GOA – A place out of time

GOAGoa is India’s smallest state by

area. Goa is India's richest state

with a GDP per capita 2.5 times

that of the country as a whole. It

was ranked ‘the best placed state’

by the Eleventh Finance

Commission for its infrastructure

and ranked on top for ‘the best

quality of life in India’ by the

National Commission on

Population.

GOAPanaji is the capital, while Vasco

da Gama is the largest city. The

historic city of Margao still

exhibits the cultural influence of

the Portuguese, who first landed

in the early 16th century as

merchants, and conquered it soon

thereafter. The Portuguese

rule existed for about 450 years,

until it was annexed by India in

1961.

GOAGoa is renowned for its

beaches, places of

worship and world

heritage architecture.

Goa is visited by large

numbers of international

and domestic tourists

each year. It also has rich

flora and fauna.

GOA – Etymology

(Development of Word)

In ancient literature, Goa was

known by many names such as

Gomanta, Gomanchala,

Gopakapattam, Gopakapuri,

Govapuri, Gove and

Gomantak. Mahabharat refers

present Goa as Goparashtra or

Govarashtra which means

‘Nation of Gaupalak’. So we

can presume that the word

Goa has come from word

Gauva (Cow). Some other

historical names for Goa

are Sindapur, Sandabur,

and Mahassapatam.

GOA – History

Goa's known history stretches

back to the 3rd Century BC,

when it formed part of the

Mauryan Empire, ruled by the

Buddhist emperor, Ashoka of

Magadh. Over the next few

centuries, Goa was ruled by

the Chalukyas of Kalyani.

They patronised Jainism here.

In 1312, Goa came under the

governance of the Delhi

Sultanate. The Vijayanagara

monarchs held on to the

territory until 1469. In 1510,

the Portuguese defeated the

ruling Bijapur kings.

GOA – History

Goa was under Portuguese

possession from 1510 to 1961.

After India gained

independence from the

British in 1947, Portugal

refused to negotiate with

India on the transfer of

sovereignty. On 12 Dec 1961,

the Indian Army commenced

with Operation Vijay resulting

in the annexation of Goa,

Daman and Diu into the Indian

Union Territory. On 30 May

1987, Goa was made India's

25th state.

GOA – Geography

Goa encompasses an area of

3,702 km². Most of Goa is a

part of Konkan. Goa has a

coastline of 101 km. Goa's

main rivers are Mandovi and

Zuari. The Mormugao harbour

on the mouth of the River

Zuari is one of the best

natural harbours in South

Asia. Goa has about 140

islands. Goa has more than

three hundred ancient tanks

and over a hundred medicinal

springs. The soil is rich in

minerals.

GOA – Geography

Goa has a hot and humid

climate for most of the year.

The monsoon rains arrive by

early June. Goa has short

winter between December

and February. The

temperature goes down to

around 21 °C. May is the

hottest, seeing temperatures

of over 35 °C. Goa's major

cities include Panaji, Vasco,

Mapusa, Margao and

Mormugao.

GOA – Flora n Fauna

Forest cover in Goa stands at

1,424 km2 located in the

interior eastern regions of the

state. The Western Ghats,

which form eastern Goa, have

been internationally

recognised as one of the

biodiversity hotspots of the

world. In the February 1999

issue of National Geographic

Magazine, Goa was compared

with the Amazon and

Congo basins for its rich

tropical biodiversity.

GOA – Flora n Fauna

Goa's wildlife sanctuaries

boast of more than 1512

documented species of

plants, over 275 species of

birds, over 48 kinds of

animals and over 60 genera of

reptiles. Rice is the main food

crop with main cash crops

Coconuts, cashew nuts and

fruits like pineapples,

mangoes and bananas. State

animal is Gaur, state bird is

Bulbul, and state tree is Asan.

Goa's forests are rich with

medicinal plants.

GOA – Economy

Goa is one of India's richest

states with the highest GDP

per capita and 2.5 times of

India as a whole. Tourism is

Goa's primary industry: it

handles 12% of all foreign

tourist arrivals in India.

