GOA

Goa is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations of India with beautiful beaches and historical sites. Goa is India's richest state with highest GDP per capita. The Indian epic Mahabharata refers to the Goa as Goparashtra or Govarashtra, which means ''a nation of Cowherds''.

Goa is a strip of land 110 km long and 60 km wide between the Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea on the west coast of India. Panaji is the state's capital while Vasco Da Gama is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the cultural influence of the Portuguese. Goa has a long history of rulers dating back to the 3rd century BC. It was ruled by Emperor Ashoka followed by numerous rulers like Silharas, Kadamdas, Chalukyans, kings of Deccan, kings of Vijaynagar, Adilshah of Bijapur and finally by the Portuguese who were the most successful of them all. Goa was ruled by the Portuguese for 450 years till it was liberated from the Portuguese to form a part of India on 19th December 1961.

Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna owing to its location on the Western Ghats range which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot. Baga, Anjuna, Calangute, Vagator and Palolem are the some popular Goa beaches. Se Cathedral, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Aguada Fort, Chapora Fort and Dudhsagar Falls are the other popular Goa tourist places.

Goa being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. Tourism is Goa's primary industry it handles 12% of all foreign tourist arrivals in India. Goa has two main tourist seasons winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the climate. In the summer time (which in Goa is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays.

The festival of Shigmo Mel or the Holi, Goa carnival and Ganesh Chaturthi are the main festivals in Goa, India. At a distance of 9 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand and 27 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station, the famous Bom Jesus Basilica is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site (Churches & Convents of Goa). It is also called St. Francis Xavier's Tomb. It is one of the best Places to visit in Goa and one of the major heritage sites in Goa state. The church is often represented in promotion of Goa Tourism.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. The Construction of the church began in 1594 and completed in May 1605. The church is called 'Bom Jesus' meaning 'good Jesus' or 'infant Jesus'. This church is the first Minor Basilica in India and is regarded as one of the best examples of baroque architecture.

The imposing facade built out of black granite in an exquisite combination of the Doric, Corinthian and composite styles, is remarkable for its simplicity. It measures 183 ft in length, 55 ft in breath and 61 ft in height. The main altar is 54 ft high and 30 ft broad. The interior of the church is built in Mosaic-Corinthian style. There are paintings of events from the life of St. Francis Xavier.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus enshrines the sacred remains of Goa's patron saint Francis Xavier, who died on a sea voyage to China in 1552. Legend says that when the body of Xavier was transferred to Goa the following year, the body was found as fresh as the day it was buried. The embalmed body of the saint lies in an airtight glass coffin which is placed in a silver casket. It is believed that the saint has miraculous powers of healing. Once every 10 years, the body is allowed to be viewed by the people who visit this holy place. The last time it was in 2014 and the next would be in 2024. At a distance of 19 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 46 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 11 km from Mapusa, The Chapora Fort is situated in North Goa. It is one of the top tourist places in Goa.

Built in red laterite stones, the fort has steep slopes on all the sides and stands on an area which has irregular outer plan. This massive fort was constructed by the king of Bijapur, Adil Shah. This is one reason why it has been named Shahpura, which means the 'town of Shah'. The Chapora Fort is one of the prime attractions on Goa.

The fort was built in order to keep a watch on Hindu raiders who wanted to set up their territory in Goa. The fort was destroyed after the rule of Adil Shah and was rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1617, on the site of an earlier Muslim structure. The Portuguese troops surrendered to the Maratha ruler Sambhaji in 1684 but the locals were not too pleased with this situation and hence Marathas were forced to withdraw their forces from the fort in 1717. Portuguese took over it again and rebuilt the fort until they finally abandoned it 1892.

Today the Chapora Fort lies in ruins and although one can see the heads of the two tunnels to aid in escaping in case of an emergency. The massive ramparts and scattered Muslim tombstones are all that is left of this fort. The fort gives a spectacular view of the Vagator and the Anjuna beach.

There are no particular visiting hours to visit this fort, however early morning and evening are preferred as you can get some great views during these hours. Sunset from the fort is a beautiful experience. The path to the Fort from parking area is filling with red laterite stones and is slippery. One has to be careful while walking on this path. It is advised to return back before it's dark.At a distance of 30 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 19 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 12 km from Margao Railway Station, Utorda Beach is located about 7 km from famous Colva Beach in South Goa.

Utorda Beach is one of the most amazing and beautiful beaches in South Goa. It is bordered with two other famous beaches Majorda in the south and Arossim in the north. Utorda Beach is separated from its neighbors by a small river. Utorda Beach has a large cover of pine trees and palm trees. It is a very quiet and peaceful beach because of less crowed.

The beach has long straight patches of unspoilt soft sands. Waves of the Arabian Sea here is calm and not so high, which make swimming safe and enjoyable even for novice swimmers. Parasailing, jet skiing and beachside shopping are some of the activities in this beach or you can choose to go for long walks along the beach strip and enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Utorda Beach has some good beach shacks and restaurants. Good accommodation is readily available in the form of Luxury and budget hotels and guest houses. One of the best European bread as well as toddy can be found here.

Best Time to Visit: November - March. At a distance of 71 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 50 km from Margao Railway Station and 10 km from Kulem, Dudhsagar Falls is the largest and highest fall of Goa. It is one of the must visit Goa tourist places and is often represented in promotion of Goa Tourism.

Dudhsagar falls is a four tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in Goa. This waterfall is amongst India's tallest waterfalls with a height of 310 m (1017 feet) and an average width of 30 m (100 feet) at it's peak. This falls is located inside the Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary, at the border between Karnataka and Goa states.

Dudhsagar literally means a Sea of Milk in the local Konkani language and gets its name as it appears like an overflowing sea of milk. It is a four tiered waterfall with different ways to reach each level. The bottom of the waterfall is accessible through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. The waterfall is also called Vajra Sakala Falls by the locals but most people know it as Tambdi Surla falls based on the popular trekking trail to the waterfall which starts from Tambdi Surla Mahadev Temple.

According to legend, the waterfall was once the abode of a beautiful princess. The princess used to drink sweetened milk from a golden jug after she took a bath. One day, she spotted a prince watching her while she drank the milk. She poured the milk to form a curtain to hide her modesty.

Own vehicles are not allowed into the sanctuary to reach the waterfall. The most common and easiest way to reach the waterfall is to take a forest department (or licensed private) jeep from the forest entrance (private jeeps are available near Kulem (Collem) Railway Station) and hike 1 km distance from the dropping point. This service is closed during monsoon (June - mid October).