A brief History of Goa

Every place on this earth has a bit of history behind it and Goa has a long turbulent but remarkable history that has given the place a unique identity..

According to the ancient Hindu legend, Lord Parashurama was gifted the vast coastal land that runs from northern part of Goa to the southern most part of Kerala from the lord of Sea ( Sagara). The original name of Goa was ‘Gomantaka’ which was what cow herds in this region were called. The Portuguese changed the name to ‘Goa’ for convenience sake. The first written reference to Goa appears in the Sumerian writings, around 2200 B.C. Later 96 families of Gauda Saraswat Brahmins settled here ( Their ancestors are still there and many among them are prominent members of the society) and this is considered to be one of the milestones in the history of Goa since there was a intermix of culture and Goa thrived with the Portuguese influence and the traditional Gauda saraswat customs and traditions .

Since then many dynasties have conquered and ruled Goa and the surrounding areas. In 1510 A.D., the Portuguese admiral Alfonso De Albuquerque defeated the then ruling Muslim kings to establish the foundation for their further conquests in India. Many consider this Portuguese entry a blessing in disguise since Goa would probably have been quite different under the Mughal rulers . This invasion and conquest of Goa region by the Portuguese was an important milestone in the history of Goa which gave unique identity to her in the future..In 1961, Indian Army entered Goa under the code named ‘Operation Vijay’ and Goa became part of India after nearly 500 years of foreign rule. Thus the Portuguese became the first European to arrive and rule in India and the last to depart.

On 30th May 1987, Goa was declared as the 25th state of the Indian Union but with all that it has managed to maintain its unique identity to this day.

Goa as a tourist destination

Goa is probably the best known and the most loved tourist destinations in the whole of India. One can see why? since it has got just about every thing for a relaxing and enjoyable holiday . Most people while on holiday look for good food, some adventure sports and a relatively inexpensive place and Goa has some of the best beaches one can find on the western coast, old forts to explore, water sports like surfing and jet skies, great restaurants that serve excellent sea food and extremely friendly though a bit laid back people ! Besides all this Goa has accommodation that caters to all class of people. One can find the most luxurious hotels like the Taj group of hotels and The Grand Hyatt and also relatively inexpensive guest houses and boarding houses run by the locals.

When we think of Goa , we automatically think of swinging coconut palms, the many beaches ,the hippies on the beach and abundant natural beauty. No wonder then that Goa is known as the beach capital of the country and loved by all those who have had the opportunity to visit the place and enjoy all that it has to offer to the tourists. Goa is one of the smallest states in India but probably one of the most well known all over the world.

Goa has an interesting mix of Portuguese and the local Konkani cultures, which provides a variety in language, food and architectural splendor. People of Goa are easy going and very friendly and this is a big plus point where tourism is considered.Another very important factor in my opinion is the harmony that we see among people.The Catholics,Hindus and the Muslim population live in harmony which tends to makes a place safe and attractive to tourists and visitors.

Personal experiences

I have visited Goa many times since my childhood and each time I have the same expectancy and thrill while planning a holiday at Goa. Our last visit was last year in the month of January after the Christmas and new year tourism and just before the Carnival crowd poured in. In my opinion that is the best time to visit Goa other than during the monsoon months. That is quite something else ! Many Westerners come during this season just to witness the fury of nature and the monsoon rains.

We drive to Goa since it is one of my favorite drives taking us from Mangalore to Udipi, Kundapur, Maravanthe, Karvar, Madgaon and Panaji ! The drive is very scenic and the sea is visible all the time , so also many streams and rivers that come and join the Arabian Sea. It takes about 5 hours to cover the distance of about 328 kms from mangalore to Goa since the road is good all through and the highway is dotted with excellent eating places and petrol stations.

On the way we decided to spend a couple of hours at Karwar, a coastal town in Northern Karnataka which is equally beautiful, with the white sand beach being the main attraction. Karwar has a naval base and many sea side resorts and is fast becoming a favorite place with tourists. The amazing thing is that one can get a Sea view from almost all parts of the town.

