Tag: Museum of Goa

International

Tibetans Countered Chinese Cyberattacks with Buddhist Wisdom and Cybersecurity Innovation

Tanisha Cardozo

Panaji, July 2025 — In a deeply insightful session at MOG Sundays, held at the Museum of Goa, Tibetan software engineer and cybersecurity advocate Lobsang Gyatso Sither recounted a lesser-known story of digital resistance. Titled “Tibetan Democracy in Exile,” the session shed light on how Tibetans countered state-sponsored cyberattacks from China by merging Buddhist philosophy with modern-day cybersecurity practices.

“In 2008, a pivotal moment came in my life with the release of the GhostNet Report,” said Sither.

That report—produced by Canada’s Citizen Lab—exposed a global cyber espionage network, affecting over 1,295 computers in 103 countries. These included high-value targets such as embassies and government offices. Sither, then a computer science student, found a calling that connected his skills with a greater cause: protecting the Tibetan community in exile.

After returning to Dharamsala in 2009, Sither joined Citizen Lab as an intern. His early work gave him direct exposure to how the Tibetan diaspora was being digitally targeted. In collaboration with the Tibet Action Institute, he helped launch a 2014 digital security campaign focused on Buddhist teachings—particularly the idea of “non-attachment.”

“Over 90% of attacks came via email attachments,” Sither said. “So we encouraged people to detach from attachments.”

The community-wide campaign encouraged the use of secure file-sharing and cloud services instead of email attachments. Remarkably, it worked. Attack patterns shifted. Malware was then sent via fake Google Drive links, forcing attackers to evolve. But the message was clear: Tibetans were learning, adapting, and fighting back.

By 2018, this work culminated in the creation of TibCERT (Tibetan Computer Emergency Readiness Team), a central body that monitors, reports, and educates the Tibetan community about ongoing cyber threats.

Even as recently as 2025, cyberattacks persist. During the 90th birthday celebrations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, an impersonation website was created to capture data from well-wishers. The cloned website and malicious app links spread through Tibetan WhatsApp and Telegram groups, a new tactic in an old war.

“These attacks continue to evolve,” Sither explained, “but so do our defences.”

Sither also acknowledged India’s vital role in supporting the Tibetan community, especially in education. With over 90% literacy among Tibetans in exile, he credited the efforts of the Dalai Lama and the Indian government, particularly through the Central Schools for Tibetans (CSTs) and Jawaharlal Nehru’s early support.

As the “Year of Compassion” (July 6, 2025 – July 5, 2026) marks the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, Sither urged that this is also a time to honour India’s solidarity.

A quiet digital revolution continues—rooted in compassion, powered by code.

Events in Goa

A Drink of Story and Spice: Hansel Vaz Reclaims the Soul of Feni

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo

Panaji, Goa – July 2025: In the quiet gallery halls of the Museum of Goa, something potent was brewing. It wasn’t just a drink — it was a tale of fire, migration, alchemy, and rebirth. At his immersive session titled ‘Savour Flavour: Feni’s Aromatic Journey’, Hansel Vaz, the founder of Cazulo Feni, unraveled the forgotten and often misrepresented history of feni, Goa’s iconic double-distilled spirit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMrmzZGNfLl/

For too long, feni has been dismissed — misunderstood in pop culture and sidelined from serious conversations around craft spirits. Vaz, a geologist-turned-distiller, known widely as the feni dotor, is here to change that narrative.

“Feni has been the most abused spirit in storytelling,” Vaz said. “It’s time to unlearn the clichés and rediscover it as a drink born of migration, spice trade, alchemy and medicinal knowledge.”

Through a blend of live tasting, storytelling, and historical exposition, Vaz mapped feni’s lineage back to the South American spice trade, explaining how chillies and cashews came to Goa by accident — but the transformation of the cashew into feni was an act of brilliant, local innovation.

Among the session’s highlights was Vaz’s deep dive into ancient techniques like fat-washing, botanical distillation, and the use of sarasparilla — an ayurvedic root — in making Dukshiri, a medicinal feni infusion once believed to relieve muscular aches.

“These aren’t just drinks,” Vaz reminded the audience. “They are rooted in history that wakes you up at dawn. Literally.”

