Introduction to Goa India
Facts and Figures of Goa, India
About Goa India:
Goa is a smallest state of India in terms of area, but also the most popular tourist destination attracting more than 2 million people every year.
Goa lies on the west coast of India, looking out onto the Arabian Sea, just under 600km (372 miles) south of Mumbai and bordered by the states of Maharashtra in the north and Karnataka to the south and east.
Goa has the picturesque Western Ghats, with its amazing range of flora and fauna, on one side.
Goa is divided up into two administrative districts - North Goa and South Goa - with the major towns in each being Panaji (formerly Panjim, the state capital) and Margao (formerly Madgaon) respectively. Beyond this simple subdivision the state is further divided into 11 talukas (districts): Pernem, Bicholim, Satari, Bardez, Tiswadi and Ponda in north Goa, and Mormugao, Salcete, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona in the south.
Compared with other Indian states, Goa is tiny – a strip of land 100km (62 miles) long and only 50km (30 miles) wide.
Most of the coastal area is flat, but as you travel inland the country rises gradually to the increasingly rugged slopes of the Sahyadri mountain range which hems Goa in to the east, separating it from the high, dry plateau of Karnataka. Flowing out of this watershed, several rivers water the fertile lowlands and five wide estuaries are the major features of Goa’s coastline. The most important of these, the Zuari and Mandovi rivers, cuts across the centre of the state, meeting to form a wide bay which effectively cuts the coast in two.
Major Cities of Goa India
- Panaji - Capital of Goa
- Ponda - Temple Town of Goa
- Mapusa - Largest Town in Northern Goa
- Margao - Second Largest Town of Goa
- Vasco da Gama - Popular Town of Goa
Main Villages of Goa, India
- Arambol
- Morjim
- Chapora
- Vagator
- Anjuna
- Betim
- Reis Magos
- Siolim
- Aldona
- Benaulim
- Chandor
- Colva
- Agonda
- Gokarna
Read more about each Goa village
Overview of Goa India
Indian peninsula, the state shares its borders with Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the south and east | |
Talpona and Galjibaga | |
of Goa, including Panaji. | |
Margao: 08342 Ponda: 08343 | |
Climate in Goa India
Goa has a maritime equable climate, neither too hot nor too cold, and remains humid and sunny for most part of the year. It experiences heavy rains between the months of June and September.
Temperature: 36o C (max) and 21o C (min). Humidity levels touch almost 97 percent during monsoons and fall to about 58 percent in the winter months.
Rainfall: 320cm approximately, between June and September.
Best season to visit: November to March (Winter season)
Accessibility
Railway Stations: Two main railway stations in Margao and Vasco da Gama are connected to most major cities in India including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad etc.
Airport: Goa’s only airport, Dabolim International Airport, is about 30km from Panaji, the capital city.
National Highways: Goa is connected by motorable roads to all the major cities in India via National Highways NH4A, NH17 and NH17A.
Culture and Customs of Goa India
Goa is an interesting mosaic of cultures. During the ancient and pre-medieval times, Hindu kings ruled over and influenced the state. But Goa has a pre-Hindu era in its history as well.
For a short period, Muslim Kings of Hyderabad and Bijapur ruled Goa. Finally, when the Portuguese occupied Goa, they gave it a culture that sets the place apart from any other region. The intermingling of various cultures over the centuries has ensured that communal harmony prevails in Goa.
The Portuguese invasion of Goa resulted in the spread of Christianity there. The conversion from Hinduism to Christianity took place some 400 years ago. Such conversions in those days, used to ensure the retention of property rights. About 26 percent of the population today constitutes of Christians. Most of them are settled in the central taluka – Tiswadi, Mormugao, Bardez and Salcete.
Though not as dominant as in other parts of India, the caste system is still the clinching factor when it comes to marriages in Goa. The dowry system is prevalent among both the Hindus and Christians. Christian weddings, though very similar to those is the West, still have some rituals from the Hindu tradition.
Contemporary View of Goa India
On an average, more than two million people visit Goa every year, adding more color to the already vibrant culture of the state. For tourists, Goa is synonymous with beautiful stretches of beaches, sand, sun, dance and drinks.
The long stretches of more than two dozen beaches, option of numerous adventure sports and excellent tropical climate make Goa a perfect holiday destination. But there is more to Goa than just sand, surf and enticing beaches.
The Goan feni, a bustling flea market, rocking night parties by the beachside and excellent seafood, have all made Goa a huge hit with tourists. Goa is now a fashionable destination for the elite in India who come both on business and pleasure trips.
History of Goa India
Known under many different names, Goa has a rather chequered history stretching into the far distant past. Long before the arrival of the Portuguese, the control over Goa’s valuable natural harbours was contested by Hindu and Muslim princes.
The Portuguese arrived in the 15th century and so Goa became a Portuguese colony, unlike the rest of the sub-continent, which formed part of the British Raj. Goa remained a Portuguese enclave until 1961.
Goa’s first Dravidian people mixed with settlers from the north, firstly from the Indus Valley, then with the Aryan invaders who began to arrive in India around 1500BC. From around the 3rd century BC, Goa came under the control of a number of would-be empire builders as part of the region then known as the Konkan.
By the 12th century it had become a distinct realm ruled by the Hindu Kadamba dynasty, with its capital, Govalpur, on the banks of the Zuari River where the ruins of Goa Velha now stand.
Its natural harbours also attracted traders from the Arab world, but very few reminders of this era survive, as later waves of invaders ruthlessly destroyed the palaces and temples of the land they conquered.
Note: I update this page on Goa India regularly. So, please do visit again to know more information about Goa India.