Goan Style Houses

We wanted to try out the guest house that was being let out by the owners on a weekly basis and we drove up to the place ( Rose Villa) which was situated near Candolim Beach. The house was large and was a typical goan tile roofed house with a verandah, 4 bedrooms , 3 bathrooms and at Rs 3500 a day it was a steal. Lots of space around the house and close to the beach - what more could one ask for? It was fully furnished, had a functional kitchen ( not that I had any plans of cooking since I was there on a holiday) and the owners had thoughtfully left some soft drinks, bottled water, snacks and biscuit packets too.

Why I mention this is because , in Goa there are many options to stay other than the fancy hotels which can be very expensive. There are smaller guest houses that are even cheaper. In my opinion no Authentic Goa Experience is complete without a tour of some of the magnificent old structures that we get to see around Panaji , Mapusa and other smaller villages in Goa and even better is a stay in one of the heritage Houses in Goa , which we got to do and I was thrilled at the prospect of spending a week there..The owners had some old rose wood furniture dating back to 18th century.In fact I was told tht most old goan families had many such heirlooms and many of them were being sold since there is a lot of demand for antique furniture now.

The Portuguese influence on the living styles and dwellings of the inhabitants has been deep and we see this influence in their cuisine and the general life style of the people. We did have a great holiday doing all the fun things that one can do in Goa, having our fill of Sea food and the local wine which Goa is very famous for. Goa is addictive and one feels like going back again and again. 

Heritage of Goa

 Most people who visit Goa tend to stick to Panaji or Panjim as it is locally known as and the surrounding more popular tourist spots, but Goa has many more interesting spots in and around it including the river turn where Sea meets river and a beautiful waterfall called Dhoodsagar waterfalls .Other than the many beaches, adventure sports temples ,the fort and the churches Goa is also a shopper’s paradise since it has an awesome handicrafts industry that churns out interesting things made of jute and other by products of coconut palm.

We visited one of those handicraft places where the actual work was being done and it was a learning experience. We also went to a local house where they made wine. At Mapusa ( 17 kms from Panaji) one can wander about the little town center which has a local market twice a week where the villagers residing in nearby villages bring food and other produces for sale. I saw some unique things being sold , one was a coconut scraper that I promptly bought because I found it extremely easy to use and very practical , also a special variety of Jaggery ( gur) that had ginger, pepper and other spices added to it.

Most tourists are impressed by the Goan homes that are impressive and remind you of the good old Portuguese life style that was prevalent here. It is nice to see that most of these magnificent buildings have been carefully preserved .What really stands out and is special about a Goan house is that it is an amalgamation of two styles and so an entirely new concept of architecture emerged. What you see in old Goan houses, you don’t get to see in Portugal, or anywhere else in the world since it is unique in its own way.

What to do and see in Goa

People generally visit Goa to laze around the beautiful palm fringed beaches and indulge in water sports. Other than that one can also take part in adventure sports like river rafting and bungee jumping off a cliff and hot air balloon rides etc etc.

The entire family can participate in any adventure games if one has the desire and the trainers are very helpful – guiding and generally keeping an eye and taking care. Also beaches of Goa are much ahead of other beaches in India in terms of popularity and the facilities that are available. The long coastal area offers a wonderful opportunity for the tourists to indulge in all sorts of water sport activities here and most beaches also have small restaurants that offer good food at a reasonable rate, so people tend to spend the entire day on the beach.

There are many famous temples here like the Mahalakshmi temple, Kamakshi temple - in fact there are 78 temples or more in and around Goa. Some of them have become popular with the toursists like the Shri Mangeshi temple, Santa Durga temple, Tambdi surla which was part destroyed by the Portuguese.

Beaches and Outdoor activities

Some of the well known beaches of Goa are Bhaga, Colva beach in South Goa, Chapora beach in North Goa close to Mapusa ( my favorite beach since it is secluded) and of course the more well known ones like Aguada beach, Anjuna,Candolim, Calangute which is known as the queen of the Goan beaches and Morjim beach...Fort Aguada is another very beautiful place with a fort on the hill top and many beautiful old houses built on the hill slopes that have a sea view and the winding roads and the greenery makes it an ideal place for a day long picnic.

