Goa

Goa, a state on India’s west coast, is a former Portuguese colony with a fascinating history. Goa is a tiny state in India, covering 3,700 square kilometers and home to around 1.4 million people. It receives an estimated 2.5 million visitors every year because to its unique blend of Indian and Portuguese cultures and architecture (including about 400,000 foreign tourists).

Since the 1960s, Goa has attracted a steady stream of visitors: first, hippies and returning expatriate Goans, then charter tourists (beginning with the Germans in 1987), pilgrims visiting Catholic and Hindu shrines, those deciding to make Goa their permanent home, people seeking medical treatment, and an increasing number attending seminars and conferences in Goa.

reas of Goa, with less tourist activity inland More than two million visitors were believed to have visited Goa in 2010, with over 1.2 million of them coming from outside the country. As of 2013, Goa was the preferred location for Indian and international visitors, notably Britons and Russians on a budget who wanted to party. The state hoped that by making modifications, it would be able to attract a more affluent populace. In a National Geographic book, Goa is ranked sixth among the top ten nightlife cities in the world. Water sports are a popular tourist attraction in Goa. Jetskiing, parasailing, banana boat rides, water scooter rides, and other activities are available at beaches such as Baga and Calangute.

Over 450 years of Portuguese rule and the impact of Portuguese culture create a unique setting for tourists to Goa that is unlike anything else in India. Goa is well-known for its beautiful beaches, churches, and temples. Other tourist attractions include the Bom Jesus Cathedral, Fort Aguada, and a new wax museum in Old Goa dedicated to Indian history, culture, and tradition.

HISTORIC SITES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS

The Bom Jesus Basilica and the churches and convents of Old Goa are both World Heritage Sites in Goa. The Basilica houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, who is revered as the patron saint of Goa by many Catholics (the patron of the Archdiocese of Goa is actually Saint Joseph Vaz). The relics are removed for veneration and public sight according to the prerogative of the Church in Goa, not every ten or twelve years as is often believed and perpetuated. The most recent exhibition was held in 2014.

In Sancoale, Goa, there is also the Sanctuary of Saint Joseph Vaz. Pilar monastery, which holds Venerable Padre Agnelo Gustavo de Souza novenas from 10 November to 20 November each year. There is also a stated Marian Apparition in the Church of Saints Simon and Jude in Batim Ganxim, near Pilar, which is visited by many Goans and non-resident Goans. The Santa Monica Convent in Velha Goa also has a figure of the bleeding Jesus on the Crucifix. Apart from Kopelam/ Irmidi, there are a number of churches (Igorzo), such as the Baroque styled Nixkollounk Gorb-Sombhov Saibinnich Igorz (Church of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception) in Panjim and the Gothic styled Mater Dei (Dêv Matechi Igorz/ Mother of God) church in Saligao (Chapels). The Velhas Conquistas areas are also noted for their architecture in the Goa-Portuguese style. Tiracol, Chapora, Corjuem, Aguada, Reis Magos, Nanus, Mormugao, Fort Gaspar Dias, and Cabo de Rama are just a few of the forts in Goa.

Mansions built in the Indo-Portuguese style architecture still survive in various sections of Goa, albeit in certain communities, the majority of them are deteriorated.

Fontainhas in Panaji has been designated as a cultural quarter, displaying Goan life, architecture, and culture. Several elements from the Portuguese period may be seen in some of Goa’s temples, most notably the Shanta Durga Temple, the Mangueshi Temple, and the Mahalasa Temple, however many of them were destroyed and rebuilt in indigenous Indian design after 1961.

MUSEUMS AND SCIENCE CENTRE

Goa also boasts a few museums, the most notable of which being the Goa State Museum and the Naval Aviation Museum. The aircraft museum is one of three of its sort in India, with the others being in Delhi and Bengaluru. A lesser-known tourist attraction is the Goa Science Centre, which is situated in Miramar, Panjim. Dona Paula is also home to the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO).

The climate of Goa is tropical monsoon. Goa has a hot and humid climate for the most of the year due to its location in the tropical zone and proximity to the Arabian Sea. May is the warmest month, with daytime temperatures exceeding 35 °C (95 °F) and heavy humidity. By early June, the monsoon rains had arrived, providing much-needed relief from the heat. The monsoons, which persist until late September, provide the majority of Goa’s yearly rainfall.

Goa has a brief winter season that lasts from mid-December to February. These months are distinguished by nights of roughly 21 °C (70 °F) and days of around 28 °C (82 °F), both with moderate humidity. The evenings are a few degrees colder farther inland owing to altitudinal gradation.

Goa has a total land area of 3,702 km2 (1,429 sq mi). It is located between the latitudes 14°53′54′′ N and 15°40′00′′ N, as well as the longitudes 73°40′33′′ E and 74°20′13′′ E. The majority of Goa is part of the Konkan coastal country, which is an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains that separates it from the Deccan Plateau. The Sonsogor, with an elevation of 1,167 meters, is the highest peak (3,829 ft). Goa has a 101-kilometer coastline (63 mi).

