Curca Deity

In a tiny hamlet near a rivulet at the foot of Our Lady of the Rosary perched on a hilltop in Curca, lies a mysterious Hindu statue, now in an advanced state of decomposition. It is not clear whether the statue in question depicts a male or female deity but there is a smaller figure at the foot of the statue which is clearly feminine. The statue is located at the base of a tree which might have been a holy tree - hence a site of religious significance. The residents of the hamlet are uncertain as to the origins of the statue. It is probable that it originates from at least the sixteenth or fifteenth centuries and that it was worshiped in a clandestine manner during the Inquisition. This would explain its severely damaged state. This was also one of the areas in Goa where Hindu practises were first fully eradicated by the church. Further, the entire area around Our Lady of the Rosary, including the hamlet itself, once belonged to a Portuguese nobleman who would have ensured local conversion.