where are the 2nd floors in anjuna???

building opposite the STARCO junction, located in the heart of Anjuna

As the 600 year old legend goes, once a godess named Bhumika was crossing a village in Anjuna in her palanquin when she was spat upon by a man from the second floor of a building. In anger the devi cursed the locals in the vicinity that unfortunate events shall plague all that dare live on the second floor of any building.

Locals and the older generation swear by the myth being true and will readily tell you first hand experiences about this. One such building opposite the STARCO junction, located in the heart of Anjuna still stands abandoned. It was said that whoever resided in that building and tried running business ran bankrupt and that many other supernatural occurrences took place. Jayawant Marathe a 40 year old Pundit of the Bhumika Devi Temple (1971) said, “According to me whoever builds a first floor suffers one way or another. I myself have inaugurated the Domingo hotel which has always had one or another problem. The owners have had several complaints about supernatural acts taking place of which one was taps being turned on automatically.”

For rationalists theres not silly myth that's going to stop them from expanding their floors vertically. Domnic P F Fernandes an author of two novels based in Anjuna, has written books about Goa and its history. He speaks neutrally and agrees with the myth though admits it is more a folklore. “Although those who had a first floor did not succeed, currently there are many buildings having a first floor without any problems.” He feels if people believe in it they shouldn’t go ahead with building them, “You don’t build a house for yourself; you build it for the family so think about them and go ahead with it.”

While superstitions run on one hand, rumors too accompany them undeniably. Former Police Inspector Vishwesh P Karpe said that since the building was built, it has always been a problem for the locals while the foreigners go about with their business smoothly. He further claimed that though the police station has two floors, he and his colleagues have never witnessed any supernatural activity till date. “People spread rumors that there’s something going on here at the police station and that we police officers don’t complain about it. It is really hilarious.”

Someone who altogether has a different story to share is taxi driver Anil Govekar. He says that the myth actually says that tradition in those days said that if Goddesses pass through houses, the residents had to bring offerings to her. But one such resident sent an offering in the hands of the servant which got the goddess furious and led her to curse those living on the first floors.

Despite the fact that there are many who accept the myth there is a fair amount of the modernized lot who chose to go against the belief.