Goa : The Pearl of the Orient

Goa..., a tiny emerald land on the west coast of India situated between the borders of Maharastra and Karnataka, is better known to the world at large as the former Portuguese enclave on the Indian soil. With the rule of the Portuguese for over 450 years and the consequential influence of the Latin culture, Goa presents a somewhat different picture to the foreign visitor than any other part of the country. Not only the proportion of Christians (almost all of whom are Catholics) in the total population of Goa much higher than that obtaining in most of the other States; the general way of living is also markedly different. Western influence is evident in the dress and food habits, and the general life of the people is quiet and peaceful. A striking feature of Goa is the harmonious relationship between the two principal religious communities, the Hindus and the Catholics, who have lived together peacefully for generations.

Location: The small state of Goa is in the west coast of the Indian peninsula with a vast coastline of 104 km. An extension to the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, Goa is bounded on the north by Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra state, on the West by the Arabian Sea, on the South by Karwar district of Karnataka state and on the East by Belgaum district of Karnataka state. A place with moderate climate throughout the year, with heavy rainfall in the Monsoon, Goa has gained the name of traveler's paradise with 365 days on a holiday!!

Climate: This is the place in India, where weather does not play an important role! The ambience is the climate! The sultry heat during the months of April and May too do not deter the toursits to flock Goa.

Languages Spoken: Marathi, Konkani, English and Portuguese

Long Distance Code: +91-832

Importance: Beaches and Churches

Area: 3702 sqkm.

Best Time To Visit: October To May & June to September to enjoy the monsoons.

Goa Attractions

Beaches of Goa:

Golden beaches, blue sky and pale hills, silvery sands fringed with palms. The cool breeze, the fishing villages and the beautiful sunset. This is what Goa is, the sea and its sea shores. At every twist and turn of the undulating Goan coast there are alluring little coves or bays each completely different and each with its own special charm. Some of the beaches have all the facilities, right from restaurants to massage parlours to water sports and net surfing cafes, while some do not even have restaurants. You can be with sea and still not leave the materialistic world while on the other hand be with nature in totality. Along the coast are picturesque villages with tall white washed churches and red tiled houses that nestle into the lush green of the Goan country side.

Churches of Goa:

One of Goa's important institutions, the famous and magnificent churches is largely a legacy of Portuguese colonization. Church building was one of the main occupations of the early Portuguese and in fact one of Vasco da Gama's main missions. The most visible legacy of the Portuguese is their churches, not only the imposing monuments, but also more typically white- washed facades nestling among palm trees. Goan Churches have a typical 16th century European architecture with Gothic style influence. The Baroque style architecture also has been heavily used in these churches, with exaggerated interior decorations and intricate details of ornamentation emphasized by gilding and accompanied by sculptured figures.

Temples of Goa:

The Hindu culture of Goa is ancient and the temples dedicated to various deities of Goa date back to the Panadava caves, Shiva temple of 1st century A.D. During the early stages of the Portuguese rule, the Hindu temples of Goa were raised to ground and destructed. There are many temples in the interiors of Goa, as the coastline was the main place of the Portuguese. Many deities had to leave their temples, as the devotees shifted them for the fear of destruction. The architecture of Goan temples is a little different mostly because of historical reasons. The Goan modification lies in the assimilation of local building traditions into this rigid architectural style giving it a special local flavor. One of the special features of Goan temples is the Lamp Tower or Deepmal rising anywhere from two to six storied high. This is said to be a Maratha influence. During festivals these lamp towers burn with innumerous lamps and are a delightful sight. Another distinctive feature is the dome that covers the main shrine instead of the shikhar like in other temples.

The important temples of Goa are:

Anant Narsinha Temple of Veling, Devaki- Krishna Temple of Marcel,Mahalsa Temple in Mardol,

Mahalakshmi Temple of Bandivade and Panaji, Mangesh Temple and the Nagesh Temples, Saptakoteshwar Temple of Narwe and the Mahadev Temple in Tambdi Surla.

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Scuba Diving In Goa

Water sports activities during Goa trip leaves an everlasting impression to the mind of the tourists who seek fun, tranquility and thrilling experience too. Water sports in Goa provide a delightful touring experience in Goa. Scuba diving is one of the popular events that can be enjoyed by true adventure lover. Trip to Goa provides scuba diving highlighting the underwater delight in Goa. You can witness the attractive corals, beautiful shells and fishes under the water. The adventurous water sports like scuba diving offers an opportunity to witness the underwater treasure of Goa. The temperate and safe water of Goa makes it ideal for the beginners. The Goa marine life is quite similar to the marine life in Maldives.

