Variously known as "Pearl of
the Orient" and a "Tourist Paradise", the state of Goa is
located on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan.The
magnificent scenic beauty and the architectural splendours of its temples,
churches and old houses have made Goa a firm favourite with travellers around
the world.
But then, Goa is much more than
just beaches and sea. It has a soul which goes deep into unique history, rich
culture and some of the prettiest natural scenery that India has to offer.Much
of the real Goa is in its interiors, both inside its buildings and in the
hinterland away from the coastal area.
Beaches
Sun,
Sand, Surf and the Sea
105 kms of Konkan coast
stretches across the state of Goa providing a wide range of choice in beaches
to suit everybody's needs. There are unspoilt pristine streches of sand for
the solitude seeker and there are those ones jammed with people in every
square feet of sand.
There are beaches far from human habitation with very basic or sometimes no facility for accommodation. Then there are some with ultra modern comforts like internet cafes, massage centers, gyms, swimming pools, night clubs, etc. With such an enormous choice, one might feel confused about which one to take.
But on the
contrary, it's quite easy to plan an itinerary for getting suntan allover the
body. Taking the capital Panaji and the next major city Margao as base
points, all the beaches can be visited in a stretch. North from Panaji lies
the most famous beach of Calangute.
From here onwards to the northern tip of the state, swaying palms and shimmering sands stretch giving an enchanting sight. The further north, the emptier the beaches become. The same can be said about the silvery sands, which stretch down southwards from Margao. Right from Colva, the famous silvery white sand beach, there is an uninterrupted continuity in beaches. The more you move south the lonelier the beaches are.
Religious Places in Goa
North Goa Circuit: This stretch begins from the headland of Fort Aguada just outside Panaji city and moves up north towards the border to Maharashtra. Right from the Fort Aguada Beach Resort, an interrupted stretch of sand lies awaiting tourists, sunbathers and party animals. Sinquerim, Candolim, Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Morjim and Arambol are the beaches that can be covered in the North Goa Circuit. |
Churches
One
of Goa's important institutions, Goa's famous and magnificent churches are
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 for finding the sea route to India was to "seek Christians and spices". Christianity was forced upon with religious fervor by the Portuguese during the period of the "Inquisition" with wide scale destruction of temples and this continued till the official end of the "Inquisition" in Goa in 1812. Most of Goa's churches were built on the very site of former temples. The confiscated lands of the temples were handed over to the church and the communidades. In fact, the first Hindu temple allowed to be constructed by the Portuguese in 300 years was in 1818 at Panaji. With a significant population of Goans being Christians for many generations today, the Church is an important factor in Goa's social , cultural and religious life. For example, the contribution of the Church to education in Goa is immense. Today the churches are all part of the Archdiocese of Goa and function with its help, many are also protected sites. The architecture of Goa's churches has undergone notable changes with the passage of time and the fashion of the era that they were built in. The Early period - From 1510 - 1550 AD The oldest surviving Church in Goa today is the Church of Our Lady of Rosary on Monte Santo, Old Goa. Built on the site of Alfonso de Albuquerque's hill of Victory soon after he conquered Goa in 1510. The style of Churches during this time period is termed as "Manueline" after King Emmanuel of Portugal. This style is an amalgamation of Gothic and Renaissance and is a style peculiar to Portugal of that time. The decorative motifs of this style centered on Portuguese dominance of seamanship and included cables and anchors with seashells etc. This type of construction was largely not suited for Goa's weather and a number of these Churches were subsequently rebuilt or remodeled and only one or two survives to this day. This was the period that saw wide spread destruction of Hindu temples with new Churches constructed on their sites. Some notable churches of this era include the Church at the Cabo near Panaji and the Church on the Island of Divar off the coast of Old Goa. Most others are in ruins, especially in Old Goa. |
Mosques
Safa
Masjid
One of the only two
sixteenth-century Islamic monuments which managed to survive the excesses of
the Inquisition, the Safa Masjid lies 2 km west of the centre of the town of
Ponda, in a district known as Shahpur. The elegant structure was built in
1560 by Ibrahim Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur.
The mosque was the focus of attention in a fairly extensive complex of gardens and fountains which lies in ruins today. The rectangular prayer hall of the mosque rests above a high base and is capped with a pointed terracota tile roof. There are elegant Islamic arches decorating the walls. Remnants of octagonal pillars can be seen all around the mosque, perhaps these supported a covered courtyard to provide shade to worshippers. There is a is well-constructed water tank with small chambers with 'meharab' designs nearby which is located to the south of the prayer hall unlike most mosques where it is located outside the main entrance. This has led to speculation that the tank may have been part of another religious structure which once stood there. Local legend also has it that there are hidden tunnels in the walls of the tank which connect it to a nearby water reservoir. This mosque is a venue of celebration during festivals of Id-Ul-Fitr and Id-Ul-Zuha, by the local Muslim community. There are rickshaws available at the main Ponda bus stand which can take you to the site of the Safa Masjid.