Goa has two main tourist

seasons: winter and summer.

In winter, tourists from

abroad (mainly Europe) come

to Goa to enjoy the splendid

climate. In summer, tourists

from across India come to

spend the holidays.

GOA – Economy

The land away from the coast

is rich in minerals and ores

and mining forms the second

largest industry. Mining in Goa

focuses on ores of iron,

Bauxite, manganese, clays,

limestone and silica.

The Marmagao Port handles

more than 30 million tonnes

of cargo per year, and

accounts for over 39% of

India's Iron Ore exports. The

leader in this industry is Sesa

Goa owned by Vedanta

Resources.

India’s first floating port in Goa

GOA – BEACHES

Goa's 105 km coastline is

endowed with lovely beaches.

ARAMBOL is a lovely, serene

beach. BENAULIM in South

Goa, is long stretch of white

sand. MIRAMAR is a lovely

golden beach girdled with

palm trees facing Sea. DONA

PAULA is an idyllic and

picturesque picnic spot

commands a fine view of the

Zuari estuary and Mormugao

Harbour. COLVA is 6 kms from

Margao. Here land, sea and

sky blend in natural harmony.

GOA – BEACHES

CALANGUTE is also known as

BAGA BEACH. It is Queen of

Goa's Beaches and the most

popular holiday resort in Goa

known for scenic splendour.

Excellent accommodation

facilities are available,

particularly at the Tourist

Resort. VAGATOR is a lovely

palm-fringed beach with the

Chapora Fort in the back

ground situated on the Kalsua

along the Chapora river basin.

GOA – BEACHES

BOGMALO about 13 kms from

Vasco town, crossing Dabolim

airport, the beach of Bogmalo

is a popular picnic spot.

AGONDA is a small

picturesque and secluded

beach where a number of

nature lovers go for peace of

mind. PALOLIM is one of the

most enchanting beaches in

Goa and relatively deserted

with the backdrop of Western

Ghats situated in the

Southern most Taluka of

Canacona.

GOA – Basilica Church

The Basilica of Bom (Good)

Jesus is a UNESCO World

Heritage Site. It holds the

mortal remains of St. Francis

Xavier. 'Bom Jesus' (literally,

'Good or Holy Jesus') is the

name used for the infant

Jesus. It is considered as one

of the best examples of

baroque architecture in India.

It is more than 400 years old.

GOA – Se Cathedral

Acclaimed as one of the largest

churches in Asia, the Se

Cathedral church is a memory of

the Portuguese era in Goa. The

church was dedicated to St.

Catherine of Alexandria as the

Portuguese led by Alfonso de

Albuquerque conquered Goa on

the St. Catherine's day

(November 25) in 1510. Even

though the original mud and

stone structure was built in that

year itself, the present Se

Cathedral church came up in

1652, after 80 years of

painstaking craftsmanship.

GOA – Church of Mary

Immaculate Conception

Established in 1541, the Church

of Mary Immaculate Conception

is one of the earliest churches

built in Goa. Located at the

heart of Panaji, this majestic

church is a prominent landmark

of the city. The great bell at the

Church is acclaimed as the

second largest bell in the world.

It is known as the Bell of the

Inquisition. It was shifted to the

Mary Immaculate Church in

1841, after Panaji became the

capital of Goa.

GOA – Manguesh Temple

Sri Manguesh Shiv temple at

Mangueshi in Ponda Taluka, the

most prominent among temples,

is situated along the National

Highway-4A about 23-km from

Panaji. It is famous for its

pristine glory, which attracts

thousands of visitors every year

and is gifted by the Welcome

Gate, an elegant lamp tower, a

"Noubatkhana" overlooking the

temple tank and the "Agrashalas"

on three sides. the structure

visitors see today dates from the

1700s.

GOA TemplesShanta Durga Temple Nagueshi Temple

Pandava Caves 1st century AD Siolim Temple

GOA – Place out of timepresented by

NARESH KAPADIA

www.nareshkapadia.in