2 Portuguese churches and a light house: Moti Daman
The smaller of the two sections of the Union territory of Daman is Moti Daman. The funny fact about the name of this place is even though it is named Moti Daman which literally means Big Daman, is is smaller in size as compared to Nani Daman which is the other half of Daman.
Moti Daman
And Nani Daman are split by the Damanganag River which runs through the middle of both places. Both sections of Daman are connected to each other by two bridges that are built across the river. The smaller bridge is not open for public use anymore since it collapsed a couple of times in the recent past. But this hasn’t stopped the locals from using the bridge on a daily basis to cross over from one section of Daman to the other.
Taking a boat ride from the Nani Daman jetty to the Moti Daman jetty is the other option to reach the other side. It is important to bargain with the boat operators since the fare they quote is generally a bit too much for a boat ride that takes less than ten minutes. Never agree to pay them more than 40-50% of the fare they demand.
The small little town of Moti Daman is unique since the whole town is inside the giant walls of the Moti Daman fort. This section of town has most of the administrative departments and offices along with a few attractions for tourists.
The old lighthouse near the beach easily attracts the most amount of crowd. The towering presence of the lighthouse and the view it presents from the top makes it a massive hit daily among tourist at both sunrise and sunset time. It is possible to reach the top of the lighthouse by climbing a spiral iron ladder.
Moti Daman also houses the church of St. Paul and the Cathedral of Bon Jesus, both of these constructed by the Portuguese during the 16th century are marvellous examples of Portuguese architecture and their emphases on minute details of fine art is worth noting during the visit. The carved doorway as well as the stained glass interiors and lofty ceiling are a pleasure for the eyes.
The restaurants, food stalls and even wine shop options in Moti Daman are rather limited as compared to what Nani Daman has to offer. Accommodation in Moti Daman is limited to a few luxury resorts which are located in close proximity to the entrance of the fort. Budget backpacker accommodation is relatively hard to find in Moti Daman.
Moti Daman exhibits more of the Portuguese heritage houses and buildings which have now been converted into government buildings and offices used only for administration purposes. Even though Moti Daman does not have a lot to offer as compared to its counterpart Nani Daman, it is worth a one-day visit to get a slice of Portuguese history that even today can be seen in the buildings in this part of Daman.
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