The Village of Pilerne is situated in the Bardez taluka and is about 12 kms from the Capital City of Panjim. It is a pleasant village of North Goa where one can see a lot of greenery as it has plenty of paddy fields, palm groves, lakes and salt pans. The Pilerne Wetlands and Pilerne Lake are also a well-known birding spot as one can get a glimpse of a few rare birds.
Pilerne is also a quiet village of North Goa where one can see a lot of traditional Goan houses. The Temple of Sri Pilernekarin, the hindu diety is also situated in the village. Here one can also see the Seminary of Our Lady built in 1952, the St. Anne chapel that was built in 1940 and the church of St.John the Baptist that is almost around 335 years old.
The villagers usually celebrate the feast of harvest known as ‘konnos’ in Goa with great joy on the 29th of August. For accommodation there are some houses available on rent in the village. To get here there are a lot of buses from Panjim and Mapusa that pass by Pilerne.
Despite being very close to Calangute, many birders miss out on this site. It certainly makes your visit worthwhile as you look for waterfowl and Yellow-wattled Lapwing. Look towards the building beyond the lake, as you approach from the village for the lapwings. The pools on the right looked like they should be great for bitterns and Painted Snipe if you were to linger at dusk. The view of the lake from the same spot shows how extensive it can be in a wet year. In a dry year however, the water may be restricted to a small puddle at this far end.
The Village of Pilerne can be the perfect get-away experience of a typical goan village. With serene surroundings, and in tune with nature, its a world apart.
