The state of Goa, in India, is famous for its beaches and places of worship. Tourism is its primary industry, and is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa, with decreased tourist activity inland.
Foreign tourists, mostly from Europe, arrive in Goa in winter, whilst the summer and monsoon seasons see many Indian tourists. Goa handled 2.29% of all foreign tourist arrivals in the country in 2011. [1] [2] This relatively small state is situated on the west coast of India, between the borders of Maharashtra and Karnataka, and is better known to the world as a former Portuguese enclave on Indian soil. Thus, Tourism forms the backbone of Goa's economy. [3]
Major tourist attractions include Bom Jesus Basilica, Fort Aguada, a wax museum on Indian culture, and a heritage museum. The Churches and Convents of Goa have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
As of 2013, Goa was the destination of choice for Indian and foreign tourists, particularly Britons, with limited means who wanted to party. The state was hopeful that changes could be made which would attract a more upscale demographic. [4]
On 24 November 2017, Delta Corp Limited claimed to have set up the first casino game training course centre in India at Goa.
Goa also draws tourists from all over India for its bungee activity, [5] water sports [6] and underwater scuba diving experience. [7]
Goa's beaches cover about 125 kilometres (78 mi) of its coastline. These beaches are divided into North and South Goa.
The government of Goa conducted trials of a seaplane on the Mandovi river on 23 May 2015. The test plane took off from Dabolim airport and successfully landed in the Mandovi river. The seaplane service had started post-monsoon since 2015. [8]
Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary harbour Goa's rich bio-diversity. Foxes, wild boars and migratory birds are also found in the forests of Goa. The avifauna includes kingfishers, mynas and parrots. The famous Dudhsagar Falls, India's fifth tallest at 310 metres, is located inside Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary at the Goa – Karnataka border.
The renowned Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is located on the island of Chorao. The endangered olive ridley sea turtle can be found on Morjim Beach in Pernem, Northern Goa and Galgibaga Beach in Canacona, Southern Goa. The turtles are listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Act. Morjim Beach is also hosting to a number of migratory birds from late September to early April. The area surrounding the shore at Tembwada in Morjim also abounds in various species of birds. A number of international bird watching tours are organised in the area.
There are several museums located in Goa:
Another major tourist attraction in Goa is its heritage homes. [24] A legacy of the Portuguese colonial regime of more than 450 years, some of these palatial homes are now converted into hotels while many are still inhabited by the people. The popular heritage homes in Goa are:
The landscape of Goa is dotted with several forts.
SL. No. | Description | Location | Address | District | Coordinates | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N-GA-1 | Basilica of Bom Jesus | Old Goa | Old Goa | [[:commons:Category:Basilica of Bom Jesus (Goa)|More images]] | ||
N-GA-2 | Se Cathedral | Old Goa | Old Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-3 | St. Cajetan Church | Old Goa | Old Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-4 | Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assisi | Old Goa | Old Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-5 | Chapel of St. Catherine | Old Goa | Old Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-6 | Church of Our Lady of the Rosary | Old Goa | Old Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-7 | Portal remains of St.Paul’s College | Old Goa | Old Goa | |||
N-GA-8 | Arch of Viceroy | Old Goa | Old Goa | |||
N-GA-9 | Arch of Adil Shah’s Palace | Old Goa | Old Goa | |||
N-GA-10 | Church of St. Augustine, Goa | Old Goa | Old Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-11 | Aguada Fort (Upper) | Candolim | Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-12 | Safa Mosque, Goa | Ponda | Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-13 | Rock cut caves | Arvalem | Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-14 | Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla | Tamdisurla | Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-15 | Mahadev Temple | Kurdi | Goa | |||
N-GA-16 | Excavated site | Chandore | Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-17 | Fortification Wall of Aguada Fort (Lower) | Candolim | Goa | |||
N-GA-18 | Chapel of St. Francis Xavier and connected buildings | Old Goa | Old Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-19 | House of Bull | Old Goa | Old Goa | More images | ||
N-GA-20 | Largo of St. Francis Xavier | Old Goa | Old Goa | |||
N-GA-21 | Largo of St. Cajetan together with other monuments | Old Goa | Old Goa |
SL. No. | Description | Location | Address | District | Coordinates | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
S-GA-1 | Site where the ancient image of Buddha was discovered at Colvale | Bardez | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-2 | Fortress of Colvale | Bardez | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-3 | Reis Magos Fort | Bardez | More images | |||
S-GA-4 | Church of Reis Magos | Bardez | ||||
S-GA-5 | Chapora Fort | Bardez | ||||
