Did you know???
That Subraya Naik was once taken hostage by the Ranes???
The incident of the Ranes encounter with the Naiks took place towards the end of the 19th century. As a mahajan of the Lakshmi Narcinva temple in Veling, Subraya was attending a meeting. The quiet, wooded path leading to the temple echoed with the gallop and thud of horses. The group assembled became immediately aware of what would ensure even before the Ranes trooped in. The Ranes took Subraya and his cousin Damodar as hostages.
The rest of the story is typical of Goan legends where the human overtakes all other considerations and enemies usually part as friends. The ransom had been set very high, perhaps a figure commensurate to the status of the Naiks, and Damodar, the younger of the two, was dispatched to fetch the money while Subraya offered to cure the leader of the Rane group who appeared very ill. Both parties behaved with extraordinary decorum, according each other the dignity and authority due to each caste. Adequate respect was paid to the Brahmin and a special cook engaged so as not to disturb traditional ritual needs. Subraya, a renowned practitioner of traditional medicine, cured the old chief who in gratitude halved the ransom figure and sent back his captives laden with lavish gifts.
source: Goa a daughter’s story by Maria Aurora Couto