Sarzora

Geography

It is approximately eight kilometers away from the nearest town which is Margao and approximately two kilometers away from the nearest market at Chinchinim.

Sarzora has a rich culture and has traditions going back ages, most of which are still being followed today. The vast lush green fields and the serene landscape make this an ideal peace lovers paradise.

Nobody is Sarzora lives in a building or in a flat system. Every family in Sarzora has their own house be it big or small, which is a unique feat by itself, considering Goa's rapid urbanization.

The famous Sarzora Lake and the spring "makde-aambo" add to the beauty of the village. The mighty hills which overlook the village give a visually stunning effect, and at the same time ensure that there is adequate amount of rainfall in the village every year.

Scenic beauty

Sarzora is well known for its natural and acenic beauty. The very popular Sarzora Lake and the beautiful lush green paddy fields are just some of its attractions. The residents of sarzora are very environmentally conscious and make huge efforts to keep the village clean.

Zones

Sarzora is made up of nine zones (also called wards).

zone 1 :- consists of naikamvaddo and modemvaddo.

zone 2 :- consists of deoulmoddy, mollar and vitollem.

zone 3 :- consists of rockvaddo and zumpimand.

zone 4 :- consists of miamanndop.

zone 5 :- consists of p-baand.

zone 6 :- consists of new corner.

zone 7 :- consists of quivelem and mirandavaddo.

zone 8 :- consists of olliazote, doncon and firguilem.

zone 9 :- consists of c-baand.

Landmarks

St. Sebastian Chapel

Sarzora is full of heritage structures which are the pride and the beauty of the village. The different chapels and crosses spread across the village are an indication of the religious temperament of the people of sarzora. These monuments are viewed with great respect, and each chapel has an annual feast that is celebrated with great pomp and splendor.

Chapel of Our Lady Of Fatima

This magnificent structure was built by Dr. Vilberto de Mascarenhas in the year 1997 to commemorate the 400 years of the discovery of Goa by the Portuguese. The chapel has a unique structure and has tiles all around showing pictorial representations of vasco da gama's arrival in goa. These Wall tiles were designed by a Portuguese artist under commission of Dr. Vilberto de Mascarenhas and specially flown in from Lisbon, Portugal and then reassembled in Goa. The chapel also houses an idol of Our Lady Of Fatima. Regular masses and prayers are also held here.

Churches

The Our Lady Of Assumption Church Sarzora was built as a chapel in the late 1970 era, where the faithful would gather for prayers. The chapel was then elevated to the status of a church on 28 October 1973.

The church has come a long way since its early days with several extensions and additions to its structure. The church now has three spacious wings, and a residence for the parish priest. The church has a single bell tower, which is rung to summon the people for prayer.

The various priests who have served in sarzora are as follows.

1)Fr. Marthino Gomes : He had the honor of being the first parish priest, when the chapel was elevated to the church on October 28, 1973.

2) Fr. Antonio Fernandes

3) Fr. Macedonco D'costa

4) Fr. Espeiano de Souza  : Completed the left wing extension of the church.

5) Fr. Francisco Athaide : Established the parish council and uplifted the general standard of the parish. The construction plan of the right wing extension and parish residence was fostered by him.

6) Fr. Oscar Quadros : Completed the construction of the right wing extension and parish residence.

7) Fr. Martin Dourado

8) Fr. Armandeo d'costa

9) Fr. Benedict Montero

10) Fr. Freddie D'souza

11) Fr. Michael d'almeida :Who is the current Parish Priest.

Cultural events

Since Sarzora is a predominantly Catholic Village, there are a lot of religious events held here. The main feasts celebrated in sarzora are as follows ...

Our lady of Assumption feast, is celebrated on 15 August and is celebrated again on the last Sunday of October. this custom is a tradition going back ages. Legend has it that The people didn't have enough food in the months of August so they decided to celebrate the feast again in the month of October as it was the harvest season and there was surplus food. Somehow this age old custom has still survived through the ages and is still being followed by the people of Sarzora.

The other chapel feasts like the feast of St. Sebastian are celebrated in January while the feast of the holy cross is celebrated in the month of may.