The stories weren’t just historical — they were deeply personal. Vaz shared how a group of friends awoke unusually refreshed after drinking Dukshiri, a reflection of its medicinal roots. The anecdote wasn’t just quirky — it was a call to look deeper into what we’ve forgotten and what’s worth reviving.

He urged Goa’s emerging generation of distillers, chefs, bartenders, and foragers to innovate without diluting the drink’s essence. “We need to grow this movement — not bottle it for the masses, but experiment, preserve, and collaborate,” he said.

Vaz’s vision of feni isn’t limited to its taste. He sees it as an ecosystem — a drink made in conversation with nature, history, and local community traditions. A spirit not just of celebration, but of heritage.

Cazulo Feni, under Vaz’s leadership, continues to push the envelope — restoring faith in a drink that was once medicine, then myth, and now modernised through conscious revival.

With each pour, feni is reclaiming its place — not just on the shelf, but in Goa’s evolving cultural identity.

Books & Literature

Ronak Kamat’s I Am Nothing Captures Goa’s Reclusive Artist, Vamona Navelcar

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By Maryanne De Souza || Team Allycaral

~ As part of MOG Sundays, Goan filmmaker Ronak Kamat screened his documentary ‘I Am Nothing,’ chronicling the life of reclusive artist Vamona Navelcar, whose journey spanned Goa, Mozambique and Portugal.

~ Kamat talks about his experience directing the film, eight years in the making, that included candid conversations with artists and collaborators.

Panaji, July 2025: According to Goan director and writer Ronak Kamat, the late Vamona Navelcar was a reclusive, but exceptional Goan artist from Pomburpa, whose life spanned stories from Goa, Mozambique and Portugal. An exclusive screening of I Am Nothing, Kamat’s documentary on Navelcar, was held at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne, followed by a discussion with the director as a part of its MOG Sundays series.

Navelcar, who died at the ripe old age of 91 in 2021, wasn’t someone who opened up easily to others and Kamat did not want to make him feel uncomfortable in the course of his interviews. “Instead of aiming for a swankier film, I thought, why not go for an honest film (with) Navelcar, two members of the crew and a simple setup where he could speak freely,” says Kamat, adding that the process of filming lasted eight years, which included engaging with various individuals associated with Navelcar. 

In the course of his lengthy career as an artist, Navelkar twice received Gulbenkian Fellowships and won an international award in Monte Carlo. A master of line, his murals and bas-reliefs feature in collections across the world. 

It all started when Kamat was in his second year of college, in the middle of filming his previous project Caazu, when Anne Ketteringham, author of Vamona Navelcar: An Artist of Three Continents, invited him to visit the artist’s home. “So we went and met him. I thought he was a great artist. I had heard about him, but I didn’t expect to be sitting and talking with him for four hours,” Kamat recalls. After that meeting, the director began asking around, speaking with family members, abstract artist based in Goa, Suhas Shilker, his initial introducer Anne Ketteringham and several others to learn more about the artist.

As Kamat dug deeper, he realised that, while many people knew of Navelcar, no one was making an obvious effort to preserve his story. “He’s not going to be around forever. He has so much to tell us about his life and his art, which is impeccable. So that was the impulse.”

During the shooting process, there were days when Kamat would arrive at the artist’s house with a plan and find Navelcar not wanting to shoot. “We would start chatting and after an hour, he would gesture to bring out the camera,” he narrates. He emphasises the importance of ethical filmmaking, saying, “I think that’s a big part of creating documentaries. Because otherwise everyone is so focused on just getting a film made.”

After completing a draft of the documentary, Kamat sought guidance from various producers, including Arindam Mitra, producer of Black Friday, a popular 2004 Indian crime film, but soon realised the need for an artist’s viewpoint to shape the film more thoughtfully. He then consulted Viraj Naik, an artist known for his printmaking and paintings. 

Kamat is also known for his writing work for OTT platforms. His works have reached numerous film festivals worldwide and have won the ‘Best Documentary’ and ‘Best Short Film’ awards. His last short film, ‘Bare’, won the ‘Best Film on Women’ Award at the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival (CICFF) in 2021 and an ‘Honourable Mention for Best Director’ at the Eastern Europe Film Festival in Romania. I Am Nothing is now set to be screened in Portugal on September 5.

