Selaulim It’s So Dam(n) Beautiful

Serenity and quietude is what every busy body seeks, to escape from the chaos of the city or the demands of a hectic life. Some of us meditate, others try various retail, sports, natural therapies and the rest of us escape for a quiet vacation. While all of us have a choice of ways to find tranquillity, my personal ‘not-so-secret’ remedy to replace the chaotic mind with stillness is…. travel.   

All the fidgety souls in Goa, consider yourselves fortunate. For you do not have to travel miles and long hours to seek your place of solitude. Your search stops here, as Goa has so many places of serenity to offer. All you need to do is, explore. So, in another of my quests for ‘Peace’ I discovered Selaulim, only to rediscover myself ‘yet again’. Located in Uguem village in the Sanguem taluka is the Selaulim river, which is a tributary of the Zuari River. Nestled amidst the rustic wilderness of the Western Ghats on the Selaulim River is Goa’s largest manmade water storage reservoir. The Selaulim Dam is an integral fraction of the Selaulim Irrigation Project which facilitates work on the development of irrigation and supply of drinking water in Goa. To get to the Selaulim, you can travel from Margao towards Sanguem crossing Curchorem. For a first timer, due to the lack of signboards, you may feel a little disoriented or lost, but worry not, just stop by and ask for directions. The locals will offer help with a beaming smile. Tall towering trees, winding roads, monkeys clinging on trees and exotic chirping birds are your constant companions through the drive. The journey to the destination is equally picturesque and mesmerising as the destination.

Towering trees, colourful hedges, green lawns and sitting pavilions makes it an idyllic setting for leisure and relaxation with friends and family. The flora in this area is really diverse and abundant to quench the senses of nature lovers and enthusiast. Observe the tiniest of the flowers and you will wonder at its beauty. While on your way back, in the close proximity, take a diversion off the route towards the protected archaeological site. Where the road ends, history unfolds. An 11th century Mahadev temple from the Kadamba Dynasty sits amidst the lush green surrounding. This temple was originally located on the banks of the Selaulim River. But the construction of the dam across the Selaulim river threatened the submergence of this ancient architectural marvel, therefore it was systematically dismantled and reconstructed stone by stone at this place with a similar topographical setting where it now stands. Dry stone masonry, monolithic stone pillars and intricate carvings on the rocks are meticulously preserved in the rearrangement, but the numbers marked in white marker paint on each of the components of the temple is a disappointment. Nevertheless, you have peeked back into history and it’s exhilarating.

Planet Goa Team

For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.