Casa Dempo, built c. 1850, is located in the heart of Panjim. It was the first home of the Dempo family when they moved to Panjim. The Dempos are among the oldest of the Goan Saraswat Brahmin clans. Built in classic Goan style, the interior layout features traditional Goan Hindu elements such as a raj aangan.

Casa Dempo also has an uplifting past. For several decades, the Dempos have thrown open its premises to thousands during lunchtime and served free vegetarian food – annachhatra, as this old Hindu practice is called. In particular, generations of needy students of all religions and castes have benefited from this largesse of the Dempo family.

Beyond Casa Dempo in the photograph below, the old building with the yellow facade houses the government printing press. (Aside: the first printing press in India was set up in Goa in 1556.)

Casa Dempo in Panjim, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

Take a look at the next item – a photograph of an old photograph (c. 1880) from the Central Library archives. Seen are the homes on what used to be the Afonso de Albuquerque Road (now the Mahatma Gandhi Road). The red arrow points to Casa Dempo. I took my shot above standing only a few feet right of the man seen in the middle of the street.

Casa Dempo around 1880 (from the Central Library Archives)

Also see: Panjim Promenade – 1.