activities of the Catholics are centred around the Saviour of the World church while those of the Hindus are centred around the Sri Ramnath temple. The Feast of Saviour of the World Church is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of November every year. The

Chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

s located in the Loutulim parish are

Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October in the General Rom ...

in Carvota,

Our Lady of Miracles Our Lady of Miracles (or Madonna of Miracles) is the patron saint of the town of Alcamo. Historical hints The cult of Madonna of Miracles in Alcamo dates back to 21 June 1547, the day people remember the Madonna's apparition to some women near ...

in Vanxem,

Mother of God ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations ar ...

in Devoti, Saint Sebastian on the Monte (hill),

Saint Benedict Benedict of Nursia ( la, Benedictus Nursiae; it, Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548) was an Italian Christian monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Orient ...

in Organv and Saint Joseph in Rasaim.

Food and beverages

Goan cuisine Goan cuisine consists of regional foods popular in Goa, an Indian state located along India's west coast on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Rice, seafood, coconut, vegetables, meat, bread, pork and local spices are some of the main ingredients in ...

is influenced by

Gaud Saraswat Brahmin origins and

Portuguese cuisine The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled ''Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal'', from the 16th century, describes many popular dishes of meat, fish, poultry and others. ''Culinária Portuguesa'', by António-Maria De O ...

as well as a blend of modern techniques. Locals enjoy

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

with fish curry ( in Konkani), which is the staple diet in Goa. Coconut and coconut oil are widely used in cooking along with

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

s, spices and vinegar, giving the food a unique flavour. Various seafood delicacies include kingfish (, the most common delicacy),

pomfret Pomfrets are perciform fishes belonging to the family Bramidae. The family currently includes 20 species across seven genera. Several species are important food sources for humans, especially ''Brama brama'' in South Asia. The earlier form of ...

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...

tuna A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max len ...

and mackerel are also popular. Pork dishes such as

vindaloo Vindaloo or vindalho is an Indian curry dish, which is originally from Goa, based on the Portuguese dish carne de vinha d'alhos. It is known globally in its British Indian form as a staple of curry house and Indian restaurant menus, and is ofte ...

chouriço Chorizo (, from Spanish ; similar to but distinct from Portuguese ) is a type of pork cured meat originating from the Iberian Peninsula. In Europe, chorizo is a fermented, cured, smoked meat, which may be sliced and eaten without cooking, or ...

and

sorpotel Sarapatel (, ), or Sorpotel, is a dish of Portuguese origin now commonly cooked in the coastal Konkan region of India, primarily Goa, Mangalore and East Indians of Mumbai Sarpatel. The former Estado da Índia Portuguesa colony. It is also prepa ...

are a legacy of the

. The most popular alcoholic beverage in Goa is feni. Cashew feni is made from the fermentation of the fruit of the cashew tree, while coconut feni is made from the sap of toddy palms. The people also drink wine, especially on feast days.

Education and social welfare

The Educational Institutions based in the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

are Saviour of the world high school,

Don Bosco John Melchior Bosco ( it, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; pms, Gioann Melchior Bòsch; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator, writer and saint of the 19th century. While working ...

higher secondary school (run by the

Salesians of Don Bosco , image = File:Stemma big.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , abbreviation = SDB , formation = , founder = John Bosco , founding_location = Valdocco, Turi ...

) and the Don Bosco crafts Institute (also run by the Salesians of Don Bosco). School, Goa, Loutolim

The Social welfare activities include The Saint Xavier boarding for girls (run by the

Ursulines The Ursulines, also known as the Order of Saint Ursula (post-nominals: OSU), is an enclosed religious order of consecrated women that branched off from the Angelines, also known as the Company of Saint Ursula, in 1572. Like the Angelines, they ...

of Mary Immaculate) and Shanti Avedna Hospice for the terminally ill (run by the Sisters of the Holy Cross).

Notable people

Attractions

*Ancestral Goa Big Foot: a theme park called 'Ancestral Goa' has been built in Loutolim. Depicting Goan culture and preserving the grassroots of the humble state of Goa. Designed as a walk through village, with cobble stoned streets leading to and from life-sized displays, allowing the viewer an overview of the symbiotic relationship between man and nature including a frozen demonstration of the traditional method of cashew feni distillation. * Saint Mira Bai: Sant Mirabai is a 14m x 5m record setting monolith, a low relif design on laterite rock sculpted by Maendra Alvares of Loutolim, Goa in 1994 Sant Mirabai is a 14m x 5m record setting monolith, a low relif design on laterite rock sculpted by Maendra Alvares of Loutolim, Goa in 1994, made its way to the Limca Book of Records, Unique World Records, India Book of Records, World Records India, Assets Records. . “Sangam “ : a sculpture depicting the confluence of various religions *Miranda Mansion: One of the old

Goan Goans ( kok, गोंयकार, Romi Konkani: , pt, Goeses) is the demonym used to describe the people native to Goa, India, who form an ethno-linguistic group resulting from the assimilation of Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Indo-Portuguese, an ...

houses, owned by families such as the Mirandas are sometimes opened for public viewing. *''Casa Alvares'': A large traditional

house of over 250 years which had been the home of a wealthy Portuguese family for several generations. The house contained many old home furnishings. *Figueirdo mansion: Built in 1590, the Figueiredo Mansion pre-dates the

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

by decades. It was designed by Jesuit priests from nearby

Rachol Seminary The Rachol Seminary, also known today as Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol, is the diocesan major seminary of the Primatial Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman in Rachol, Goa, India. Historical outline The edifice that presently houses the sem ...

. The impressive mansion is now open as a museum and also hosts an inn.

Gallery

File:MirabaiLaterite.jpg, Laterite sculpture of the poet, St. Mirabai at the Big foot museum. File:Footprint at Big Foot Museum, Loutolim.jpg, The foot imprint at Big foot museum is often adorned with money. File:Exterior Big Foot museum.jpg, The gate outside Big foot museum with the statue of a guarding soldier. File:Cross - panoramio (13).jpg, A typical roadside cross seen across Goa's villages and towns. File:Entrance of Araujo Alvares House - panoramio.jpg, Front facade of Casa Araujo Alvares. File:Church of the Saviour of the World.jpg, Church of the Saviour of the World File:Statue of Savior of the World.jpg , Statue of the Savior of the World located opposite the church File:Sluice Gate in Loutolim.jpg , A very old Sluice located on the Loutolim-Rassiam road File:Fields of Loutolim.jpg , Fields of Loutolim

References

External links

''Casa Alvares'' — Ancestral house of Araujo Alvares
{{Commons category, Loutolim Cities and towns in South Goa district