Chapter 6: EPILOGUE I. Significance of the study a) The study is basically a very good documentation of Goa's ancient and medieval period icons and sculptural remains. So far a wrong notion among many that Goa religio cultural past before the arrival of the Portuguese is intangible has been critically viewed and examined in this study. The research would help in throwing light on the pre-Portuguese era of the Goa's history. b) The craze of modernization and renovation of ancient and historic temples have made changes in the religio-cultural aspect of the society. Age old deities and concepts of worships have been replaced with new sculptures or icons. The new sculptures installed in places of the historic ones have been modified to the whims and fancies of many trustees or temple authorities thus changing the pattern of the religio-cultural past. While new icons substitute the old ones there are changes in attributes, styles and the historic features of the sculpture or image. Not just this but the old sculptures are immersed in water when the new one is being installed. Some customary rituals have been rapidly changed intentionally or unintentionally by the stake holders or the devotees. Moreover the most of the ancient rituals and customs associated with some icons have are in process of being stopped by the locals. Therefore a thorough documentation of these sculptures and antiquities with scientific attitude and research was the need of the hour. c) The iconographic details about many sculptures, worships or deities are scattered in many books and texts. Many ancient Indian texts like the Purans are slowly becoming obsolete or untraceable. The same is the case with many inscriptions, epigraphs or copper plates. The study has correlated, compared and all such primary sources and there one can draw a pattem of the religious conditions of a changing society which existed in ancient Goa. d) The study has also made an attempt to study the impact of the icons and sculptures on Goa's society. One can also trace the pattem of evolution of Goa's ancient religion and the development of art. e) Through the study an analytical approach of periodizing the sculptures by relating them to the sculptures found in the neighboring areas of Goa which also came under the sways of the dynasties who ruled Goa has been carried out. The 204 sculptures which have not been brought to light by the previous scholars or researchers in Goa are categorized and periodized. f) To characterize the various seating postures, poses, names of ornaments found on the various sculptures in Goa by using various primary and secondary sources. To study the dynastic influences on ancient and medieval sculptures by comparing them sculptures found in places where the dynasties originated. II. Re-orientation of hypothesis into the final research 1) Strong pattern of folk worship found. There are folk as well as Puranic worships found in Goa today. However, the folk deities and folk worships have a greater influence on Goa's religio-cultural past. The folk deities included aniconic forms of worships except for a few of them like the Betall and Ravalnath. Almost every village of Goa has a folk deity in village Panchayatan. In many places the folk deities are invoked before the Puranic deities in the traditional invocations. This early primitive society had excluded the worship of the Puranic and Vedic deities. The aniconic worships included ^/iun?/,(worship of pilaster), Sdnteri, Bhomka, Bhaukai, (antihill), Lairai ( brass pitcher) Purush (ancestor), Paik (protector deity on horseback) Kelbai, Mhammai. Patrddevi, Pdvnai Mduli, Shimradevi, Sitradevi etc . To add to this we have iconic forms like Vandevi or Vandevta, in which the name itself suggests that it is the worship of local flora and fauna Male folk deities like the Dddd, Sdkhaliyo, Paik. Vir, Purus, Brahmo, Pisso, Khetri, Ravlu , Shdno Ravlu etc were worshipped and continues to be worshipped in the tribal society even today. 2) Assimilation of Vedic and Puranic rituals for folk deities and vice versa Even after the advancement of the Puranic deities the folk rituals and concepts had a strong influence. Although the folk deity like the Betall became part of the Puranic Panchayatan he is still offered sacrificial blood of an animal mixed with rice. This tradition in case of the PMra«/c deity also had to be continued. But animal blood was considered to be a taboo in the Puranic worships hence Sindhur or Kumkum mixed with water signified blood. This symbolic blood is mixed with rice and is offered to minor protector deities around the principal Puranic deity. In some villages the Puranic deity was elevated to the status of the principal deity of the village. In such cases the folk deities