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Explore Goa
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Goa- The Paradise on Earth. If one word could be said to encapsulate the essence of Goa, it would have to be the Portuguese sossegarde, meaning "carefree". The pace of life in this former colonial enclave, midway down India's southwest coast, has picked up over the past twenty years, but inspite of the increasing chaos of its capital, beach resorts and market towns, Goa has retained the laid-back feel that has traditionally set it apart from the rest of the country .It's 1.6 million inhabitants are unequivocal about the roots of their distinctiveness, while most of the overlords were the Portuguese, a people far more inclined to enjoy the good things in life than their Anglo-Saxon counterparts. |
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The history of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC, when it was associated
with the Mayuryan Empire. The history of Goa dates back to the 3rd century
BC, when it was associated with the Mauryan Empire. It was subsequently
passed over to the Shilharas, the Kadambas and the Chalukyans of Kalyani
during the following centuries. Muslim rule came to Goa towards the end of
the 14th century in the form of the Bahamanis who then lost it and
recaptured it from the Vijaynagar emperors a century later. The last King to
rule before the Portuguese set foot was Yusuf Adil Shah of Bijapur. In 1510
Albuquerque captured Old Goa. Over the next 351 years the Portuguese
consolidated their hold over Goa, braving a Dutch blockade in 1603 and a
Maratha attack in 1667.The Marathas were eventually routed in 1739 and
thereafter until the Pinto revolution of 1787 there was no further threat to
their rule. The 'New conquests' between 1782 and 1791 were the result of four decades of planning first initiated by King Joao V of Portugal. When India attained Independence in 1947, tremendous pressure was exerted on the Portuguese to hand over Goa, Daman and Diu. The Portuguese held on grimly, even using force on occasion (as in 1955 when a group of 'satyagrahis' from India was attacked). It was a case of delaying of the inevitable which happened on 19 December 1961 when the Indian Army marched in, after a Naval Blockade by the Indian Navy. 26 years later, Goa attained statehood shedding its erstwhile 'Union Territory' status on 30/5/1987. |
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As Goa is a major tourist destination in India, the city is well connected
with other parts of the country. Air : Goa's international airport, Dabolim, is 29 km from Panaji, on the coast near Vasco da Gama. Most of India's domestic airlines operate services here, as well as several direct charter companies that fly into Goa from the UK and Germany. There are numerous flights between Goa and Mumbai. Road : Goa has good road connections. Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka state road transport corporations all operate service out of Panaji's Kadamba bus stand. There are also services to Londa (where you can get a daily direct railway connection to Mysore every day), Hubli (a railway junction on the main Mumbai to Bangalore line, where you can also get trains to Gadag for both Bijapur and Badami, and Hospet and Hampi) and Belgaum. Rail : Now the lines of the Goa is transferred from meter-gauge to broad-gauge. Goa's two main stations are at Margao and Vasco da Gama. Other useful stations on the Konkan route are Mapusa Road (Thivim) for Mapusa and Old Goa (Karmali) for Panaji. Vasco-da-Gama and Margoa are connected by train with Bangalore, Belgaum, Hospet and Hyderabad and via Miraj to Bombay, Delhi and Agra. Water : As matter of fact that Goa lies on the side of Arabian sea so water transport is available and one of the means of the transport. The catamaran service between Mumbai and Panaji, operated by Frank Shipping, has been a bit erratic in recent years due to breakdowns. In theory it sails between October and May. Local Transport : To move around Goa, there are local bus services operated by private bus owners and the State Undertaking Kadamba Transport Corporation in addition to luxury coaches, mini coaches, tourist taxis, auto rickshaws and motorcycle taxis, and cruises. |
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