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Cities of Goa

The most important town in South Goa connected by rail and the national highway with Karnataka and Maharashtra and located in Salcete is Margao. The commercial capital of Goa, Margao is also the second largest city of Goa. It seems that this town had many Hindu temples and Dormitories. In fact it is believed that the name Margao is the corrupt version of Mathgram, which means the a village of dormitories. Margao has an old-worldly charm about it because of its Portuguese churches, and some magnificent specimens of old Portuguese houses. The Church of the Holy Spirit as dominates the entrance to the city. The church was built by the Portuguese in 1675 and is one of the finest examples of late-Baroque architecture in Goa. The church area is surrounded by beautiful old residential houses still in pristine condition. It is the gateway to the southern beaches of Goa.

The industrial town of Vasco-da-Gama, named after the Portuguese voyager, is around 30 km away from the capital city of Panaji and is spread around the base of the peninsula which leads to the Mormugao harbour. It is the port city across the river Zuari. Its roads have a geometric layout with imposing multi-storied buildings. Close by is the Dabolim airport and the internationally famous natural port of Mormugao. The 400-year old St. Andrews Church which lies at the entrance to the city is worth a visit. In recent times, the city has been attracting local visitors, to the best cinema theatre in the whole of Goa. The Bogmalo beach is very near which has the Naval Air Museum, the only one of its kind in the whole of Asia. It has on display, some of the fighter aircraft and many other artifacts used in wars by India.

Ponda is the Hindu heartland of Goa. Near the town are the five most famous Hindu Temples and the largest mosque of Goa. The deities of most of these temples are ancient. Hindus fleeing from the coastal areas shifted these here during the Portuguese Inquisition. The Bijapur ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah built the Safa Masjid, a relatively small mosque, in 1560. This is one of the few Muslim shrines not destroyed by the Portuguese.
Ponda is also an important transport link. The city of Ponda lies about 28kms south-east of Panaji. It is also the gateway to Goa's wildlife sanctuaries as both the Bondla and the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and the Dudhsagar Waterfalls are nearby.
The Dudhsagar waterfalls is the most popular destination for trekkers and hikers a sight to behold. Water rushes down hundreds of feet in large volume from a great height, creating a most enchanting natural phenomena.

Just 10 km from Panaji is the Old Goa. The majestic reminder of past with innumerous churches and grand chapels. It was founded by Adil Shah in the early 16th century. The Portuguese after capturing it made it their capital which remained so, till Panaji came into existence. Under the Portuguese the city grew rapidly in size and splendour, eventually coming to rival Lisbon itself. At the height of the Portuguese power, it was called the Rome of the Orient. The city had as many as seven markets where traders came from China, Arabia, Zanzibar and other Indian states came to trade in silk, cotton, spices and perfumed oils, etc. There were markets for blacksmiths, goldsmiths, fish and meats, and one for diamonds. Today, Old Goa is a World Heritage site. There is a small village around the huge churches and convents. Some of these are still in active use, and others have become museums maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

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