I must make a mention of Candolim beach in North Goa which we all liked a lot because of its serenity. It is far less crowded while compared to the other more popular beaches like Anjuna and Bhaga and it is very beautiful with white sand, swaying palms and has water sports, and small shacks where one can find cool drinks /tea and coffee. You can hire a sun bed from one of the shacks and relax, take a nap or sun bathe!

While visiting Chapora one can climb the hill and see the Chapora fort which is a fabulous sight. You get to see the entire stretch of the beach and the river Mandovi joining the Sea from up there. One can go for a river cruise on Mandovi river which is best done during dusk. Most hotels and guest houses in Goa include river cruise as part of their package deal.

There is a floating Casino for those interested in trying their luck and as long as you do it just for the sake of experiencing it no harm done. I did try the blackjack and lost 500 rupees in a minute, and quit after that, but enjoyed the experience nevertheless. They have a Restaurant on the deck of this floating casino where you can enjoy a meal.

Panaji is an interesting city that has its old parts and the brand new parts .What really impresses tourists is the way the authorities have maintained the place in spite of all the tourism. Goa is a very clean place and it really makes a difference and that’s probably one of the reasons why you feel like going back there again and again. The center of Panaji has a hanging bridge and the river on one side and the sea on the other side. The beautiful and very old Churches are definitely not to be missed. It is an essential part of the Goa experience. In fact Old Goa has most of the Portuguese architecture and is worth visiting.

Carnival of Goa

Carnival is one of the most awaited events in Goa, preparations for which starts from December itself. After Christmas or one can even say that along with Christmas people are also getting ready for the big event in February .. The carnival celebrations date back to almost 500 years when Goa was a colony of the Portuguese.

It reminds one of the riotous celebrations that we get to see in films or news items which is very much part of Rome , Spain and Greece. The same later became famous in Portugal as well. When Goa was a Portuguese colony the carnival was introduced to Goa. With time the carnival has undergone a change and today it has more Goan flavor than Portuguese and is one of the most important events with the entire state of Goa being decked up with colorful lights and other decorative items. Other than music, dance and other forms of entertainment, the carnival in Goa is also a time when youngsters come together and enjoy the festivities. It is a great social event when people belonging to all religions and class come together.

Goan food

The staple diet of Goa like most coastal areas is fish curry and Boiled steamed  rice. Unlike the rest of India, most Hindus in Goa eat fish and sea food . In the monsoons, when no fresh fish is available, most Goans use up their reserve of dried fish which is a delicacy and often very expensive. Pork and chicken are other favorite food items here. Pork Vindaloo and Sorpotel are very famous dishes that has some Portuguese influence as well.

Coconut is used extensively in most curries and tamarind which along with red chilies forms the base for most of their curries. Goans also make pickles out of pork, beef,prawns and fish. Some of these varieties are very tasty. Another specialty of Goa is the many varieties of their sausages that are made using pork , chicken and spices. They are unique because they have the more popular Indian spices added to make them more acceptable to Indian taste.

 There are many beach side shacks that serve authentic goan food along with local music which is foot tapping and some of them even have a small dance floor ( more a clearing in the middle ) where people can dance to the music. Goan travel experience is all about fun and gaiety .

The unique Goan experience

Some people say that If you want to go crazy go to Goa and do all the mad things. Every place has its negative and positive aspect and in Goa it is the hippies on the beaches ( although they keep to themselves)and the drug peddlers who are perpetually approaching youngsters and tourists trying to find a customer. So one should be careful since getting involved with them can prove to be dangerous. While we were there we  heard many real life incidents where tourists were put into innumerable difficulties because of drug related problems.

That apart, Goa is still one of the best holiday destinations in India that has everything one could ask for.Toursist have plenty to experience and explore in Goa. It is much more than just Sea and sand. It is also about a different easy going life style and a blend of different cultures and cuisines that makes it a unique experience not to be missed.