Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Link GOA: ROME OF THE EAST


A paradise on earth 'Goa' with the world's loveliest Golden sandy long stretch of beaches and warm Arabian Sea.

Variously known as "Rome of the East", "Tourist Paradise" and "Pearl of the Orient", 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.


With the Sahyadri Ghats hovering protectively to its East, the Arabian Sea lapping on at its long western coastline and its rivers criss-crossing midlands at country side, Goa is indeed a land of many flavours and fragrances.

Area - 3702 sq. kms. Population - 14 lacs.

Main Beaches of Goa - Arambol, Mandrem, Morjim, Vagator, Anjuna, Baga, Calangute, Sinquerim are the major beaches on the Northern stretch of Goa while Majorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Benaulim, Varca, Cavelossim and Palolem are towards the Southern stretch.


Goa Beaches - video


The Eastern side of Goa is densely forested where most of the Wild Life Sanctuaries are located.


Languages
Goa is a multi-lingual state, thanks to its chequered history of thousands of years, which has seen people of various regions, ethnic races and religions from India and abroad settling in Goa and influencing the local language. Konkani is the mother tongue of the Goans, while Marathi too is widely spoken.

The Portuguese Influence
In major towns, English is widely used in writing and conversation. Goa being a major tourist place offers a tourist-friendly medium of interaction through English. On the other hand, Portuguese, the language of the colonial rulers and the official language till 1961 before liberation, not withstanding the official patronage and a compulsory medium of study, failed to make a dent in the mind of the majority of Goans. It remained only the language of the elite but alienated the masses. Thus just after the departure of the Portuguese, the Portuguese language lost all its favour and usage. However, very few - particularly the older or pre-liberation generation - still speak Portuguese.

Religion
The multi-religious fabric of Goan society shines brightly, imbibed with the spirit of "Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava" (Equal Respect for All Religions). The major religions are Hinduism and Christianity, together accounting for more than 95% of the population, while Islam, Buddhism and other Religions account for the rest. Unlike the common perception, Goa is not a Christian majority state, but on the contrary a Hindu majority state.

Coexistence Of Religious Harmony
The "Rome of the East" abounds with some of the world famous churches and temples are also the place where a "divine" co-existence prevails between people of various faiths. The Goan ethos has marvellously outlived the pangs of the infamous inquisition, when during the Portuguese reign conversions to Christianity were carried out. Irrespective of whether they are Catholic, Hindu or Muslim, many Goans prostrate in symbiotic reverence before the deities of faiths other than the one they profess. Religion dwells in the hearts of Goans, on shore or even when they are a thousand miles away from their hometown in wide-open oceans.


Climate
Usually the climatic conditions of Goa are temperate, except during the monsoon, which lasts from June to September. Thanks to the coastal Konkan region and the backdrop of Western Ghats, the weather of Goa is pleasant and sunny. There are no extremes in temperature and no clear demarcations from one season to the other, except for the monsoons. The average temperature varies between 23°C - 32°C. The average rainfall is approximately 250cms, the average daily hours of sunshine is nine to ten hours in summer and three to five hours during the monsoon.



courtesy:
http://www.goa-travel-tourism.com
http://community.iexplore.com/search/photos.asp, http://www.goa-travel-tourism.com, http://www.apgindia.org/goa2006_geography.html
http://www.goahub.com/, www.goatourism.org, http://www.goa2u.com/
http://www.baraaza.com/

9 comments:

dsouza said...

good site . i got lot more info from your site.

Shail said...

Very true Goa is really the Rome of the East.

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workhard said...

Very informative.. Goa is a fav among tourists


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