Cavelossim
Cavelossim is a village in South Goa district in the state of Goa, India.
The town hosts a well-known beach at the southernmost tip of the Salcete beach stretch that starts from Majorda in the north to Cavelossim in the south. The Sal River flows into the Arabian Sea at the south of this town.
History
Most of the history of Cavelossim comes from church records and from written statements by clergy originating from the village. The village was referred to as or 'village of the Shudra', as the majority of the burghers belonged to that caste. The Shudra usually worked as fisherman and as labour for the Bhatkars and Zamindars of the neighbouring villages of Assolna and Carmona.The only attraction was a small temple which housed the idol of the Hindu goddess Shantadurga, believed to be located around behind the current location of the church of Santa Cruz.
Tradition
It is said that a usurped Raja, Prince Rama, a scion of the Nayaka dynasties, wandering aimlessly after his defeat, was finally granted asylum in the village of Cavelossim, as there were very few of prominence residing there to oppose. Some suggest he belonged to Nayakas of Keladi and relocated as late as the 1500s with his remaining loyal soldiers and officers. Hence several families in Cavelossim trace their lineage to Nayaka and Vijayanagara officers and had the different vaddos renamed in their honour. Though it is claimed that the exiled ruler married into the temple family, it seems unlikely as it would have been an inter-caste marriage.It is instead believed that the Raja and his followers rather became patrons of the temple, helping it quickly became one of the largest in the region, with the manor house of descendants of the prince's followers– who are often called or –in the temple premises. The gold coins and medallions housed by the family and church are yet to be dated and estimated.
Transition to Portuguese Goa
After the Portuguese conquest of Goa, the majority of the villagers accepted the Christian faith and the temple fell out of use, reducing it nearly to the status of a mere outbuilding of the temple family's house. This family went on to take the name of Rodrigues.During the Spanish Inquisition which spilled over to Goa as the Goa Inquisition, New Christians were forced to rid themselves of idols of other religions to prevent Crypto-Hinduism. In the 17th century, the family requested officials to let the main idol be transported beyond the borders of that time to the village of Kavale in Ponda. Here it remains even today, near the larger main idol from Quelossim in the temple built by Shahu Bhosale I in 1720. As an act of faith, in 1763 the family constructed a chapel dedicated to the holy cross, Santa Cruz, Goa#Santa Cruz Catholic Church, which came under the jurisdiction of the parish of Carmona.
Being fed by the Sal River, Cavelossim boasted lush fields and multiple fisheries which granted its communidade a hefty or , with which the villagers were able to make sizeable donations to build a cemetery and expand the chapel to its current size. It was recognized as a separate parish church in 1948. The main side gate of the church was accompanied by three pairs of pillars: the first of the church itself; the ones behind leading to the Rodrigues manor were testimony to its first patrons, who still share the back walls of the church; and the third, opposite the church, bearing lions to the erstwhile influential Gomes family, whose founder was one of the early presidente da camara de salcete following Portuguese acceptance of self-governance amongst Goans.