Starting with the earliest travellers in the 16th century, this volume reviews the cultural legacy of five centuries of Indo-Portuguese contact. Two of the chapters discuss rare manuscripts in Portuguese and Dutch which document the customs and traditions of the people of 16th-century India, particularly Goa. Translated excerpts and illustrations from these manuscripts are reproduced here. The evolution of Goan church and temple architecture, the typical houses of Goa, and the development of the characteristic covered porch or balcao are examined in detail, as are the richly carved chair of Indo-Portuguese style. Essays on the relatively less studied Portuguese tenures on the Kerala and Bengal coasts are included. Also documented is the traditional Goan dance-song, the Mando, which has today given way to more populist variations. Joining the high table of the arts is a chapter on the rich culinary heritage for which Goa is justly famous.
The variety of subjects covered makes this volume an invaluable contribution to the study of this unique confluence of European and Indian cultures.
