Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Goa Highlights
Wander the Portuguese quarters of
Panaji
(Panjim;
Click here
) and linger over lunch at one of its traditional
Goan restaurants
Indulge in barefoot luxury on long white-sand beaches, like
Agonda
(
Click here
)
, in the state's sleepy southern
stretches
Open up your chakras while doing
yoga
(
Click here
) to the rhythm of ocean waves and swaying palms at
Mandrem (
Click here
) and Arambol (
Click here
)
Dream of times gone by in the mansions of
Quepem
(
Click here
) and
Chandor
(
Click here
)
Bask in the glory of grand cathedrals and observe the countryside from a hilltop chapel in
Old Goa
(
Click here
)
Bargain hard at
Anjuna's flea market
(
Click here
) then watch the sunset over a Kingfisher at a beachside bar
Worship the sun away from the northern crowds on the beautiful beach at
Mandrem
(
Click here
)
Kayak out to layful dolphins at sunset at
Palolem Beach
(
Click here
)
Spend a day learning about the spices that first made Goa famous at a
spice plantation
(
Click here
) near Ponda
History
Goa went through a dizzying array of rulers from Ashoka's Mauryan empire in the 3rd cen-
tury BC to the long-ruling Kadambas, who in AD 1054 moved their capital from present-
day Chandor to a new settlement called Govepuri, today's little village of Goa Velha. The
centuries following saw much conflict, with the Muslim Delhi sultanate and then Bahmani
sultanate fighting the Hindu Vijayanagar empire for control; these were violent times, and
in addition to many deaths, Hindu temples were also razed. (Tiny Tambdi Surla temple,
constructed during the Kadamba reign, was the only one to survive.) The Adil Shahs of Bi-
japur, formerly part of the Bahmani sultanate, created the capital we now call Old Goa in
the 15th century.
The Portuguese arrived in 1510, seeking control of the region's lucrative spice routes by
way of Goa's wide natural harbours and plentiful waterways. They defeated the Bijapur
kings and steadily pushed their power from their grand capital at Old Goa out into the
provinces. (The Goa State Museum in Panaji has lots of interesting artefacts from this peri-
od.) Soon after, Portuguese rule and religion spread throughout the state - sometimes by
force - and the Goan Inquisition brought repression and brutality in the name of Christian-
ity. The Portuguese resisted India's 1947 Independence from Britain and it was not until
1961, when the Indian army marched into Goa, that almost five centuries of Portuguese oc-
cupation finally came to an end on the subcontinent.