S-GA-6 | Corjuem Fort | Bardez | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-7 | Cabo de Rama Fort | Canacona | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-8 | Caves at Naroa | Bicholim | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-9 | Temples of Saptakoteshwar | Bicholim | More images | |||
S-GA-10 | Site of Gujir | Bicholim | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-11 | Fort of Sanquelim | Bicholim | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-12 | Namazgah | Bicholim | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-13 | The Cave of Sidhanath at Tar Surla | Bicholim | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-14 | The Mosque and Tank at Tar Surla | Bicholim | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-15 | Mormugão fort | Mormugao | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-16 | The Site of Kaivailya Math at Consua | Marmagoa | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-17 | Frontispices of Sancoale | Mormugao | ||||
S-GA-18 | Shri Saptakoteshwar | Ponda | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-19 | Shri Mahadev Temple | Ponda | ||||
S-GA-20 | Ruins of Jain Basti | Ponda | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-21 | Fort of Alorna | Pernem | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-22 | Fort Tiracol | Pernem | ||||
S-GA-23 | Caves at Khandepar | Ponda | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-24 | Cave at Ishwarbhat | Ponda | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-25 | Cave at Mangeshi | Ponda | More images | |||
S-GA-26 | Shri Nagesh Temple | Ponda | More images | |||
S-GA-27 | Shri Kamakshi Temple | Ponda | More images | |||
S-GA-28 | Shri Chandranath Paroda | Quepem | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-29 | Site of Rock Carvings of Kazur | Quepem | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-30 | Site of Ruins of Mangueshi Temple | Salcete | ||||
S-GA-31 | Site of Ruins of Shanta Durga Temple | Salcete | More images | |||
S-GA-32 | Site – Ruins of Ramnath Temple | Salcete | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-33 | Ruins including Tank of the Temple of Mahalsa | Salcete | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-34 | Gate of Rachol Fortress | Salcete | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-35 | Caves of Aquem | Salcete | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-36 | Caves at Rivona | Sanguem | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-37 | Site of Rock Carving at Pansaimal | Sanguem | ||||
S-GA-38 | The Cave at Shigoa | Sanguem | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-39 | The site of Narayandev at Vichundre | Sanguem | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-40 | Ruins of Brahmapuri | Tiswadi | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-41 | Chapel of St. Xavier | Tiswadi | ||||
S-GA-42 | Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount | Tiswadi | ||||
S-GA-43 | Convent of St. Monica and Chapel | Tiswadi | ||||
S-GA-44 | Ruins of College of St. Paulo | Tiswadi | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-45 | Church of St. Peter | Tiswadi | ||||
S-GA-46 | Casa da Polvora | Tiswadi | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-47 | Fort Naroa | Tiswadi | ||||
S-GA-48 | Site of the Temple of Saptakoteshwar | Tiswadi | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-49 | Chapel of St. Jeronimus | Tiswadi | Upload Photo | |||
S-GA-50 | British Cemetery at Dona Paula | Tiswadi | ||||
S-GA-51 | The Site of Fortress at St Estevam | Tiswadi |
The administration of tourism in Goa lies with Minister for Tourism, Manohar Ajgaonkar, and Secretary and Director for Tourism, Menino D'Souza. Other stakeholders in Goa tourism are the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (A Government of Goa undertaking) and the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG). Prachi Desai has been appointed as the face of Goa's Tourism.
The Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (GTDC) carries out tourism commercial activities like conducting sight seeing tours and river cruises. It also manages 12 hotels with a total of 525 rooms. [28] Also, tourist can opt-in from tourism site in India. They are recognised by tourism minister of India, the government of India to boost Indian tourism sector by providing a world-class tour to tourist.
Ponda (Portuguese: Pondá, is a city and a municipal council in the South Goa district of Goa, India. Located in the central area of Goa, Ponda lies 28 km southeast of Panaji, the capital of Goa and 17 km northeast of Margao, the district headquarters. Ponda is also known as "Antruz Mahal" because of the presence of numerous famous temples and rich cultural heritage.
Canacona is an administrative region in the district of South Goa, Goa state, India.
Salcete is a subdivision of the district of South Goa, in the state of Goa, situated by the west coast of India. The Sal River and its backwaters dominate the landscape of Salcete. Historically, the sixty-six settlements south of the Zuari River formed the original Salcette territory. Salcete forms a part of the bigger Konkan region that stretches along the western shoreline of peninsular India.
North Goa district is one of the two districts that constitutes the state of Goa, India. The district has an area of 1,736 square kilometres, and is bounded by Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra state to the north and by Belgavi district of Karnataka to the east, by South Goa district to the south, and by the Arabian Sea to the west.
Goa is a state of India. Goans are commonly said to be born with music and football in their blood because both are deeply entrenched in Goan culture.
