Old Saligao Village

A story of very long before. A distance of 15 KM from Panaji, Saligao was a pleasant village then. Everything was different before 70 years compared to now. For more before that time, a Banyan tree was so infamous for evil haunting. 

According to local folklore the tree was possessed by a spirit. The ghost was known as Christalina's ghost. All the time people there used to avoid this place.

In 1952, famous Saligao-Pilerne Seminary was then under construction. Padre Inácio Lourenço Pereira was appointed as the supervisor. A few weeks later, some days after the inaugural of the Seminary, on a Sunday morning in January 1953, Padre Lourenço was missing at St Anne. He walked on the Seminary road as usual. When he didn't return till night, Padre's helping hand Frank and others started searching for him. They found him unconscious and flat on the ground and having face into the mud. Where he was found, just near the haunted Banyan tree. They saved him and carried him in his house. A priest came to help Padre. 

After that Padre became speechless and motionless for almost four days. Frank and his workers fixed a cross in a branch of the tree. After that Padre was talking in Konkoni language and in female voice. Sometimes he was just shouting 'Christalina'. Rumours spread in rapid pace with various ways. People became very scared as they know Padre was possessed by Christalina's ghost. He was admitted to hospital and from there he was sent to Portugal and never returned again.

In 1957 horizontal part found as missing from the cross on the branch of the tree. Rumours started again as Christalina's ghost came again. The site is believed to haunt till date.

Nevertheless, for the elders of Saligao village the perceived real ghost stories are evergreen, and the Goan ghosts, especially Saligao’s own Goan ghost Christalina and the haunted tree near the Saligao Seminary remain a veritable institution. People there practice many religious rituals in the Christian and Hindu way to please the spirit of Christalina. In fact the Hindu villagers living close to the haunted tree have built a small niche and offer gifts to the spirit, whom they call Ximecho Devchar or Boundary (Protecting) Devil.

Janeska Coutinho

SU160382

FYBSc Computer Science

F.C English Div B