General Information:
Area: 3702 sq km.
Language: Marathi, Konkani, English and Portuguese
Best Time to Visit: October to May (To enjoy the monsoon: June to September)
STD Code: 0832
Location:
The small state of Goa is in the west coast of the Indian peninsula with a vast coastline of 104 km. An extension to the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, Goa is bounded on the north by Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra state, on the West by the Arabian Sea, on the South by Karwar district of Karnataka state and on the East by Belgaum district of Karnataka state. A place with moderate climate throughout the year, with heavy rainfall in the Monsoon, Goa has gained the name of traveler’s paradise with 365 days on a holiday!!
About Goa:
Golden beaches, fairy tale mansions and churches, wonderful food, friendly people and of course, feni, these are just the few things that Goa is thought about. There is much more to Goa than one can even think of. The 25th Indian state which was merged with the union 14 years after its independence, Goa is a magnificent hybrid of oriental and European culture set in a tropical landscape in India. There are many fragrances to this exotic land and its charm lies essentially in the fact that it’s possible for every tourist to find exactly what he is looking for in this little haven. A holiday destination in India for all, in every season.
Having been the meeting point of races, religions and cultures of East and West over the centuries, Goa has a multi-hued and distinctive lifestyle quite different from the rest of India. Hindu and Catholic communities make up almost the entire population with minority representation of Muslims and other religions.
Be it forts, beaches, mountains, religious places, wild life, water sports, heritage sites… you name it and Goa will provide it with the unmatched hospitality of the Goans. The fun loving people of Goa are living in harmony for past five centuries with their own religions but one distinct culture called GOA.
Scattered paddy fields with small fishing villages having temples and Churches, Goa has maintained its sanctity despite the great commercialization it has faced in recent years. Besides the natural beauty, the fabulous beaches and sunshine, travellers to Goa love the laid-back, peaceful, warm and friendly nature of the Goan people. After all, more than anywhere else on planet earth, this is a place where people really know how to relax. The people are welcoming the food is delicious and the wines are good, the exotic and the intoxicating locations are topping on the cake!
Goa or Gomantak as it is commonly known has been mentioned in the great epic Mahabharat. It means a fertile land. The most famous legend associated with Goa, is that of the mythical sage Parashuram (the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu), who several thousand years ago created the entire stretch of Konkan coast by ordering the seas to recede. The first wave of Brahmins to settle in Goa, were called Saraswats because of their origins from the banks of the River Saraswati, an ancient river that existed in Vedic times. A group of ninety-six families, known today as Gaud Saraswats, settled along the Konkan coast around 1000 BC.
Goan history dates back to antiquity. Rock carvings and rock engravings founds at various places in Goa, indicate that Stone Age people had settled in this ancient land around 10000 - 8000 BC. During the Sumerian era around 2200 BC. Goa has been mentioned as Gubio. Excavations conducted have unearthed many copper coins and plates and temple inscriptions throwing light on the history of Goa. It also has mention in the Mauryan empire of Ashok. Goa was a part of the Mauryan Empire, around third century BC.
Over the centuries various dynasties have ruled Goa. Rashtrakutas, Satvahanas, Kadambas, Silaharas, Chalukyas, Bahamani Muslims and most famously the Portuguese have been rulers of Goa. The Bahamani Muslims lost out to Vijaynagar and soon everyone realized the importance of Goa as a big trade port. Soon, the Dutch, English, French and Portuguese, all began struggling for its possession. Although Vasco –da – Gama set his foot in India in 1498 A.D. it was in 1510A.D. that the Portuguese could conquer Goa, under the leadership of Alfonso de Albuquerque. The Portuguese rule proved to be the longest, carrying for more than 400 years. The Portuguese although gave the legacy of beautiful churches and grand buildings to Goa, the people were tormented and tortured and forcefully asked to accept Christianity. But over the centuries the Portuguese became more of Goan than their European origin.