Namazgah
This mosque is located in the Ponda area through the attractive countryside a further 2 or 3 km from the Safa Masjid. This is one of the areas of great natural wealth laden ore-barges, seen chugging down river on their way to Vasco, are filled with ore from here. Viewed from the height from Bicholim is spread out below and in the distance are the sivalik mountains with the mines to the left, and behind. A short distance to the right there is a small structure set on the crest of a bleak hillside. This is Namazgah mosque, an interesting diversion to see a tiny remnant of Muslim history this mosque was built by Prince Akbar, to commemorate a battle which he and the Marathas, led by Sambhaji, fought against the Portuguese in 1683. It was an unlikely alliance which came about after Prince Akbar had rebelled against is father the Emperor. High above Bicholim on this bare hillside with extensive views to the east, the mosque is of most unusual design and interesting layout. |
Temples
Temples
in Goa
The temples of Goa are in essence like most Hindu temples in India, based around a deity which is worshipped. The architecture of Goan temples is a little different mostly because of historical reasons. The basic Hindu temple architecture
The fundamental design
of any Hindu temple is organized around the central shrine or the
"Garbagriha" or the "sanctum sanctorum" that houses the
main deity. A tower or "Shikara" arises from the main shrine and is
traditionally pyramidal shaped. There are usually two or more smaller shrines
housing other deities known as "Parivar Devatas" around the
entrance to the Garbagriha.
There is always a surrounding free area or a passage around the Garbagriha that is kept free for a an essential Puja ritual known as "Pradakshina" performed by almost every devotee. This is the ritualistic left sided circum-ambulation around the shrine usually an odd number of times. The "Garbagriha" is accessed via a large hall with pillars and walls either carved with religious motifs or scenes from the mythology pertaining to the deity. This hall is usually known as the "Mandapa". The "Mandapa" opens to the outer courtyard or "Prakara" where usually a statue of a mythical animal or Vehicle of the deity is placed. There may also be a sacred plant the "Tulsi" or one of the sacred trees usually either a Pepul or a Banyan tree with some small artifacts or statues of more deities at its base. The courtyard also might open into a large water tank or the side of a river or stream or "Tirthastan". This is where devotees take their ritualistic cleansing bath before entering the temple on festival or auspicious days. The courtyard sometimes also is common to the residence of the head priest and also other halls where devotees stay commonly known as "Dharmasalas" and sometimes perform ceremonies like marriages and thread ceremonies. The Goan Hindu Temple architecture
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" or the
"Deepa Stambha" rising anywhere from two to six storied high. This
is said to be a Maratha influence.
On festival days the "Deepmal" or the "Deepa Stambha" or the Lamp tower is decorated with hundreds of oil lamps and the effect is spectacular. Another distinctive feature of a traditional Goan temple is the the Dome that covers the main shrine instead of the traditional Shikara . This is said to have been a muslim or Mughal architectural influence. See an example below. Another muslim or Mughal influence is said to be the "Naubat Khana" or the small tower over the entrance to the courtyard where the temple drummer sits and beats the drum to the music of religious hymns especially on auspicious days. The curvilinear roofs of the Mandapa is said to be of Christian / Portuguese architectural influence. See some examples below. The oldest temple in Goa is said to be the rock cut caves at Aravalem known as "Pandava Caves" dedicated to Lord Shiva and dating back to the 1st century AD. A classical example of the other oldest pre-Portuguese era temple is the Temple of Shiva at Tambdi Surla dating back to the Kadamba period circa 13-14th century AD. It is the only temple of its period in existence because all of the rest were destroyed by the subsequent Muslim and Portuguese onslaught. Temples in Goa under Portuguese rule Goan temples today are more modern as compared to most of India's ancient temples, mostly because these are second homes to most deities that were re-established outside of Portuguese controlled areas during the early days of Portuguese invasion and the dreaded Inquisition. The edict of 1540 gave the Portuguese Viceroy the authority to destroy all Hindu temples and shrines within the area of Portuguese control, "not leaving a single one on any of the islands" He was also ordered to confiscate temple estates for the maintenance of churches that were ordered to be built on their sites. This was meticulously carried out by many loyalists including the famous "Temple destroyer" Diogo Rodriguez, buried at Rachol. In the areas under the Old Conquests, all traces of any temples have vanished without a trace. They even forbade Hindus to cross the border to worship at shrines and temples outside of their areas. |
Waterfalls
& Lakes
|
Forts
Sentinels
of the Past
Compared to Indian standards,
Goan forts are very small in size. Nonetheless, these are historic specimen
of immense military, political and economic importance in a land crisscrossed
by rivers and canals and bordered by sea on the west. The old monuments, now
in ruins are mute testimony to the joys and sorrows, and colourful and dark
events of a bygone era.
Some are awesome in sheer size like the Ruins of the St. Augustine's Tower, while others are marvellous pieces of architecture, such as the Gate of the Adil Shah's Palace at Old Goa. There are quite a few old Portuguese forts dotted around Goa, most of them on the coast. Most of them are in reasonable state of preservation and are worth a visit if you have the time. Goa has several imposing forts, though most of them lie in ruins today. One marvels at the massive effort which was involved when the huge laterite stones were lifted to the top of inaccessible hills, to erect the forts. Sans cement, steel or mortar, the giant walls have stood the vagaries of nature for centuries, and would have gone on to last for several centuries more were they to be looked after properly. The Portuguese found the need to raise the fortresses at several strategic points facing the river mouths to defend their new acquisitions in the East. Of course, they also acquired forts built by the neighbouring chieftains, when the latter's lands were annexed by the Conquistadores. However, once the defence priorities receded, the forts too were abandoned by the Portuguese. |
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