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GOA - INDIA
Goa is India's smallest state in terms of
area and the second smallest in terms of population. Goa is internationally
renowned for its fabled tropical beaches and world heritage architecture. A
former colony of Portugal, it was ruled by the Portuguese for over 450 years,
up until December 1961.
Origin of name
The Indian epic Mahabharata refers to Goa by the appellation Goparashtra — a
nation of cowherds. The southern Konkan region was called Govarashtra. In
ancient Indian texts in Sanskrit, Goa was also known as Gopakapuri or
Gapakapattana. These names were also mentioned in the sacred Hindu texts
such as the Harivansa and the Skanda. Goa is also known as Gomanchala in the
latter. In the Puranas and certain inscriptions, the name of the place
appears as Gove, Govapuri, Gopakpattan, and Gomant. Ptolemy, the ancient
geographer referred to Goa as Gouba around 200 CE. It has also been known as
Aprant. The medieval Arabian geographers knew the port city of Chandor (or
Chandrapur) as Sindabur, or Sandabur. The name that the Portuguese as knew
Goa is a small ancient port town of what today is known as Goa-Velha. The
term Goa was later applied to the whole territory that the Portuguese came
to occupy (Velhas Conquistas as well as the Novas Conquistas).
History
Goa has a long history stretching back to the 3rd century BC, when it formed
part of the Mauryan empire. It was later ruled by the Satavahans of Kolhapur
at the beginning of the Christian era and eventually passed to the
Chalukyans of Badami, who controlled it from 580 CE to 750 CE. Over the next
few centuries it was ruled successively by the Silharas, the Kadambas and
the Chalukyans of Kalyani.
Goa fell under the Delhi Sultanate for the first time in 1312, but they were
forced to evacuate it in 1370 by Harihara I of the Vijayanagar. The
Vijayanagar monarchs held on to Goa for nearly 100 years. In 1469, however,
Goa was re-appropriated, this time by the Bahmani Sultans of Gulbarga. When
this dynasty broke up, the area passed to Adil Shahis of Bijapur, who made
Goa Velha their second capital.
In 1498, Vasco da Gama became the first European to set foot in India via a
sea route. His successful mission led to other European powers seeking an
alternate route to India as the traditional land routes were closed by the
Turks. In 1510, the ruling Moghul Bijapur kings were defeated by the
Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque, on request of a Hindu king,
Timayya (Timoja). The Portuguese set up a base in Goa in their quest to
control the spice trade. By mid-16th century, the area under occupation had
expanded to most of present day limits.
on December 19, 1961, the Indian Army moved its troops into Goa taking it
over by force. Goa, and the exclaves of Daman and Diu, were annexed to India
via the 12th amendment to India's constitution, making them a Union
territory of India. On May 30, 1987, the Union territory of Goa, Daman and
Diu was split with Goa being elevated to India's 25th state.
Geography
The state of Goa encompasses an area of 3,702 sq km. It lies between the
latitudes 14° 53' 54" N — 15° 48'00" N and longitudes 73° 40' 33" E — 74°
20' 13" E. The Arabian Sea forms the west coast of state. Goa borders the
state of Maharashtra in the north and Karnataka in the south and east. Being
a coastal state, most of western Goa is at sea level with a coastline of 101
km (63 miles). Towards the east of the state rises the Sahyadri range of the
Western Ghats. Sonsogor is the highest peak in Goa with an altitude of 1167
metres (3827 feet) above sea level.
The state is divided into two districts — North Goa and South Goa. The
districts are further divided into eleven talukas — Ilhas, Bardez, Salcette,
Satari, Canacona, Ponda, Marmagoa, Bicholim, Pernem, Quepem and Sanguem.
Climate
Warm throughout the year, Goa never gets too cold. Summers in May are
blistering hot, with highs of 39° C and lows of 30° C, coupled with extreme
humidity. The monsoons provide some relief from June to September, bathing
the landscape in a lush and verdant green hue straight out of a watercolour
painting. The cooler months of December and January are the best times to
visit with a warm high of 30° C and a low of 20° C. Further inland the
temperature drops significantly at night, sometimes to a low of 12° C.
Economy
Tourism is Goa's mainstay industry. Tourists from all over the world come to
enjoy the sun-n-sands of the state. Domestic tourists also visit the beaches
during the summer vacations, to escape the searing heat in interior India.
Tourism is particularly important along Goa's coastal stretch, but its
impact is more limited in the interior parts of the state. Goa is also famed
for its cheap liquor, as the state has a very low excise duty on alcohol.
Other industries include mining, canning, fertilisers, shipping, fisheries
and alcohol distilleries.
Mining includes the ores of iron ore, bauxite, manganese ore, clays,
limestone and silica. Paddy is the main agricultural crop followed by ragi,
cashew and coconut. Agriculture, while of shrinking importance to the
economy over the past four decades, offers part-time employment to a sizeble
populace. The large bureaucracy, and Goa's decades-old out-migration also
keeps the wheels of the economy moving. The fishing industry provides an
employment for 40,000, though recent official figures indicate a decline of
the importance of this sector and also a fall in catch. Traditional fishing
too has given way to mechanised trawling.
