Grounded in Goa is a series that documents the everyday beauties and joys of living in Goa. For anyone looking to move to Goa, it offers a glimpse into Goa's undeniable connection with nature, a life lived in harmony with the fertile land, changing skies, and the giving waters.

Also read - What To Look For While Buying A House in Goa and Designing a House in Goa

We love designs that at once marry form and function and do so with panache. As we design our houses in Goa, we are constantly on the lookout for products that elevate a spatial experience through colour, texture, and shape - all without compromising on functional capabilities. The Rio lamp by designer Harshita Jhamtani delivers all this and more.

The Rio shines in different natural stone finishes ranging from White Travertine, Bheslana stone, Green Forest Marble, and Sandstone, among others. In each case, the designer says, “All the lamps are carved out of a single block and have a fluting detail complimenting the properties of each stone.” The diverse options available ensure that there’s a Rio that works for every design style and every kind of space.

Furthermore, the Rio is built to last. In interpreting sustainability, Harshita Jhamtani qualifies, “As a studio, we believe that the most sustainable practice for a designer to adapt, is to create products that their patrons can buy once and cherish for a longtime. We bring this very dream to life by creating long-lasting unique pieces that shall take a small step towards accelerating the low carbon economy.”

Images courtesy Harshita Jhamtani designs

The Rio lamp is minimal, yet artful and robust with its material sensibilities. It is a beautiful way of bringing the elements of the outdoors, indoors. It is timeless in its rustic simplicity.

Grounded in Goa is a series that documents the everyday beauties and joys of living in Goa. For anyone looking to move to Goa, it offers a glimpse into Goa's undeniable connection with nature, a life lived in harmony with the fertile land, changing skies, and the giving waters.

Also read - What To Look For While Buying A House in Goa and Designing a House in Goa

Utsav House by Studio Mumbai is a sanctuary of serenity. This elemental yet contemporary house in Alibag by architect Bijoy Jain sensitively makes room for intimate interactions with the surrounding greenery as it effortlessly bridges the indoor with the outdoor. The picturesque scenes and the connections to the tropical context resonate deeply with our values, the natural roots we turn to while designing and building houses in Goa. Built with locally available material and around numerous indigenous trees, Utsav House achieves poetic spaces that have a rustic simplicity without compromising on any of our modern creature comforts. Throughout, the focus is on intentional building and living, through architecture that takes cues respectfully from the terrain and landscapes around.

Images courtesy Archdaily and The New York Times Style Magazine

Visit our previous blogpost on Utsav House here.

Learn more about Bijoy Jain’s Kapadia House, that is now a popular AirBnB here.

Image sourced from the internet.

Sweet summer memories for most of us involve climbing mango trees to pluck all the fresh fruit our hands could possibly reach. The mangoes of Goa are second to none, and the state is among the producers of the highest number of varieties of this delicious summer fruit. However, one particular local Goan mango trumps all others - Mankhurad!

Also known as Goa Mankur, Kurad, Malcorado, Corado etc, Mankhurad first entered the Goan belt in the early 1600s with the Portuguese travelers. With a cultivation history that spans centuries, this Goan variety has grown to become only sweeter with time. Today, the Portuguese Malcorado, is shipped all across India for its distinct taste and finds its way to the Goan summer table as fresh fruit, as well as jams, compotes and ice creams.

Life around the Mankhurad at Navovado

We were lucky to find five full grown, fruiting, and gloriously canopied Mankhurad trees on site when we began our design-development project Navovado. We have consciously preserved the vegetation and designed a modern Goan house around these magnificent mango trees that give us fresh, bountiful harvests in the summer and are a glorious green sight for sore eyes throughout the year.

Goa’s beaches are moving works of beauty and serenity and are packed with incredible biodiversity. We are spending time today observing the textures of the in between - equally of earth and equally of sea.

Grounded in Goa is a series that documents the everyday beauties and joys of living in Goa, in harmony with the fertile land, changing skies, and the giving waters.

As people move from cities in search of a better quality of life, Goa is often the first choice as it offers the perfect balance of the urban and the countryside. It makes room for a simple but luxurious lifestyle that celebrates the changes in nature, vegetation, and climate throughout the year. From Kokum in the late winter to cashews and mangoes in the summer to the famous kom and pipri in the monsoon, life in Goa is very much about savouring the bounties of seasonal living.

Come summer, it is cashew season in Goa and the trees are laden with fruits in sunset colours - the cashew tree swells with ripe produce in shades of red, yellow and orange. Between late February and early April, a majority of cashew harvest is carried out. Picking days are planned and cashew trails are organised as fruit is separated from nut. The freshly collected cashew nut is then prepared for the market - split, roasted, and seasoned before it makes it way to different parts of Goa, India, and beyond. The fresh cashew fruit however is carefully preserved and fashioned into a Goan summer delicacy. As the days grow warm outside, the Goan cashew fruit makes different appearances on the table throughout the season: first Niro, then Urrak, and finally Feni.

NIRO

After the fallen cashew apples are de-seeded, the fruits are thrown into a stomp pit and finely crushed to extract the juice. Sweet, sour and slightly pungent, the juice is collected into an earthen pot. In this fresh form, the juice called Niro has a shelf life of only a few hours and therefore, it is not commonly sold as a market product even within Goa. It is only within Panaji's oldest bakery, Mr. Baker 1922, that one would find bottled Niro, packaged under strict hygienic conditions and sold seasonally between March and May.

URRAK

All images have been sourced from the internet.

