Goa, referred as Gomantak signifies a land similar to Paradise which is fertile and good waters has its mythical connection since Vedic times. From these references ‘Lord Parashurama’ shot an arrow into the Arabian Sea from the Western Ghats reclaiming the beautiful land of Gomant, thus becoming a significant character in the history of present day Goa. In the subsequent years Goa came under the rule of Mauryas, Kadambas, Chalukyas, Vijayanagar Empire and also the Sultan of Bijapur before it was conquered by the Portuguese. Considering the milestones and the chronology of historical events, Alfonso de Albuquerque has been one of the biggest names who influenced the land of Goa. Considering its geographical positioning, the water (Sea) becomes the major connecting element right from the mythological references of its creation, the trade links established by various rulers and the cultural associations it had for hundreds of years.
'Of Tides and Times...' created for the inaugural show of MoG, 'Morphology of Archive - Connected Histories of Goa' is a narrative panoramic composition with ‘Sea’ as a
connecting element through the length of the work. The important characters
associated with the history, mainly Parashurama and Albuquerque have been
portrayed as major images linking chronology of the history. The reference
image of Parashurama is been taken from a miniature styled unknown source and Albuquerque’s
portraiture depicted in one of the Portuguese currency becomes another
important reference material. Some of the important landmarks which remain as
the testimony of the multi-faceted history of the region has been incorporated
and become the linking elements for the panoramic composition.
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