Films

“I Am Nothing”: Museum of Goa Hosts Documentary Screening on Vamona Navelkar with Director Talk

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Panaji, July 2025 – The Museum of Goa (MOG), known for celebrating local art and culture, is hosting an exclusive screening of I Am Nothing, a soul-stirring documentary that explores the life, work, and philosophy of one of Goa’s most enigmatic artists — Vamona Navelkar.

Directed by Goa-based filmmaker and writer Ronak Kamat, the documentary offers a rare glimpse into the spiritual and artistic journey of a man who quietly transcended borders and boundaries. The event will take place on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at 11:30 AM, at the Museum of Goa in Pilerne Industrial Estate, Bardez, followed by an engaging conversation with the director.

Vamona Navelkar, who passed away in 2021, left behind a body of work that is both intensely personal and universally resonant. From his early years in Mozambique, to his academic pursuits in Portugal, and finally his return to Goa, Navelkar’s life was marked by cultural shifts, personal loss, and an unwavering devotion to art.

He famously signed many of his works with the name ‘Ganesh’, in tribute to his deceased brother — a symbolic act that reflected both his humility and his philosophical outlook. His quiet mantra, “I am nothing,” was not defeatist, but deeply spiritual — a rejection of ego and a celebration of anonymity.

“This film is not just about Vamona’s art, but about a way of thinking and being,” said director Ronak Kamat. “His story is about identity, loss, and finding purpose in humility.”

The screening offers audiences an immersive experience of his journey, as told through visuals, interviews, and archival material. It’s a must-attend event for art lovers, students, filmmakers, and anyone intrigued by Goa’s rich cultural tapestry.

Event Details:

  • Date: Sunday, July 13, 2025
  • Time: 11:30 AM onwards
  • Venue: Museum of Goa, Pilerne Industrial Estate, Bardez
  • Entry: Free (Limited Seating. RSVP via WhatsApp: 7722089666)

This event is part of MOG’s ongoing commitment to creating platforms that connect the public with Goa’s artistic legacies and untold stories. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or simply curious about the lives behind great works, I Am Nothing promises a morning of deep reflection and inspiration.

For more details, follow @MuseumOfGoa or contact via WhatsApp.

Social

Goa’s Overlooked Eight-Legged Arachnids Need Attention; ‘Development’ Needs to go Hand-in-Hand With Ecology

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Panaji, June 2025 – Embankments along the national highway in Mollem, home to a rare tarantula species, were wiped away due to road widening projects and heightened the risk of local extinction, according to Prof. Manoj Ramakant Borkar, who at a recent MOG Sunday talk at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne, stressed that development goes hand in hand with ecology. These tarantulas and other arachnids, Borkar said, are dependent on specific microhabitats and microclimatic regimes, which cannot be replicated beyond the mounds and burrows of the embankment.

In his talk titled ‘Whip Spiders, Whip Scorpions & Tarantulas: The ‘Not-So-Charismatic’ Wildlife of Goa,’ Borkar emphasised that tarantulas have restricted and limited dispersal and that whip spiders and whip scorpions remain largely unaccounted for by major conservation frameworks. 

“They have not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, nor are they included under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act schedules,” says Borkar, head of the Department of Zoology, Carmel College for Women, South Goa and founder of the Biodiversity Research Cell.

The talk included detailed insights into the anatomy and traits of these species. The whip scorpion, also known as a vinegaroon, is named after its defence mechanism, in which the creature lifts its whip and sprays a vinegar-smelling substance on the provoker. Another unique feature of the tarantulas, according to Borkar, is their behaviour of layering their burrow with their webs, whether it is a pipe or a crevice in a tree.

Drawing from ongoing fieldwork, Borkar revealed the elaborate mating behaviour of whip spiders in which the smaller male takes the lead. “We have established a new hypothesis, where the prey drive is overridden by mating priorities,” he said.

He believes Goans are extremely eco-conscious and eco-sensitive, but not always vocal. Those who speak up are silenced with incentives. “All those who speak for the environment are not anti-development. They’re only insisting on sustainable development. You just cannot replace the earth’s capital with manufactured capital,” he said.

The talk touched on the role of ecotourism and its potential impact on Goa’s ecology. While it has the potential to raise awareness, Borkar warned that its focus has often shifted toward recreation and commercial gain. “We need to be ethical in our approach to tourism. Without strong environmental regulation, there can be no sustainability,” he said.