Goa State

Located on the West Coast of India in Konkan, Goa is bounded by Maharashtra in the north, by Karnataka in the east and the south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Panaji (Panjim) is the state's capital and Vasco da Gama (Vasco) is its largest city.

The merry land of beaches and sunshine, of feni and cashewnuts, of hippies and -- , Goa has a historical past too. Until a century before the arrival of the Portuguese adventurer, Vasco Da Gama (who landed near Kozhikode in Kerala in 1498), Goa belonged to the kingdom of Kadamba for over a thousand years. Over those years, it had been successfully conquered by the Karnatakan Vijayanagars, the Muslim Bahmanis and Yousuf Adil Shah of Bijapur but the capture of the fort at Panaji by Alfonso De Albuquerque in 1510 signaled the start of a Portuguese occupation that was to last for 450 years. Despite many Goans glossing over the end of Portuguese occupation, the Portuguese did not just hand over Goa to the Indians. For a detailed account of the end of Portuguese rule and the liberation of Goa see Wikipedia Operation Vijay

Goa formed part of the Mauryan Empire in the 3rd century BC. This was followed by the rule of the Satvahanas of Kolhapur and the Bhojas who made Chandor their capital. From 580 – 750 AD the Chalukyas of Badami held sway over Goa until the Silharas took control in 1086 AD.

Gulhalla Deva of the Kadambas, originally from Mysore, consolidated his hold over Chandor in the 11th century AD until the 13th century AD. On a pilgrimage to Somnath, a sudden storm threatened the Kadamba King and his armada at the mouth of the River Zuari. Arab traders who lived in a settlement by the riverside rescued them and in gratitude, the Arabs were allowed to carry on their commercial activities in the kingdom.

Old Goa:

Old Goa was the State Capital until 1843 when it moved down river to Panaji. Once a byword for splendour, with a population of several hundred thousand, Old Goa was virtually abandoned from the 17th century as the river silted up and a series of malaria and cholera epidemics drove out the inhabitants. It takes some imagination to picture the once-great capital as it used to be. The maze of twisting streets, piazzas and grand Portuguese villas have long gone; all that remains are a score of extraordinarily grandiose churches and convents. Old Goa has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco and today is the state’s main cultural attraction. Tourists come here from the beach resorts to admire the massive facades and beautiful interiors of the well-preserved churches. The Tuscan St Catherine’s Cathedral is the largest church in India and took eighty years to build, finally being consecrated in 1640. The scale and detail of the Corinthian-style interior is overwhelming; huge pillars divide the central nave from the side aisles, and no less than fifteen altars are arranged around the walls. An altar to St Anne treasures the relics of the Blessed Martyrs of Cuncolim, whose failed mission to convert the Moghul emperor Akbar culminated in their murder, while a chapel behind a highly detailed screen holds the Miraculous Cross, which stood in a Goan village until a vision of Christ appeared on it. Said to heal the sick, it is now kept in a box; a small opening on the side allows devotees to touch it. Other sights worth seeing include the Arch of the Viceroys, built in 1597 to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India, and the distinctive domed Church of St Cajetan (1651), modelled on St Peter’s in Rome. Old Goa is a major draw for Christian pilgrims from all over India who come to visit the tomb of St Francis Xavier, the renowned sixteenth-century missionary whose remains are enshrined in the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Buses leave regularly for Old Goa from Panjim. Alternatively visitors can hire an auto-rickshaw or taxi.

Panjim (Panaji)

The heart of the city is the Church Square or Municipal Garden with the Portuguese Baroque Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, originally built in 1541. But as anybody will tell you, Panjim is a walker’s paradise. There are tree-lined avenues and promenades and the best possible walking areas are any of the quiet winding lanes on Altinho.

Browse through the Panjim Corporation Market in Campal. You can get everything here from local and exotic fruit and vegetables to fish.  Buyers come to eye fat tiger prawns, mackerel, kingfish, squid, crabs, pomfret, mussels, oysters... the list is endless, and the odours rich. The Goan fisherwomen treat all supplicants with equal disdain. There are also stalls selling clothing, shoes, bags, electronic items, spices, flowers and sweets.

For branded shopping, head to colourful MG Road, which is also where you’ll find all the liquor and wine shops. Also worth visiting is 18th June Road another busy shopping street with a marvellous Gujurati sweet mart where you can find all manner of snacks including really tasty hot Samosas.

By far the most interesting establishments are the posros, or the small grocers that sell everything, from fresh pao to ingots of golden palm jaggery, petals of dried kokum, sheets of aromatic tamarind and bottles of home-made toddy vinegar and coconut feni.

Spice Plantations

There are numerous spice plantations in Goa, offering guided tours which are informative and friendly. Learn about the various spices, leaves and their uses and sample the food. In season you can see the Cashew Nut apple and watch as Feni is distilled. Mainly located in the hills bordering Goa and Karnataka and on the road to Belgaum it is easy to combine a trip here with Old Goa and the Shri Mangesh Temple for a great day out. Any taxi driver should be able to take you on this trip, expect a cost of approx Rs1500

Dudhsagar Waterfalls

Another great day out is to the Dudhsagar Waterfalls. On the border of Goa and Karnataka, here the Mandovi river falls 600m in a spectacular waterfall, with a refreshing plunge pool at the foot. The pools are only accessible via private jeep, keeping the numbers of tourists down and giving a peaceful day out. Swim in the cool waters, watch the friendly monkeys, have a picnic. The more adventurous can climb the falls, but this is not for the feint hearted.