were given a position one step lower than the Puranic deity yet 205 their position remained the most important. On the festival day these deities have to be pleased by offerings certain things like uncooked rice, a cockerel etc. 3) Vishnu's ani conic forms & Vishnu's ten incarnations- symbolism of evolution theory. Vaishnavism appears to have played a dominant role in Goa Apart from his iconic worship he Vishnu is also worshipped in an aniconic form. Certain families in Goa worship the ammonite fossils which appear to be in the shape of a Chakr. This is called as Saligram or Shalgram. the Agni Puran description of Shalgram as a Chakr having circular marks as the form of Vishnu speaks about his association with life under water. a) Why specifically worship the ammonites? The ammonites have gone through a great process of evolution before they could get their last form. They initially were in the shape of a long shell called Ordovician Cephalopod which had curves. The curves gradually evolved into coils and the shells were flattened and compressed. The coiled shells continued to develop and sprang into new group called ammonites. Vishnu was considered to be the early life or the embryo which eventually grew and developed into larger and bigger creatures. Ammonite fossils as seen above were the earliest forms of life which gradually evolved. Hence these fossils not only represented the Chakr of Vishnu but also were a part of the great evolution process of early forms of life. Thus the Saligram by itself indicated a representation of birth or the seed of birth as it was one of the earliest form of life. His 10 avtars are nothing but symbolic representations of evolution of life. 6) Matsy (fish) 2) Kurm (tortoise) 3) Varah (wild boar) 4) A'ir5'/«/j(half man half lion) 5) Vaman (dwarf) 6) Parshurdm (axe man) 7) Ram (warrior with bow- arrow) 8) Krishn (intelligent) 9) Buddh (enlightened one) 10) Kalki (destroyer) Scientifically speaking the chordates which included a wide range of living beings worms to frogs, birds originated from the lancelet which is a small slender translucent marine animal. It is called as the ancestors of all vertebrate animals. It is considered to be the most primitive ancestor of the vertebrates. From the lancelet evolved the early fish called Agnatha which had gill, fins and scales. From the Agnatha evolved the Lobbed Fin Fishes which later evolved into the amphibians who could live on land as well as water. Studies show that there is a remarkable increase in the brain power and 206 brain complexity as we pass the stages of evolution from fishes to amphibians, reptiles and finally to mammals. The struggle for existence from sea to land led to the evolution of reptiles from amphibians and from reptiles evolved the four legged mammals. Thus reptiles finally evolved into mammals. The Puranic texts like the Vayu Puran also mentions that the entire earth was a water body in the beginning and from there emerged Vishnu. In a nutshell the theory of evolution states that life began first in water in the form of fishes then came evolved the phase of amphibians who evolved into reptiles. Perhaps this is the reason why peiiiaps Vishnu is called as Jalpati daivat. A minute observation of the above chronology of Vishnu's avtars very clearly indicates that it is a representation of theory of evolution of life. The fish (Matsy) which later evolved into tortoise (Kurm) then into four legged mammal the boar iVardh) then existed the primitive man (Nrsinh and Vdman). Here one can also see a symbolism of evolution of an axe man {Parshurdm) then the thinker (Krishn and Buddh). Though inclusion of Gautam Buddh was an attempt to incorporate Buddhism into the fold of Vaishnavism he is aptly placed before the Kalki avtdr. b) Find spots of sculptures of Vishnu are near water bodies. The find spots of these sculptures are noteworthy. Keeping the concept of Vishnu being associated with water in mind, the sculptures of Vishnu were established in a place having lots of water or which was water logged perennially. Sculptures were also established on fertile lands having ample of water. The sculpture of Bhogshayan Vishnu in Savai Verem was established on a water logged site. Till today one can find water flowing all around the plinth of the temple in narrow canals. The sculpture of Vdman in Paingini is worshipped in a temple located on edge of a cultivable marshy land. While the sculpture of Ndrdyan in Mulgao, Savai are also found established in cool and serene areas filled with thick vegetation. Same is observed in case oiKeshav temples. The sculpture of Keshav found in Priol, Nageshi, Aria and Lolye is established on a low lying inundated area while the one in Khandepar, is located on the banks of a river.