On reaching Divar island, one feels like time has stood still. It is far from the beaches and resorts of the seaside state of Goa that is known to tourists. It is the traditional Goa, only reachable by ferry, with no bridges connecting the island to the bustling side of the city, and no beaches to attract tourists to its pristine environment. It is an island with old churches with even older legends attached to them, and here is where you find Lar Santa Margarida, an old age home run by the Society of the Poor Sisters of Our Lady. It is a Portuguese-style house surrounded by groves of trees that are inhabited by innumerable species of birds. The house originally belonged to a Goan couple, the Pereiras, who decided to give away their home to the Society so that old people, like them, would not have to spend their last days alone.
The Twilight Home | Published in the Himal Southasian