Bastora is a village in North Goa, India. It is located on the outskirts of Mapusa town. Green and still scenic, this is one of the many communities and villages that makes up mainly-rural, but fast-urbanising Goa.
Name and origins
Bastora was earlier known as Bastodem, when it is believed to have been by the Kadamba and Vijaynagara dynasties that ruled the region. Like the rest of the region of Bardez came under Portuguese rule some 33 years after Lisbon conquered the region now known as Old Goa in 1510.
Local landmarks
Bastora was earlier home to St Xavier's College, which later shifted to Mapusa. It is also home to the Holy Cross School, and a prominent publishing and printing institution that played a key role in Goa's intellectual life for decades, Tipografia Rangel. It is now home to Asha Bawan a drug rehabilitation's home at Boa Vista.
St Xavier's College
St Xavier's College was founded in 1963 in Bastora, and initially run by the Jesuits, who deputed former St Xavier's College, Bombay principal Fr Edward D'Cruz to take over as principal. Fr. Nicolau Pereira, who had a doctorate from the United States, oversaw the shifting of the college to Mapusa in 1968. According to Dr Jaime Rangel, there earlier was a proposal to locate the college complex in Bastora itself, on land to be acquired from the local Comunidade of Bastora. But, writes Rangel, due to some disagreements with some comunidade functionaries, land was instead acquired from the Mapusa Comunidade.
Tipografia Rangel
Launched in 1886, this printing press and publishing house—whose imprint marks many books published in Goa during the period—continued in operation till 1994. It was founded by Janin Rangel. Its books are still visible in libraries across the world. Janin Rangel published his first book on Konkani Grammar, and also compiled the Solfeggio, 1o, 2o and 3o Tomo, which continued being used by music students in Goa for long. The Boletim do Instituto Vasco da Gama later renamed to Boletim do Instituto Menezes Bragança was published from here. An annual almanac was also a feature of Tipografia Rangel.
Another village institution is the Holy Cross High School, run by the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod. It was founded in 1936. Among those credited with building this institution are the French nun Mother Margaret and Sister Beatrice, a Goan nun from the village of SiolimWho was later Mother Beatrice. Over the years, literally thousands of students have passed through this school.
Other recognisable points or institutions in the village are Cafe Prakash at the Boa Vista locality of Bastora, the Friends XI Sports Club of Vaddem, William D'Souza General Stores of Balbot, Cafe Tato and Satpurush General Stores at Boa Vista, Kuku Farm at Pello Vaddo in nearby Uccasiam, Mr Fixit of Boa Vista, the Bastora Ucassaim Group MP Co-operative Society Ltd, Lobo printers, Xell, Alcrafts workshop at Teliavaddo, among others. Bastora Union is a network of villagers based in the Indian commercial capital of Mumbai. The Comunidade of Bastora is a community-based land-owning traditional institution. Women and Child Welfare Association of Bastora currently has Alima Monteiro and Reema Morosker as its general secretaries.
Prominent villagers
Anil Vinayak Lad, Editor Proprietor of In Goa 24x7 Channel