Allow a full day for this trip at a taxi fare of about Rs1500. There are additional fees (about Rs350pp) to pay when you get there.

Mapusa

If there is something you want then Mapusa is the place to get it. A major shopping and trading centre, with hundreds of small shops bursting to the seams with goods for sale. If you are looking for the essence of Goa, then Mapusa Friday Market is the perfect place for you. The town of Mapusa has now become synonymous with its Friday Market, which is located outside the Mapusa Municipal Market. Every Friday, the small town of Mapusa burst into a riot of colour and noise. The farmers and small entrepreneurs from all over Goa come to the market to sell their locally grown or manufactured wares  and will even repair shoes on the spot. Goan  women dressed in their colourful attire also come in from nearby villages to sell their self-made items including spices of different types. You can shop for a wide range of items, right from spices and T-Shirt to fresh fruit, trinkets, sausages, straw hats, fresh and dried fish, incense, vegetables, souvenirs and furniture. You should keep in mind that bargaining in Mapusa is an integral part of shopping and therefore you should never pay the first price asked for.

Margao

Located in South Goa, Margao is the second biggest city in Goa, and possibly the biggest city of Goa. It is certainly the busiest city, lively and full of crowds, having one of the largest markets in Goa, with a huge variety of goods. Margao is famous for beautiful churches, inviting parks, lovely houses, beautifully built temples and especially for its huge closed market. Even before the Portuguese entered Goa, Margao city was known for its University having a library with over 10,000 books.

This town square boasts of two gardens - Municipal Garden and the Aga Khan Market. The other attractions in the square are the statue of Luis de Menezes Braganca and the Public library. The library is housed in the Municipal Building and has books in various languages - Hindi, Marathi, Konkani, English and Portuguese. You can just sit in and read a book of your choice with no one to disturb you. The reading hall itself is open from 8 am to 8 pm.

 Also known as the Largo da Igreja, the Church Square has the Church of Holy Spirit as its prime attraction. The church was initially constructed by the Jesuits in 1564, however shortly afterwards, the army of Adil Shah marched in and destroyed it. Repairs were carried out much later and took around 30 years to complete. Today, the church is considered one of the best example of the Indian Baroque. Both the interior and exterior of the church is worth seeing.

Margao is the probably the most important railway station in the state of Goa. The Konkan trains, which connect Goa to Mumbai and Mangalore, stop at Pernim, Thivim, Karmali and Margao.

Anjuna

Anjuna is huge. So huge there’s a South, Middle and North Anjuna beach. Much of the action, and many hotels, bars and restaurants are clustered off North Anjuna Beach in DeMello, Soronto and St Anthony vaddos. The road from Mapusa comes past Mazil and Temb vaddos to end in DeMello Vaddo, where there’s a parking area to the right. Lanes lead left from here to St Anthony’s Church, beyond which stretches Gaunkar Vaddo and Middle Anjuna Beach, which has its own share of beachfront shacks.
South of Middle Anjuna is the large flea market ground in Dando Vaddo, which leads on to Little (South) Anjuna Beach. The flea market is a must do at least once experience. It is held every Wednesday and thousands of stalls are set up to sell you trinkets, clothes, bedspreads,  ornaments, henna, food etc.

Arpora

Arpora village, spread across a hillock near Baga, is the place to be on Saturday nights. Ingo’s night   market is far more organised than Anjuna’s flea market and can be much more fun. There are stalls offering all kinds of goods and services, including clothes, trinkets, spices, exotic haircuts, body-piercing, tarot-reading, palmistry, sculpture, wood-carvings, and lots of food. With live bands playing, the place has a carnival atmosphere.

Calangute Beach Stretch
Beaches in this stretch include Calangute, Baga, Candolim, Sinquerim. With nightlife, flea markets and generous helpings of history, this beach stretch is by far the biggest draw in Goa.

Calangute Beach
Known as the ‘queen’ of Goa’s beaches, Calangute is flanked on its southern side by the village of Candolim and on its northern side by the hamlet of Baga. The Calangute-Baga-Candolim stretch is the very heartland of tourism in Goa. It was first ‘discovered’ by hippies in the late 1960s and has become the playground of Goa’s visitors ever since the 1980s.

Nowadays, Calangute’s visitors are busloads of tourists who tumble out onto the beach and into the restaurants, night-spots, night-markets and adventure agencies that pack the Baga-Calangute-Candolim road.

Baga Beach
Baga is a vaddo of Calangute where Goans flock in mid-May to take the sea cure. It’s an endless line of shops, restaurants and hotels. But the beach is still very beautiful, especially when seen against the thickly forested Baga-Anjuna Hill.



Candolim Beach
Candolim Beach extends from the Taj hotels near the vaddo of Sinquerim (the Taj likes to call its part of the seafront ‘Sinquerim Beach’) to Escrivao Vaddo, on the main Candolim-Calangute Road. This main road and the lanes off it are packed with shops, hotels and restaurants, but the Candolim beachfront itself is much less crowded..