Goa's first chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar remembered on 50th death anniversary

 Goa on Saturday remembered Dayanand Bandodkar, the state's first chief minister after its liberation from the Portuguese, on his 50th death anniversary. Bandodkar succumbed to a heart attack on August 12, 1973 at the age of 62. Septuagenarian Sandip Naik still recalls losing a carom match to Bandodkar at Panjim Gymkhana just hours before the latter's death.

“Bandodkar was a founder of the gymkhana and he was regular there to play carom, table tennis and cricket. Every day, without fail, he used to be at Panjim Gymkhana by 4.30 pm even when he was the chief minister,” Naik said. Naik said on the day of Bandodkar's death, he played a couple of matches and lost the last match to him. It was sometime later that Bandodkar developed pain in his chest and was admitted to the Goa Medical College (GMC).

Bandodkar's grandson Yatin Kakodkar, who was nine years old at the time, recalls that on the last day, three doctors were summoned at the residence at Altinho in Panaji. “The doctors advised that he be immediately shifted to the GMC. There was no time, so they started treating him in the general ward of the GMC with other patients,” Kakodkar said.

Historian Sanjiv Sardesai remembers how people from across the state thronged at Bandodkar's residence in Panaji to pay last respects to the deceased leader. “There was a long line from his home up till Mahalaxmi Temple (almost 3 km),” said Sardesai, who along with his father went to pay respects to Bandodkar. At least 20,000 to 30,000 people participated in the funeral procession to Miramar beach where he was cremated and his samadhi now stands.