About Goa :
For 450 years the Portuguese ruled Goa. Began when Vasco De Gama, an
intrepid Portuguese mariner, discovered the sea route to India and
landed at Calicut in May
1498. Twelve years later Afonso de
Albuquerque, a daring soldier, conquered Goa. And so began an era of
changing fortunes and attitudes, of splendour and greed, pomp and
misery, the tyranny of conquerors and the compassion of
missionaries, the daring of adventures and the abnegation of
martyrs. The Portuguese did not quite realise four centuries later
that they had overstayed their welcome and that it was time for them
to leave Goa and allow it to be re-united with India. Eventually,
they were ousted from Goa, after an armed action ordered by the
Government of India, on 19th December 1961. Tourist influx started
in Goa in the 60s and 70s of 20th century with hippies, the spoiled
children of western materialism. Behind them came the explorers, and
at the end the mass tourist traffic. With opening of Goan skies for
chartered flights, number of holidayers increased exponentially in
the 1980 and 90 and growth in numbers is still continued. In 1987,
Goa was conferred statehood and Daman and Diu was made a separate
union territory.
Getting THERE
Goa by Air : Dabolim is the main entry point for Goa situated at a distance of
around 29 km from Panaji on the coast near Vasco da Gama. Most
domestic airlines operate in Goa apart from chartered private
airlines operating from UK and Germany. Indian Airlines has direct
flights from Delhi and Mumbai daily. Air India also flies to Goa.
Goa by Rail : It is not difficult to reach Goa by trains, especially after opening
of the Konakan Railway that connects Margao and Vasco da Gama to
major cities in India. You can take trains from Delhi 1,874 km),
Mumbai (490km), and Bangalore (430 km) to reach Goa comfortably.
From the railway stations, you can hire taxis and motorcycle taxis
to reach the desired destinations.
Goa by Road : Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka state transport corporations operate
from the Kadamba bus stand at Panaji. Frank Shipping operates a boat
service between Mumbai and Panaji.
By Sea : For the travelers who like to enjoy sea route, there is a boat
service available from Mumbai to Panji which takes about 8 hrs.
Geography of Goa: Goa is a state, situated on the western coast of the Indian
Peninsula and separated from Maharashtra by the Terekhol River in
the north, Karnataka in the south, the Western Ghats in the east,
and the Arabian Sea in the West. The state is located between the
latitudes 15°48'00" North to 14°53'54" North and longitudes 74°
20'13" East to 73° 40'33" East.
The major rivers and streams flowing through the state are Tiracol,
Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, Talpona, Galgibagh, and Chapora. Some of the
famous lakes in the state are Mayem and Carambolim. Most of the
rivers are navigable and are of immense economic importance as ores
are transported through these rivers to the Mormugao port for
export.
Capital: Panjim or Panaji
Main Attractions: Beaches, Churches & Seafood
Best Time to Visit: October to February
Languages Spoken: Marathi, Konkani, & English |