Goa Tourism - India Tour Planner
Goa is India's smallest state, it is located on the west coast of india in the
region known as Konkan . Goa was ruled by the Portuguese for 450 years till it
was liberated from the portuguese to form a part of india on 19th December
1961.
Goa
has a long history of rulers dating back to the 3 rd century bc when it was the
part of the mauryan empire .goa has been ruled by numerous rulers Silharas, Kadamdas,
Chaukyans , kings of Deccan, kings of Vijaynagar, Adilshah of Bijapur and last
but not least the Portuguese who were the most successful of them all .The
Portuguese came in 1498 ans were the the first Europeans to set foot in India ,
they soon established a trading colony for the sole purpose of dealing with
spices and cotton and later ended up ruling the state when the portuguese
admiral alfonso de albuquerque defeated the ruling Bijapur kings on the behalf of
a local sovereign.
Goa
encompasses an area of 3702 square kilometers.it is bounded by the state of
Maharastra on the north and Karnataka On the east and the south .The Arabian sea
makes up the states west coast .Goa has a coast line of 101 kms which comprises
of beautiful beaches .Its main rivets are the Mandovi ,the Zuari ,the
Terekhol,Chapora and the Betul.The Mandovi and Zuari are the life lines of the
state .Goa has one of the best natural harbours in South Asia known as
Mormugao.Goa being in the tropical zone has a warm and humid climate .Goa
consists of 3 seasons namely the summer, rainy or the wet season and the cool
season .temperatures can reach a max of 35 degrees in summer and 18 degrees in
the cool season , the rainy or wet season last between june and september.
Goais one of india's richest state with a GDP per capita of one and a half times
that of the country .Tourism is Goa's primary industry followed by the fishing
industry and the mining industry.Rice is the main agricultural crop followed by
cashew and coconut .Panjim is Goa's administrative capital and the hub of the
business industry , Panjim lies on the left side of the river Mandovi over
looking Goa's legislative capital Porvorim .Konkani is Goa's primary spoken
language ,English and Marathi is the language used for official literacy or
educational purposes.Hindi , India's national language is also spoken as a
second or third language.
Rice
and fish curry is the staple diet of the people of Goa .Coconut is widely used
in the preparation of many dishes along with chilli,spices and vinegar.Some of
Goa's most sought after dishes are prawn curry and rice, crab xec xec ,pork
vindaloo,sorpotel,sannas and last but not the least the best dessert of the
state bebinca.The most popular local alcoholic beverage is feni, cashew feni
is made from the fermentation of the cashew fruit while coconut feni is made
from the sap of the coconut palm tree locally known as toddy or sur in konkani.
Since
Goa consist mainly of Hindus and Christians , Christmas ,Ganesh
Chaturthi,Diwali,New Years Day,Shigmo and the Carnival are the most celebrated festivals in the state.Goans have a great love for music which can be seen
widely in the state through the numerous dances ,bands festivals,concerts or
dramatical plays or theaters as they are often called .Manddo is the traditional
goan folklore music which originated in the nineteenth century is sung and danced
on special occasions .Goa also has two world heritage sites the Basilica of
Bom Jesus and a few designated Convents.The Basilica of Bom Jesus holds the
mortal remains of Saint Francis Xavier regarded by many catholics as the patron
saint of goa.The Velhos Conquistas regions are also known for its Indo
Portuguese style and architecture in many parts of Goa.Mansions constructed in
the Indo Portuguese style architecture still stand .Fontainhas in Panjim has
been declared a cultural quarter and are used as a living museum showcasing the
life architecture and culture of Goa .Goa also has many famous national parks
and reserves including the renowned Salim Ali bird sanctuary ,the Bondla
wildlife sanctuary, Molem wildlife sanctuary to name a few.
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