Goa is known as the sun-kissed land with beautiful beaches. It’s the smallest state of India with a lot of tourist attractions. Goa has held the top tag for its beautiful beaches, but other than beaches it has so much to show to the world. There is a place in Goa that is beautiful, with a hidden trace of history. It is the Curdi village in Goa, it is situated in the Sanguem taluka of South Goa, approximately 5 Km from the Salaulim Dam’s catchment area.
The village is known as the Atlantis of Goa but unlike Atlantis, you can see the village only once a year. Since like the Atlantis, it is a submerged village, when the water level goes down, the village gets the chance of resurfacing itself.
“Every year, like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered, Kurdi village in Goa resurfaces from beneath the waters, offering a glimpse into a bygone era.”
Economic Times
The Curdi village was once upon a time home to 3000 villagers, who had to relocate during the construction of the Salaulim Dam in the 1980s. Other than Curdi 20 other villages were submerged, however, Curdi is the only village that appears when some amount of water dries up.
The construction of the Salaulim dam was meant to supply water to south Goa and it was the dream project of the Goa’s first Chief Minter Dayanand Bandodkar. Most of the people from the village were into farming and agriculture. The government formulated a plan for the compensation of the families of the submerged villages.
The villagers were provided land for agriculture and land to relocate their livelihood in the Vade and Valkini villages. When the construction of the dam started in 1975 to 1976 the water level started rising due to the reservoir and the villages slowly started to get submerged. Some of the families stayed back but when the water started rising, they were left with no option other than relocating. There were still many families left who didn’t get the compensation of either land or monetary compensation. According to a Times of India article, 71 families were left without compensation.
The village had many historical structures like the one statue of Goddess Lajja Gauri comprising 2.5m, weighing 16 tons with its rock base shifted to Verna in the vicinity of the old temple of Mahalasadevi. In the village, there were several rock-cut caves which are submerged.
There are also many idols of the Hindu goddesses and gods which are centuries and now also when the village appears some of the idols still lie there. The villages had many temples among them the famous were Someshwar, Vetal, Bhagwati, and Ravalnath. Someshwar was the deity worshipped by the Curdi villagers. Even now also when the village resurfaces the festival of Someshar is celebrated in May. The Someshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple also reemerges when the water level goes down, and some of the statues like the Nandi and others were shifted to Valkini.
Now there are such which can still be seen in the village. The Tulsi Vrindavan is still seen stating that there was a house near it. There are some Shiv lingas also found around the temples, when asked by the villagers they state that they were installed by their ancestors. The broken ruins of houses without rooftops can be seen, this says that once a time those were houses where some people sent their livelihood. Even today some of the strong decay of tree trunks and coconut tree trunks are still visible when the water submerging the village dries up. The village was lost like a deserted area which ones used to be living of 300 to 200 families.
But Goa remains a timeless blend of history, culture, and celebration—a place where people come to unwind, worship, and embrace life’s vibrant rhythm. With its deep-rooted heritage shaped by centuries of Portuguese influence, ancient temples, and seafarers’ tales, Goa is more than just a destination; it’s a story that continues to unfold.
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