The Carnival is another festival which is celebrated before the season of lent starts. There are local one act plays Called Tiatrs held throughout the village at various locations. People even dress up in drag, fancy costumes and colourfuL attire. They also wet each other by throwing water balloons, which is a practice which is especially popular amongst the youth. In short the Carnival consists of three days of fun and frolic before the onset of Lent.

The burning of the old man happens every year on 31 December. Village boys make an old man by stuffing old clothes with Hay, and set up roadblocks to as people for monetary help for their ailing old man. The old man is then customarily burnt at midnight, and the money collected is used for a new year party.

Schools

The Assumpta convent high school which has its roots way back to 1974 when it was started with just a kindergarten class and 34 students. It has been a long way since then and now the school boasts of a roll call exceeding five hundred in number, and the school premises has become a nurturing ground for those interested in the various disciplines of school life.

The school was established under the kind patronage and generosity of Rev Fr. Francis Mascarenhas who is working in Brazil. The Rev Fr. donated the plot of land on which the school now proudly stands, but this plan wouldn't have materialized without the timely aid and financial assistance from the congregation of the Franciscan sisters of St. Mary of the Angels.

Sr. Dolores and Sr. Gemma were the first two pioneers and Sr. Rita, Sr. Georgina and Sr. Cyrilla joined them in the following years. Sr. Georgina was appointed the first headmistress of the school.

The Sincere and dedicated effort by the sisters has finally paid off with the students bringing laurels to the school in every discipline, be it sports, cultural activities or competitions.

The motto of the school is "let your light shine", and rightly so, because of this school it is that many students have discovered their hidden talents and qualities that they may have never known about. As in the words of the Headmistress of Assumpta Convent High School Sr. Elsa

" Assumpta Convent strives hard to give the best to its students, its goal is to develop the whole child into a well integrated personality. Co-curricular activities are given due importance as they help students to form a wholesome and balanced personality. Students are encouraged to participate in order to help them gain self confidence and overcome the fear of public. Our students are good in music and dance and "mando" holds an important place at the annual cultural functions. The house system helps to inoculate team spirit and leadership qualities through participation in inter level and inter school competitions. Students talented in arts and crafts are given many opportunities to develop their talents. They have won prizes even at all Goa level. Ample opportunities are provided in the field of athletics so those more inclined towards sports can better themselves. "

To keep abreast with the modern times computer education was introduced to the school in 1994. Many students avail of this facility at school. To ensure that there is no communication gap between the student's parents and the teachers a committee called the parent teacher association was set up and has an active hand in the functioning of the school.

Communities

A general overview of some of the activities undertaken by the various parish associations.

Altar boys and altar girls : The small boys and the small girls working together in friendship and love serve at the altar of the lord. They meet every Sunday at 9:00 a.m to discuss important matters and to allocate duties for the Sunday masses.

Legion of Mary : the legion of Mary which was started in sarzora decades back still exists due to the hard work and the dedication of its members. They meet every Sunday to spend time in prayer, and sharing about their services and visits. The young and Eucharistic teenagers are always ready to visit the sick and pray for the needs of the parish.

Parish Youth Of Sarzora : The Parish youth is an association which binds the youth of sarzora in true friendship and help. They canalize their energy towards personality development by organizing various activities within the parish. Meetings are held once a month to chalk out various activities.

Society of St. Vincent De Paul : Society Of St. Vincent De Paul is an organization of lay people serving in love the poor and the afflicted. They meet once a month to share about their visitations and the relief to the poor in their homes, hospitals and in the home for the aged etc..

Parish Pastoral Council : The pastoral council is an advisory body of the parish priest coordinating all the activities in the parish. They regulate the working of the different associations of the parish. The full parish is divided into 18 small Christian committees. Through small Christian committees they hope to build up the parish as a symbol of love, hope, and social responsibility.

Sports and activities

Football is the most popular sport in Sarzora. Although there are some months during which other sports like Volleyball and Cricket are also played. Football and Cricket tournaments are organized by the Sarzora Sports Club or by the youth themselves. There is usually a cash prize to be won at the end of the tournament, Or it could be an impromptu challenge match where the winning team gets paid by the losing team.