Sanjeev Sardesai

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Sanjeev Sardesai
Sanjeev Sardessai, promoter of an interest in history in Goa, India.jpg
Sardesai in 2017
Born (1960-09-22) 22 September 1960 (age 65)
Mapusa, Goa, India
Education University of Mumbai (B.Sc. in Botany)
Occupations
  • Historian
  • Heritage activist
  • Columnist
Years active1982–present
Known forFounder of "Hands-On-Historians"
Heritage walks in Goa
SpouseAnita Sardesai
Children1

Sanjeev Sardesai (born 22 September 1960) [1] is an Indian historian, heritage activist, and columnist based in Goa. He is the founder of the "Hands-On-Historians" forum, an initiative aimed at promoting Goan history and heritage to the younger generation. [2] Sardesai has served on various government committees, including the Goa Tourism Board and the drafting panel for the Goa Heritage Policy. [3] [4]

Contents

Life and career

Early life and education

Sardesai developed an interest in sports during his childhood. He participated in athletics, badminton, and hockey, representing his college at the university level. He graduated with a degree in Botany from the University of Mumbai in 1982. [2]

Professional background

Prior to his work in history and heritage, Sardesai spent two decades working in the hospitality industry. He later established a business focused on signage design and fabrication, which catered to traffic and industrial requirements across Goa. In 2013, he retired from his commercial ventures to focus full-time on heritage activism. [2]

Heritage activism and writing

Sardesai promotes the slogan "Go Goa, know Goa" and conducts heritage walks through various cities and towns in the state. [2] [5] He founded "Hands-On-Historians" to document Goa's history and disseminate it to students through presentations and lectures. [2]

As of 2015, Sardesai was authoring a book titled Unlocking Goa – Heritage, History and Culture. [2] He has also contributed columns to local publications. In discussions regarding the maintenance of historical sites, Sardesai has expressed support for the introduction of entry fees, provided that facilities are adequately maintained. [6]

Public service

Sardesai has been appointed to several state boards and committees by the Government of Goa. He served as a consulting coordinator for the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), where he worked on traffic management and road safety in coordination with the Goa Police Traffic Cell. He was also a member of the Goa State Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Reis Magos Fort and the Institute of Road Safety Education (IRTE). [2]

In 2022, the state government appointed him as a subject matter expert to the Goa Tourism Board. [3] In April 2025, he was named as a member of the drafting panel constituted to formulate the Goa Heritage Policy, which focuses on preserving historical private homes and cultural assets. [4]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.internationalcentregoa.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Sanjeev_Sardesai-Profile.pdf
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "A hands on historian". The Goan EveryDay. 2015-12-28. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  3. 1 2 "Govt appoints 4 subject matter experts as members of Goa Tourism Board". Prudent Media. 2022-08-17.
  4. 1 2 "Govt constitutes drafting panel for Heritage Policy, focus on historical private homes". The Times of India. 2025-04-12.
  5. ↑ "Strolling through history". O Heraldo. 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  6. ↑ "Thumbs up to fifty bucks entry fee at historical sites but a question mark on facilities". O Heraldo.
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