The major rivers of Goa include the Mandovi, Zuari, Terekhol, Chapora kushavati, and Sal. The Mormugao port at the mouth of the Zuari River is one of South Asia’s outstanding natural harbours. The Zuari and Mandovi rivers constitute Goa’s lifelines, with their tributaries draining 69 percent of the state’s land area. These rivers are among the busiest in India. Goa features around forty estuarine, eight marine, and over ninety riverine islands. Goa’s rivers have a total navigable length of 253 kilometers (157 mi). Goa contains about 300 old water tanks erected during the reign of the Kadamba dynasty, as well as over a hundred therapeutic springs.

The majority of Goa’s soil cover is made up of laterites that are reddish in color and rich in ferric-aluminium oxides. The soil is generally alluvial and loamy farther inland and along the riverbanks. The soil is rich in minerals and humus, making it suitable for agriculture. Some of the oldest rocks in India may be discovered in Goa between Molem and Anmod, near the state’s border with Karnataka. The rocks are Trondjemeitic Gneiss, with an estimated age of 3,600 million years based on rubidium isotope dating. A specimen of the granite is on display at Goa University.

At current pricing, Goa’s state domestic product for 2007 is anticipated to be $3 billion. Goa is one of India’s wealthiest states, with the greatest GDP per capita — two and a half times the national average — and one of the country’s quickest growth rates: 8.23 percent (yearly average 1990–2000). Tourism is Goa’s main sector, accounting for 13% of all international visitor visits in India. There are two primary tourism seasons in Goa: winter and summer. Visitors from all over the world visit in the winter (mostly from Europe), while tourists from all over India visit in the summer (which is the rainy season in Goa).

Away from the shore, the country is rich in minerals and ores, and mining is the second major industry. Mines produce iron, bauxite, manganese, clays, limestone, and silica. Last year, the Marmagao port handled 31.69 million tonnes of cargo, accounting for 39% of India’s total iron ore exports. The main miners are Sesa Goa (now controlled by Vedanta Resources) and Dempo. Mining has depleted the forest cover while also providing a health risk to the surrounding inhabitants. Corporations are also illegally mining in some regions.

Agriculture, despite declining in significance to the economy during the last four decades, employs a sizable fraction of the population on a part-time basis. Rice is the most important crop, followed by areca, cashew, and coconut. Fishing employs around 40,000 people, yet recent government estimates show a loss in the sector’s significance as well as a drop in catch, perhaps owing to traditional fishing giving place to large-scale mechanised trawling.

Pesticides, fertilizers, tyres, tubes, footwear, chemicals, medicines, wheat products, steel rolling, fruits and fish canning, cashew nuts, textiles, and brewery goods are examples of medium-scale enterprises.

There are currently 16 proposed SEZs in Goa. After heavy resistance from political parties and the Goa Catholic Church, the Goa administration has decided not to approve any new special economic zones (SEZs) in the state.

Because of its cheap excise tax on alcohol, Goa is also known for its inexpensive beer, wine, and spirits pricing. Remittances from many of the state’s nationals who work overseas to their families are another source of income influx into the state.

PHONES

The country code is +91 (India), while the state code for Goa is 832, or 0832 if the country code is not prefixed.

Goa’s telephone directory has not been published in at least four years at the time of writing. This is a significant disadvantage in a state with one of the greatest teledensities (phones per hundred users) in India. Old telephone directories classified phone customers based on the number of tiny phone exchanges in the state. (Previously, calling from one exchange to the other required a trunk-call, but this is no longer the case.) As a result, locating a certain phone number might be quite difficult. However, if you have a phone number for the BSNL Co., dialing 197 will provide you the address.

Add to that the fact that the telephone network in Goa is constantly expanding, and that phone numbers have increased from four to seven digits in a matter of years, and obtaining the proper number might be difficult.

The largest telecom ISP in Goa, BSNL, maintains a reasonably usable internet telephone directory.

The Goa Government’s Department of Information and Publicity (located at Udyog Bhavan, near Azad Maidan and the Goa Police Headquarters in Panjim) publishes a reasonably priced – but not publicly accessible – pocketbook of phone numbers on a regular basis. This is mostly directed against politicians, government officials, and members of the media. Here are some helpful fax numbers, email addresses, and websites. However, don’t expect authorities to respond to your e-mail!

There are also yellow pages. Hello 2412121 (0832-2412121), The Talking Yellowpages Of Goa, and Online Enquiry Hello Yellowpages Goa may be contacted for information about local companies. Both of these Hello Group Goa services provide information about a variety of companies in Goa.

In Goa, mobile services have expanded rapidly.

It is rather simple to get a Prepaid cellphone SIM card. It will cost roughly $100; just take a copy of your passport (visa page, entrance stamp, and picture page) and two passport photographs to a phone store and you will be on your way. If you are traveling across India, it is important to consider cost and coverage since if you leave Goa and go to another state, you will be charged roaming fees for all calls. It is, however, still inexpensive. A single SMS to the UK from Goa costs ten rupees, while calls cost roughly twelve rupees per minute.

INTERNET

Internet cafés may be found throughout Goa’s cities, tourist attractions, and hotels. In a state recognized for its huge expat and tourist population, it is not difficult to locate an internet center. Before being able to access the internet, ID must be provided, and foreigners must produce their passport.