Along a riverside road that connects Panaji to Old Goa, one passes across the town of Ribandar. Along this scenic road is a long stone wall along the road. At one point, there is a cross within an enclosed structure that faces the Mandovi River. The area behind the wall was once a gunpowder factory called Casa de Polvora. It was built by the then Viceroy Dom Francisco da Gama. According to historical sources, the factory was used to produce three types of gunpowder: warfare, pyrotechnics, and hunting. Gunpowder was…