Rajan Parrikar Photo Blog

Barbeiro Lojas de Panjim

Survey of the city’s old barber shops.

The few surviving barbearias (Portuguese for barber shops) of Panjim are reminders of a zeitgeist where the simple pleasures of life could be enjoyed in a placid, languid setting. It was a civilized Goa. This is not romanticization of an imaginary, distant past. There are photographs to attest to those times and some of us who lived through them are still around. These hangovers now seem incongruous, unable to keep up with the more contemporary hair saloons and stylists that blot dot the city, mostly staffed by outsiders since it is very hard to find a young Goan willing to adopt the métier.

Most of the barbearias of my childhood have closed shop. Notable among them was the one located inside the municipal gardens in the city’s centre. As was customary at the time, every family in Panjim had a chosen shop that its members patronized (similar loyalty obtained in matters of tailors, grocers, cafés, and so on). Barbearias were also the chat rooms of that era, an important community router directing news and gossip.

Our own affiliation was to Barbearia Nova, founded in 1958. My father would haul this little twerp and furnish detailed instructions to the head barber on the kind of ‘cut’ he wanted for me. I had little say in the matter.

A couple of years ago, I took an excursion of the town’s barbearias. I was stoked to see that the old kids chair made by Takara was still around at Barbearia Nova. For a brief history of the barber chair, see this.

Barbearia Real is still managed by its original owner. The oldest of the survivors is Barbearia Indiana, seen in the final photos below. I managed to track down Ramchandra Velgenkar, barber emeritus at Indiana, and had a good chat with him.

All my blog posts devoted to the heritage of Panjim are consolidated here.

Barber's chair made by Takara of Japan

Barber’s chair made by Takara of Japan
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

 
Barbearia Nova, 1958, founder Ramnath Kundaikar

Barbearia Nova, 1958. Founder: Ramnath Kundaikar
5D Mark II, TS-E 24L II

 
Kids chair, Barbearia Nova

Kids chair, Barbearia Nova
5D Mark II, 14L II

 
Barber, Shave, Razor, Panjim, Goa

Barber Vishnu Virnodkar in action
5D Mark II, 14L II

 
Chair specs at Barbearia Nova

Takara chair specs at Barbearia Nova
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

 
Group photo of the early barbers at Barbearia Nova

Members of the early staff at Barbearia Nova
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

 
Barbearia Real, 1958.  Founder: Datta Sakhalkar

Barbearia Real, 1958. Founder: Datta Sakhalkar
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

 
Datta Sakhalkar, owner of Barbearia Real, 1958

Datta Sakhalkar in action
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

 
Barbearia Indiana, 1926.  Founder: Hari Borcar

Barbearia Indiana, 1926. Founder: Hari Borcar
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

 

Barbearia Indiana founded in 1926 by Hari Borcar of Ekoshi

Barbearia Indiana founded in 1926 by Hari Borcar of Ekoshi

Tools of the trade
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

 

Ramchandra Velgenkar - retired barber from Barbearia Indiana

Ramchandra Velgenkar - retired barber from Barbearia Indiana

Ramchandra Velgenkar – retired barber from Barbearia Indiana
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

 
 
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