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The underwater village of Goa is only visible once every year: Read more…

Curdi was once a vibrant village community with about 600 families in the South Goa district. It is nestled among the Western Ghats and has the Salaulim river running through it. But all that is a thing of the past, because the lovely hamlet was swept away by the waves. The village has remained a ghost town ever since. It spends 11 months of the year under the Salaulim Dam’s waters. When the water levels drop just before the monsoon arrives in early June, the village reappears.

There were actually roughly 17 villages in Goa’s Sanguem Taluka evacuated to make room for the catchment area of the Salaulim dam, not just Curdi. In the late 1970s, Goa’s first chief minister conceived of the dam. In 1983-84, villagers were relocated to the neighbouring villages of Velip and Valkini. They lived on the banks of the Kushavati River. Someshwar Temple is situated near the edge of the river on a rocky ledge. As a memory of the hamlet that once surrounded it, it stands towering now.

Although the village has been submerged for more than 35 years, its dwellings, temples, caverns, and paths have all survived. They will give up one way or another. Thus, visiting Curdi is like visiting a piece of Goa’s past that has been lost to future generations. However, even if some of these indicators of civilization survive, the state of affairs will change with each passing year.

When should you visit Curdi village?

In Goa, there is only a short window when you can visit a village. The best time to visit is in the second half of May. You may want to check the monsoon forecast and plan your trip to arrive as late as possible before pre-monsoon showers arrive in Goa. Depending on how low the water levels have dropped, more of the village and its ruins will be visible. So, other than some high points, such as the hilltop Someshwar Temple, you see slightly different things every year.

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