Scuba diving in Goa is a delightful experience. Welcome to the world of underwater delight in Goa. Attractive corals, colored and beautiful, shells and fishes all invite exploration. Adventurous sports like Scuba Diving help you to unearth the underwater treasure of Goa. Underwater visibility in Goa ranges for five meters to ten meters throughout the tourist season. The waters in Goa are safe and temperate. The absence of riptide currents makes the waters ideal for beginners.

Dive Site:
The Marine life of the Goa is quite similar to that of the Maldives. The underwater world of Goa has the presence of Spanish and Portuguese sailing ship wreckage and that of World War II wreckages. This makes the fish life prolific. Grand Island is a much-frequented site for local diving. Popular sites near the island are Suzy's Wreck, Davy Jones Lockers, Sail Rock, Turbo Tunnel, Surge City, Uma Guma Reef, and Bounty Bay. Angria Bank is a world class diving site around 120 miles from Goa. It has an underwater mass about half the size of Goa and is treasure house of corals and fishes. Diving here is an unforgettable experience. The rocky outcrop in the Pigeon Island has an interesting marine life and a very clear visibility. Malvan Shoal has shallow sites in between Vengurla and Malvan. The crystal clear water gives a clear view of the interesting marine life here.

Ideal Season for Scuba Diving In Goa :
The best season for enjoying water sports in Goa is from October to May. It's the season when the skies are cloudless and blue and the water remains placid .

Goa attractions...

Goa festival: The feast of Sao Joao

This feast of St John the Baptist is celebrated mostly in the northern parts of Goa, at the onset of monsoon on June 24th. On this day young men around Goa jump into wells to retrieve gifts thrown in by villagers. In Siolim, a village in north Goa, colourful boat races are organised. Christians believe that John the Baptist leaping for joy in his mother, Elizabeth’s, womb when she was told of Jesus’ birth. He later went on to baptize Jesus in the river Jordan. The well is considered to be a representation of Elizabeth’s womb and a jump into it a sign of joy for the birth of Christ.

The festival is celebrated with great fervour and gusto, particularly in Siolim, Anjuna, Candolim, Calangute and Assagao. It is like any other Goan feast with the captivating spirit of merriment, colour and tradition. People dressed in colourful outfits from several villages meet near a stream front in carnival-coloured boats and floats.

Anjuna Beach

Goa Anjuna beach is one of the most popular beaches in Goa. The beauty of the white waves rushing to embrace the pale golden sand on the beach can be witnessed in full form at the Goa Anjuna beach. Goa Anjuna beach is a perfect haven for the hippies and you will come across some of them who have been staying on this beach for a couple of months. It is in the late 1950s to mid-1960s that Anjuna beach was "discovered" by the hippies. From then on began the trend of moonlit parties which is one occasion the hippies and now the tourists look forward to. Anjuna Beach is popularly known as the freak capital of the world and not without reasons. It claimed popularity for its Trance Parties and the Hippies who tried to synthesize the spiritual traditions of the East and the art, ideas and the music of the West. Sometime in the late 1950s to mid-1960s, the area was "discovered" by a group of travelers, including "Eight Finger Eddie," and a small international psychedelic scene began to meet there to party during the dry season. Anjuna is just the right place for lazing holidaymakers. Besides the calm waters of the Arabian Sea lapping softly on the Indian shore, Anjuna comes live with its ever-famous full-moon parties and the Wednesday flea market to take one on to a trance trip.

Wednesday Flea Market
Every Wednesday, at around 11 a.m., Anjuna breaks into a riot of colors. Lines of vehicles full of tourists start virtually raising clouds of dust in this area. Whatever one needs, from a used paperback to a haircut, one would find it here. The flea market is a heaven for hardcore shoppers and good bargainers, to bid on wonderful blends of Tibetan, Kashmiri and Gujarati trinkets and handicrafts, European snacks, cassettes of a noisy brand of music called 'Goa Trance', artificial ornaments carvings and T-shirts. An elephant ride and a photograph with a fake sadhu or a fake snake charmer can also be found here.

The Acid House Party
Anjuna is also known for the full-moon (acid house) parties that are held here for young tourists. Famous all over the world, they are a major source of tourist attraction around the world. Campfires burn bright all through the night and the music and merriment carries on till the wee hours of the morning. Facilities for bungee jumping are also available here due to the initiative of a private tour operator.Anjuna Beach has been the haunt of the flower generation in the sixties and is now popular with the younger generations. It became popular because of its Trance Parties and the Hippies who tried to fuse the Eastern spiritual traditions with Western music, ideas and art.

