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‘San Thome Museum: Back in Time’, is one of those gems of Goa that lies hidden away in Varca, South Goa. Passing by the edifice on many an occasion, the magnificent statute of St Thomas, the Apostle, on the premises intrigued and beckoned further investigation.
As Thomas Antonio da Costa, curator, technical artist and master of intrepid ingenuity, welcomes you, his vast knowledge and obvious penchant for technological artefacts of bygone eras is both, overwhelming and spellbinding.
A professional electrical engineer, who travelled the seas the world over, Thomas has a collection, as he rightly points out, that reflects the numerous components of a modern-day smartphone, albeit not in one neatly packaged product.
San Thome Museum is unusual in that its focus moves away from the routine items that tend to be displayed in museums. The artefacts are dated from the 18th century to the digital age, recording the progression of technology over the years.
“My collection is not only from Goa, it is from all over the world. You will see some things here that are not in any other museum,” says Thomas.
A chip off the old block, Thomas was seemingly influenced by his father, Artur, in his technological enterprise. Artur, a Swiss-trained watchmaker and repairer of automatic watches, had the distinction of being one of the few watchmakers trusted enough to repair Omega and Rolex diamond-studded watches in Goa.
Arturo, a Swiss-trained watchmaker and repairer of automatic watches, had the distinction of being one of the few watchmakers trusted enough to repair Omega and Rolex watches in Goa.
The foundation for San Thome Museum was laid by a Schiedmayer grand piano in the family, “The only known fully working piano in Asia, with ivory keys,” says Thomas. The piano was manufactured between 1880 and 1890. He adds, “It was expressly designed for the climate of India.”
About the bronze statue of St Thomas, which was fashioned under his supervision and installed in 2020, he says, “The statue of St Thomas is the only life-size, standalone statue in the world. It is a record.”
The massive 3.3 tonne anchor to the side of the St Thomas statue is impressive. It was cast by Noah Hingley & Sons Ltd, the company which cast the anchor for the Titanic.
The anchor, christened Apshi by Thomas because of its height, is in the same style and shape as the 16 tonne Titanic anchor.
The courtyard, besides an array of interesting bonsais and other plants, also has a new Avatar-coloured statue of Gandhi on his Dandi March.
A new attraction at the museum is a fully restored 1941 32 horse power Lister generator that had been acquired in a rusted condition.
Motioning towards an old Portuguese wine barrel, Thomas says, “This was thrown out for firewood in Panjim. I had to pay the man who had taken it money for gas cylinder, and I brought it home and restored it.”
Thomas, who received the Dalgado Puroskar award in 2023, says of his oyster shell windows, “The Portuguese used to bring glass on the ships which would break due to bad weather. So, they found a local medium called Placuna placenta (windowpane oyster). Locally, these were called mendu because the flesh resembles a brain.”
“In Goa, you required a licence to ride a cycle. The municipality and panchayat would only give you a licence if the cycle had a dynamo and a light,” says Thomas, as he points to the old Raleigh cycle that was near impossible to restore due to most of the spare parts being unavailable.
As we come to a collection of steam inhaler pots, Thomas says, “This was something that became important during the (Covid-19) Pandemic.”
“This one is manufactured in England, and this one, in India. And if you inhale from this one (the Indian one) you could go to hell,” he jokes, because the Indian pot says 'Inheller' on its body.
A set of a beautifully patterned jar and basin used earlier to bathe babies birthed at home, sparks a conversation on how midwives are making a comeback in the West and C-sections being recommended without cause to up the hospital bill.
The museum has a series of roof tiles, beginning with the flat tiles brought here by the Portuguese, who soon realised that the tiles, while suited to a wintry climate, were completely useless against the harsh monsoon rains.
San Thome has considerable collections of ornate smoking pipes, lighters, antique sources of lighting, fans, timepieces, typewriters, sewing machines, ceramic platters and so on, which Thomas walks you through with some interesting titbit to add to nearly every object.
When we come to the vintage soda bottles made in Germany, he explains, “All the soda bottles in Goa were made for individual companies and had the company names on the bottles. That is how the quality of the soda was maintained.”
Thomas’ artistic side comes through via his fish art. He has a Bible stand made of whale vertebrae and a statue of Our Lady of Fatima supported on a stand fashioned from whale ribs.
Thomas laments the limited footfall from tourists. Goa’s Tourism Department stopped sending tourist buses during the (Covid-19) Pandemic, and organised tours by hotels, and such are few and far between.
It’s normally the stray visitor who has occasioned upon the museum’s website or learnt of it by word of mouth. However, the appreciation and curiosity that people express is reward enough for Thomas.
As the experience at San Thome concludes, one is left with a haunting longing for a time gone by, and a certain regard for the passion and toil Thomas da Costa has invested in his inventive and historically fascinating project.
DETAILS
LOCATION: San Thome Museum: Back in Time museum, Varca, South Goa
CONTACT: +91 9822363917
WEBSITE: https://goamuseum.com
INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @santhome_backintime