Goa was liberated by the Indian Army from Portuguese colonisation on December 19, 1961 and became a Union Territory along with the enclaves of Daman and Diu. On May 30, 1987 Goa was conferred statehood and became the 25th state of the Indian Republic. Panaji (Panjim) is the state capital located on the banks of the Mandovi River and Vasco, Margao, Mapusa and Ponda are the other major towns.
Goa has become the melting pot of various cultures and religions. The Roman Catholics and the Hindus have lived in perfect harmony, sharing each others’ festivals and fairs. All the communities have mutual respect towards one another and have a secular outlook.
The people of Goa are fun loving happy go lucky natured people. The nature around and the fertile land has given them a relaxed nature. Music, food, festivals and fun is what the Goans are. Fishing and coconut growing along with rice, mango and cashew nut are the main products of Goan farmers. Staple food is rice and fish and coconut is the main ingredient. The Christian cuisine of Goa still retains the strong influence of Portuguese cuisine over it.
Thus for decades, Goa has been a fascinating destination for foreign and local tourists equally. The ancient churches, the temples full of flowers giving out the fragrance, the unique Portuguese ambience, the cool breeze from the sea with its beaches and great people, Goa has lured many and still is the hottest tourist spot in India.
Vindhya and Satpura ranges running east to west in parallel formations traverse almost the entire peninsular India. Parallel across the Western coast are the Sahyadri Mountains. The Eastern coast is also lined with a hill system, irregular though, called Eastern Ghats. Each mountain system is dotted with hundreds of exotic beauty spots made easily accessible and equipped with modern amenities. There are skiing resorts in the Himalayas. Well planned mountaineering treks and river fording sports are also available in Himalayas and elsewhere. Each mountain range has its own peculiar majesty, grandeur and specific geological character. The forests, mostly sub-tropical and some of them perennial, harbour a variety of wild life. There are scores of wild life and bird sanctuaries which provide an exciting glimpse of the jungle world.
Proximity of Sahyadri has created numerous beautiful gorges, fiords, creeks and lagoons shaded by perennial green cover along the Arabian Sea coast particularly in Kerala, Goa and Konkan region of Maharashtra. These provide blissful coves of retreat known for their serene beauty. And the long pristine beaches along the Arabian Sea and also the Bay of Bengal - India has a 7,516 km.-long coastline - provide haven for sun-bathers and lovers of all kinds of water sports. At several places along the backwaters of Kerala traditional rowing tournaments, complete with colourful festivities, fetch rowing buffs and spectators in large numbers.
Down from the snow-topped Himalayas and across the fertile plains of Punjab stretch the undulating sandy deserts of Rajasthan, stark and hot, bereft of greenery and yet known for a riotous celebration of colours. As if to compensate for the nature's chicanery, the people of Rajasthan have created their own world of beautiful colours - the rich textiles, the turbans of men and the flowing ghagaras of women, ornamental embroidery, exquisite jewellery, the huts, the houses and the princely mansions. It is said that every village housewife, every child of Rajasthan is a born artiste endowed with a talent for brush and colour. Miniature paintings of Rajasthan School have admirers across the world. The exotic cities of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner known for their harmonious architecture and a superb blend of colours offer a feast to the discerning eye.
But the vibrancy of folk art, colour, folk dance and music is not confined to Rajasthan. It manifests in the harsh terrain of Ladakh, in the colourful life styles of the north-eastern tribes of Arunachal, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura and in the tribal belts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra. The traditional village fairs, whether in tribal habitats or agricultural villages of the plains, express the quintessential spirit of rural India. A fair is a veritable riot of sound and music, fun and games, feast of local delicacies, songs and dances and a market of astoundingly colourful local handicrafts. A heartening glimpse of a robust and vigorous India of indomitable hope. There are over 700,000 villages in India and thousands of fairs are held annually. Some of these have earned a reputation attracting visitors from all corners of the country and abroad.