Night Life
Thanks to the kill-joy attitude reputation, Anjuna is a rave-venue for big parties that take place over here from time to time, especially around the Christmas-New Year full moon period. Smaller events may also happen whenever some occasion or celebration comes up. Musical Amusement.When it eventually gets it act together, The Alcove, over looking Ozran Vagator Beach, will be another worthwhile nightspot. More mainstream musical entertainment is on offer at Temptations, in the Red Cab Inn just below Starco's crossroads, where Indian classical recitals and guitar based cover bands feature with fire dancers on Mondays, starting at 7.00 pm. At other times, nightlife centres on the Shore Bar, in the middle of the beach, which has a pounding sound system. The biggest crowds show up accompanied by the latest ambient trance mixes from London. The music gains pace as the evening wears on winding up around 11.00 pm, when there's an exodus over to the Guru Bar, further up the beach, or to the Primrose Café in Vagator, both of which stay open until after midnight.

Location and climateAnjuna is a small village in north Goa, on the shores of the Arabian Sea. It lies 18 km away from Panaji, the capital of Goa. Goa has a consistent climate throughout the year with just meager fluctuations in the temperature. December and January might require light woolens, but April and May are warm. The period from June to October brings heavy rain, almost up to 320 cm. The temperature during the summers ranges from 24°C to 32.7°C and during the winters it ranges from 21.3°C to 32.2°C.Because of its pleasant climate, Anjuna can be visited at any time of the year. However, tourists should beware the heavy rainfall between June and October. The period from November to February is the best time to visit Anjuna.

Accommodation
There are plenty of guesthouses around the village, and even a couple of hotels. Someone planning a longer stay should look out for 'To Let' signs, as there are plenty of houses that are available on rent along the back lanes.

Transportation
The nearest airport is at Dabolim, which is 29 km away from Panaji and 47 km from Anjuna. The nearest railway station is at Karmali 11 km away from Panaji and 29 km from Anjuna. There are buses every hour to Anjuna from Mapusa (8 km). For tourists arriving from Mumbai, Mapusa is the jumping-off point for the northern beaches. There are frequent local buses to Panaji, which is just 18 km away. One can also hire a motorcycle or a taxi from Mapusa to reach Anjuna.

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Goa Carnival

Carnival in Goa was a great leveler. Early accounts-all of them hearsay-are indeed educative. The white masters masqueraded as black slaves and the latter-generally slaves brought in from Mozambique-plastered their faces with flour and wore high battens, or walked on stilts. For those three ephemeral days, they were happy to be larger than life. And while the whites and the blacks mimicked each other the brown locals watched this reversal of roles in awe from the sidelines.

In course of time, when the imperial regime mellowed and inhibitions dwindled, Carnival, no more an excuse to be what one was not—and often hoped to be—became a time for bonhomie. The old crude mimicry blossomed into social satire. In the villages, the playwrights pieced together in Khel (Konkani for play) anecdotes, events and criticism. The Portuguese Governor General, his family and retinue used the occasion for a show of diplomacy. They showered the crowds with poudre de riz and confetti, and were happy to be showered back. At the Carnival balls, the governor-general danced with whom he pleased-provided, of course the lady agreed to the request. And anyone was free to ask the governor-general’s wife for a dance. And if the tangoit was the tango they danced cheek-to-cheek, hip-to-hip.

Once, Carnival was a mood. It had no spectators and it was strictly for participants. From dawn to dusk and back to dawn again, they sang and danced, changed costumes and partners and serenaded their namorados, girlfriends, escorted by their guardians, the debutantes giggled and grouped their first masqued ball. Those who feel in love during Carnival married after Easter.
Street Plays, songs, dances, and unrehearsed farces mocking the establishment are performed before an enthusiastic, responsive audience. Floats depicting popular lullabies and nursery rhymes make a whimsical and colorful sight on the streets. In the three days of celebrations, cultural functions and competitions abound, and are judged by specially selected people. King Momo distributes the prizes to the winners.

The contestants wear colorful costumes and elaborate masks. Amidst the outrageous dresses seen on the street are some made of sheer, transparent polythene. In the fun-filled ambience, people smear color on each other, instead of the flour, eggs, fruit and water that used to be used in earlier times.

The 'Carnival’ is exclusive and unique to Goa, and was introduced by the Portuguese who ruled over Goa for over five hundred years.lthough, Christians primarily celebrate the three-day festival, it has also absorbed Hindu tradition revelry, western dance forms, and turned into a pageantry of sorts. Though it started as a celebration enjoyed only by the local population, it has today crossed the state frontiers and attracts thousands of people from all over the country.

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