Government and Law
The state capital is Panaji (often referred to also as Panjim by English-language
speakers, or Ponnje in the local Konkani language) on the banks of the river
Mandovi. Panjim is the legislative and administrative capital of Goa.
However, Goa comes under the Bombay High Court, making Bombay the judicial
capital of the state despite being 600 km north. The court however, has a
local Panaji bench, which adjudicates legal matters. Goa is India's only
state to have a Uniform Civil Code governing its citizens - a result of the
Law of Equality (1761) and Instructions (1774) propounded by Marquês de
Pombal, a celebrated European statesman who served as Prime Minister to Dom
José I of Portugal. Other states have civil laws framed differently for each
religion.
A 40 member Legislative Assembly, headed by a Chief Minister, forms the
legislative wing of the government. The ruling government consists of the
party or coalition garnering the most seats. A governor, appointed by the
union government fills the ceremonial role of being the first citizen of the
state.
Demographics
A native of Goa is called a Goan. Goa has a population of 1.344 million
residents consisting of 685,000 males and 658,000 females. It has a growth
rate of 14.9%. 363 people reside per sq. km of the land. 49.77% of the
population reside in urban areas. The sex ratio is 960 females to 1000
males. Goa's literacy rate is 82.32%, broken down into: males 88.88% and
females 75.51%. The main towns are Margão, Vasco da Gama, Panjim and Mapuça
(Mapusa). Hinduism, Catholicism and Islam are the three main religions in
Goa.
People and culture
Goans prefer an easy lifestyle. Most noticeable is the laid back lifestyle
and slow pace of life in Goa. The government machinery moves at a snail's
pace and office hours are shorter than most other places in India. The
siesta is an integral part of most Goan daily life. The most popular
celebrations in Goa are Christmas, Ganesh Chaturti, New Year's Day and the
Carnival. Since the 1960s, the celebration of the Carnival has however
shifted to the urban centres, and in recent times this festival is seen more
as a means of attracting tourists. Celebrations go on for days, non-stop.
Dances and balls are organised in every major town where a nominal entry fee
will allow any couple a good few hours of live music, dancing and social
togetherness. English songs are very popular in Goa. Traditional Konkani
folk songs too have a sizable following.
Goa is known for its rich food especially the meats. Pork dishes such as
Xacuti and Sorpotel are cooked for almost every major occasion. Being a
coastal state, fish is one of Goa's most well known food delights with
varieties of fish cooked with elaborate recipes. Coconut and coconut oil is
widely used in Goan cooking along with chilli spices and vinegar giving the
food an inimitable flavour. To top it all, a rich egg-based multi-layered
sweet dish known as bebinca is sometimes served after meals.
Flora and Fauna
Ubiquitous coconut trees are the most visible arbour in Goa, often seen in
picture postcards. Besides these, in the forests of eastern Goa, a large
number of deciduous vegetation consisting of teak, cashew and mango trees
are present. Jackfruits, mangos, pineapples and blackberries are some of the
popular fruits available in the summer months.
Goa is notorious for having a large number of serpent population, although
they are revered for keeping the rodent population at bay. Foxes, Wild boars
and migratory birds are found in the jungles of Goa.
Transportation
External
Air — The Dabolim airport is Goa's sole domestic airport, linked to all
major cities in India. Goa does not have an international terminal, but
chartered planes do make direct flights to Goa. A new airport is planned,
but still some years away, at Mopa, in North Goa.
Road — Goa is well connected to Bombay and Bangalore, two of India's largest
cities. Daily luxury buses ply these routes, on an overnight journey of a
distance of about 600 km.
Rail — Ever since the Konkan Railway was inaugurated, Goa has seen a rise in
transportation as it directly links towns on India's western sea coast. Rail
travel has become a preferred option for most domestic tourists in recent
years.
Internal
Taxis — Un-metered taxis ferry many tourists in Goa around, though haggling
is required beforehand to fix the fare.
Buses — public transportation by buses essentially is run by private owners.
The operators have a penchant for cramming as many people in as possible
including sometimes goats and chickens.
Motorcycle taxis — Unique to Goa, this mode of transport ferries one million
passenger on short journeys for a reasonable predetermined fare.
Tourism
Pristine beaches are what most tourists come to Goa to enjoy. 4 lakh
(400,000) foreign and 16 lakh (1.6 million) domestic tourists visit Goa
annually. Domestic tourists arrive mostly in the summer, Diwali and
Christmas holidays. World heritage architecture is another tourist
attraction with many coming to see the Bom Jezu Basilica which houses the
embalmed remains of St. Francis Xavier. Once every decade, thousands visit
Goa during the Exposition of St Francis Xavier, when the body is taken down
for veneration. The next 'exposition' is in late 2004. In addition, many
tourists also take in sights of famous temples such as the Mangueshi Temple.
During the lean seasons of the monsoons, tourists also visit to take in the
lush sylvan salubrious surroundings. Goa also has many famous National
Parks, including the renowned Salim Ali bird sanctuary.
Sport
Football is the most popular sport in Goa. Goans are ardent followers of
local clubs. International football matches are also widely followed, with
the Football World Cup, being the most popular event in this football crazy
state. Goans also form a sizeable number of India's national hockey team.
Cricket is the third most popular sport in the state.
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