Pernem is a northmost administrative region or sub-district in North Goa. It acts as the Gateway of Goa from Maharashtra side. It is also the name of the town of Pernem, which is its headquarters. It has a Municipal Council. Geographically, Pernem is surrounded by Sawantwadi sub-district on East, Arabian Sea on West, Bardez and Bicholim sub-district on south and Sawantwadi sub-district on north. The two rivers which decide the boundary of this sub-district are Terekhol River and Chapora River. Terekhol river acts as a border of Maharashtra and Goa while Chapora river acts as a border of Pernem sub-district and Bardez sub-district.
This is a timeline of Goan history. It overlaps with the histories of other regions in South Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and colonial powers that influenced the region, including Portugal.
Loutolim or LoutulimLottli pronounced:, Portuguese: Loutulim) is a large village of South Goa district in the state of Goa, India. It is an important settlement in the Salcete sub-district.
Chapora Fort, located in Bardez, Goa, rises high above the Chapora River. The site is the location of a fort built by Adil Shahi dynasty ruler Adil Shah and called Shahpoora, whose name was altered to Shapora (chapora) by Malvankar on the request of the Portuguese. It is now become a popular tourist spot and offers a view north across the Chapora river to Morjim
Chandor is a village in Salcete sub-district of South Goa, in the Indian state of Goa. It lies on the southern bank of the Zuari River and western bank of the Kushavati River.
Raia is a quaint village in the Salcete taluka of South Goa district, Goa state, India. It is located 4 km (2.5 mi) east from the district headquarters of Margao and 35 km (22 mi) from the state capital Panjim.
Tristão de Bragança Cunha, alternatively spelled as Tristao de Braganza Cunha, popularly known as T B Cunha was a prominent Indian nationalist and anti-colonial activist from Goa. He is popularly known as the "Father of Goan nationalism", and was the organiser of the first movement to end Portuguese rule in Goa.
The Goa liberation movement was a movement which fought to end Portuguese colonial rule in Goa, Portuguese India. The movement built on the small scale revolts and uprisings of the 19th century, and grew powerful during the period 1940–1961. The movement was conducted both inside and outside Goa, and was characterised by a range of tactics including nonviolent demonstrations, revolutionary methods and diplomatic efforts. However, Portuguese control of its Indian colonies ended only when India invaded and annexed Goa in 1961, causing a mixture of worldwide acclaim and condemnation, and incorporated the territories into the Indian Union.
Luís de Menezes Bragança, alternatively spelled as Luís de Menezes Braganza, was a prominent Goan journalist, writer, politician and anti-colonial activist. He was one of the few Goan aristocrats who actively opposed the Portuguese colonisation of Goa. During his lifetime, Menezes Bragança was widely hailed around the Lusosphere as "O Maior de todos" and in the Indian mainland as "The Tilak of Goa".
José Matanhy de Saldanha was an Indian social activist, journalist, former Member of the Goa Legislative Assembly and school teacher, who campaigned for Goan identity, values, and culture. He also served as a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Goa with portfolios of Tourism as well as Science and Environment.
Goa is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the east and south, with the Arabian Sea in the west. It is India's smallest state by area and fourth-smallest by population. Goa has the highest GDP per capita among all Indian states, two and a half times as high as the GDP per capita of the country as a whole. The Eleventh Finance Commission of India named Goa the best-placed state because of its infrastructure, and India's National Commission on Population rated it as having the best quality of life in India. It is the second-highest ranking among Indian states in the human development index.
Following the final collapse of the Mughal Empire in 1857 and the proclamation of the British Indian Empire, the British continued to maintain and recognise many of the old Mughal and Hindu styles and titles, introducing a compound honours system which awarded those titles along with British noble and aristocratic titles and knighthoods. Uniquely amongst the countries under British dominion, India was the sole country where British hereditary titles were conferred upon British subjects not of European ancestry. All British titles and honours became obsolete after the formation of the modern Republic of India in 1950, though they continue to be recognised by the British government. The Portuguese gave titles and created coats of arms for its Goan citizens from the early 1700s, both Hindu and Indian Christian. These titles however lost their recognition after the Portuguese Revolution and start of the First Portuguese Republic in 1910.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Goa:
Carnival in Goa, also called "Carnaval", "Intruz", "Entrado", or (colloquially) "Viva Carnival" refers to the festival of carnival, or Mardi Gras, in the Indian state of Goa. Though significantly smaller than the well-known Rio Carnival or the Portuguese Carnival of Madeira, the Goa Carnival is the largest in India and one of the few traditional celebrations of the Western Christian holiday in Asia. The current version of the Goa Carnival was modelled after the Rio Carnival by a local musician named Timoteo Fernandes and imposed in 1965 to attract tourists. It has since turned into a major tourist attraction for the small state.
Big Foot Museum is a museum and a theme park based in the South Goa, India, village of Loutolim in the sub-district of Salcete. It is a museum dedicated to rural Goan life. It was founded and is run by the artist Maendra Alvares. Loutolim is close to Margao.
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