Once the fresh cashew juice is collected, it is stored in large terracotta pots and buried underground to ferment for three days. This first fermentation results in a high-quality, fruity alcohol called Urrak made precious by its short shelf life that lasts only a few weeks. Found in local bars but primarily in old Goan houses, Urrak is a seasonal drink that is a matter of great Goan pride, much like Sake from Japan or Chaang from the Himachali hills. The Goans typically enjoy their Urrak as a summer afternoon cocktail - topped with fresh cold limca, a dash of fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of salt and paprika, and a chilli dunked.

FENI

Finally, there’s the popular Feni, which finds a place among the world’s strongest liquors. Feni is the second distillation of cashew pulp after Urrak and is found year-round in the coastal state. This summer elixir is either barrel-aged or copper pot distilled and then filtered for smoothness. Today, homegrown Goan distilleries like Aani Ek give the robust Feni a flavourful twist. The distinct local branding is also found in brands like Lembarca (in the image above), which to date carries a hand sketched label crafted by iconic Goan artist Mario Miranda.

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Goa is a land of incredible natural and cultural diversity.

Learn more about Goa’s famous native landscape here.

To know more about where to live in Goa, visit this blogpost.

Finally, if you’re interested in buying a house in Goa, use this checklist.

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Life in Goa has a laid-back, luxurious simplicity that is hard to come by in most of our cities today. People who move here are typically looking to leave the rat race behind in pursuit of a slower lifestyle that offers infinite and diverse opportunities to live in harmony with the land, to embrace the local culture, to enjoy the natural abundance as well as savour the bounties brought by changing seasons.

While Goa is a small state, each of its neighbourhoods offer different and unique living experiences. For anyone who is considering moving to Goa or buying a house in Goa, here is a detailed analysis of what one can expect from the neighbourhoods of North Goa.

PANJIM & ITS SURROUNDINGS

Image sourced from The Culture Trip.

PROS:

As the capital city, Panjim is extremely well connected and relatively easier to access. It is a quaint and small town that bridges the old and the new - it offers modern residential amenities while also retaining historic neighbourhoods such as Fountainhas. Panjim, is at its core, a residential area primarily and therefore also has a robust presence of schools around. It is also close to the beach stretches of Miramar, Caranzalem, and Dona Paula.

CONS:

It may not be easy to get a large, spacious house with a backyard in Panjim. The houses available are largely present in apartments and the availability of outdoor space within a plot is hard to come by.

ALDONA, MOIRA & POMBURPA

Image sourced from Tripoto.com

PROS:

Located to the east of the highway, these are quaint villages in North Goa that are positioned at a distance from the beach belt and are therefore saved from Goa’s maddening tourist crowds. The villages offer a quiet lifestyle meant for people who want to coexist with locals and enjoy the real Goa. However, these areas have been gaining popularity over the last ten years as prime locations for countryside vacation homes. These areas typically contain vacation houses built by expats and Indians who live abroad.

CONS:

It is a bit of a trek to the beach from these areas. The closest beaches are about 40-45 minutes away. These areas are also sought after for their pristine and undisturbed natural habitats. Thus, one should expect to entertain the local flora and fauna in their home.

ASSAGAO & SIOLIM

Image sourced from Ghoomophiro.com

PROS:

These were traditionally well-to-do villages that today have some gorgeous and large heritage houses. These villages are closer in proximity to the beach belt and see a lot of local as well as tourist activity. The neighbourhood hosts multiple restaurants and stores of different kinds, so it is charged with buzz, life, and movement throughout the day.

CONS:

Unfortunately, the quintessential quietude of Goa is no longer to be found in these areas. Commercial activity has taken over and most parts of these villages are overbuilt in the name of development.

NERUL, BETHE & REIS MAGOS

Image sourced from Alvira-Ventures

PROS:

These are pictureque villages that are steeped in history. They are also strategically located. Positioned midway between the Candolim beach belt and Panjim, they make the beachside as well as the townside easily accessible.

CONS:

Gentrification has rapidly taken over these areas as well. It may be possible to get a beautiful row house in these areas, however, bigger houses and larger plots will not be easy to come by.

To compare North Goa and South Goa, visit our analysis here.

To know more about building a house in Goa, read our series: Designing a House in Goa

Now that you've got this house in Goa, imagine all the things you can do with it to make it your sanctuary. The most wonderful thing about having a house in Goa is being able to enjoy the natural immersion and the seasonal indulgence that comes with it. To us, design is a direct way to enhance comfort, improve quality of living, and create richness in experience within every space.

Design can be simple but generous and luxurious when the right materials and strategies are used. Here are 5 effective ways to create rustic spaces that are designed for barefoot and earthy luxury.

01 Create spacious bathrooms finished with rustic materials that feel great against bare feet.

Find bathrooms designed as sanctuary spaces here.

02 Use a colour palette of subtle shades & tones in neutral monochromatic colours.

Read more about building a neutral palette here.

03 Take advantage of the unique colours, patterns and textures of natural materials.

Learn about using and maintaining wood, lime, and IPS here.

04 Design landscape to mimic a wild landscape as opposed to manicured landscape.

Learn more about natural landscaping and local species here.

05 Practice a bit of wabi sabi where you appreciate and live with site's imperfections and the aging of materials.

Read our blogpost on living with nature.

Building with rammed earth is simple, pocket friendly, and sustainable. Contrary to popular belief, rammed earth construction is feasible in a wide range of climatic zones, including areas with a significant monsoon. A built rammed earth structure is a sight for sore eyes, it is a dense but breathable material which makes it great for thermal insulation. With the right processes and tools, a rammed earth structure can easily be implemented by anyone. Here are some basics about the natural material to help you get started.

Knowledge Partners: Gia Mantra Global Village

For a detailed analysis of Rammed Earth as a building material, watch my conversation with natural building expert Donald Sequeira here.

We also answered the FAQs on Rammed Earth recently. Find the Q&A session here.