Amidst the deafening buzz of Pandim, the capital of Goa, and the twinkling lights of the floating casinos on the Mandovi River, there stands a beautiful building dressed in indigo blue. Windows wear white trim and brown awnings, and tiny steps lead to the Goa Customs and GST Museum (formerly the Goa Customs and Excise Museum), a one-of-its-kind museum in India that traces the history of taxation and the battle of wits between customs officials and smugglers.
The currency is hidden in the hollows of the book. An extra layer in the sole of the shoe for precious gems. Bicycle tire tubes. Tiffin Box with Expensive Watches. Walking cane filled with diamonds. Ship hulls. Dresser with contraband. Car headlight. Even the white Prime Minister Padmini is stuck in the wall, the hood is open and the goods are hidden in the carburetor. Hidden in sanitary napkins, hidden in gold bars, hidden in packs of Frouteri Tetra, the museum depicts the incredible ideas of evil to overcome the customs service.
On the wall is a photograph of eight people who had 510 talas of gold in their rectums and were arrested at the Amritsar customs station on June 10-11, 1956. There is a black/white image of underwear with specially sewn pockets to hide gold bars and an X-ray of a man who had gold bars in his stomach. The ingenuity of smugglers is intriguing. In the corner, a stand of a British couple built of fiber – the man had diamonds in his walking stick and the lady wore gold bars in a striped jacket. Both were arrested at Mumbai Port on December 7, 1966.
Divided into galleries, museum documents and depicts the evolution of Indian customs and excise from the Harappan trading seals and ancient ports to the taxation principles of Kautilya Arthashastra. Behind thick panes of glass are gold coins from the reigns of Kanishka II and Chandragupta Maurya, as well as marked coins, the earliest coins issued in India. The museum also has a replica of Akbar Ain-i-akbari, Notes documentation Cotton as the first good Central Excise Tax during British India and taxation and customs legislation.
The Salvaged Heritage Gallery contains a treasure trove of stone and metal sculptures, ivory artefacts and coins that would have been lost forever if not for the ever-watchful eye of the Customs Department. A highlight is the idol of Jambhala, which was confiscated from a bag on the roof of a bus from Kathmandu (Nepal) to New Delhi.
Centuries ago, Panjim was a sleepy town. There was a nari street, and the Mandavi River kissed the first brick of the present blue building, where in 1479 the Portuguese established a customs check on the Mandavi River. In the 16th century, horses, tobacco, slaves and spices were common trade items, while pepper was a royal monopoly. In 1770, export and import duties were set at 6% and 9%, respectively. Tobacco was brought to Sculls and horses in large boats.
Now known as the Blue Building, the 400-year-old heritage structure wasn’t always blue. In the period from 1963 to 2000, it wore a yellow sunflower on its walls and housed the headquarters of the excise and customs departments of Goa. It was in 2001 that the walls were first painted Indigo Blue, a choice to borrow the color from the fact that Indigo was one of the goods traded during Portuguese rule.
If you’re ever in Goa, pop into this fascinating Customs and GST museum to learn about the shenanigans of smugglers and the history of taxation.
Box: Kautilya’s Rules of Taxation in Arthashastra
- Table salt: 1/6 value
- Fermented liquor: 1/10 to 1/15 cash
- Cotton: 4% to 5%
- Precious Gems and Jewelry: 20% of basic expenses
- Flowers/Fruit: 1/6 in kind
File Fact:
Address: Panjim (Opposite Captain & Port Panaji Jetty)
Deadlines. From Tuesday to Sunday (9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Monday is closed.
Login: ₹10. Free entry for students with proof of ID. Request a tour.
Parking: Parking is not available in front of the museum, parked in the back of the building.
The second class is closed for renovations and will reopen in the summer.
