Tourist attractions of South Goa
Cultural Heritage of South Goa :
Goa abounds in festivals and fairs around temples and churches which also commemorate early legends. They are the occasions when a Goan peasant manifesto joy and hapiness.
Bhandap :
A traditional folk dance performed by the women folk of the scheduled tribe community who were the earliest settlers of Goa, in the second half of the Hindu month Bhadrapada.
Corredinho :
Portuguese folk dance: A peasant dance which is popular among Goan elite youth.
Dekhni-Beauty dance :
Performed only by women, displays a rare blend of Indian & Western rhythms.
Dhangar Dance :
In Navratra days, a vigourous session of worship dance.
Fugdi & Dhalo :
Folk dance performed by women. The most common folk dance forms of Goa.
Ghode Modni :
It is in commemoration of the return of the Ranes after victories over the Portuguese in Bicholim and Satari Taluka.
Goff- folk dance with chords :
Manifesto joy and hapiness of Goan peasants after the harvest, during Shigmo Festival in Phalgum month.
Hanpet :
Sword Dance: A traditional warrior dance performed during the Shigmo Festival.
Kala & Dashavtar : Folk dance forms representing the sunsequent development of jagar as tiatr. Some of the other popular folk dance forms are Ranmale, Ratkala and Tiatr.
Kunbi Dance :
Tribal Folk dance: A group dance-cum-song thoroughly rustic.
Lamp Dance :
Performed during Shigmo Festival by women holding lamps on their heads.
South Goa Beach and Town Images :
Towns in South Goa :
Panaji: The capital of Goa and headquarters of North Goa District, a small and charming city on the left bank of silvery Mandovi River, with beautiful red-roofed houses, built in Latin style, also boasts of many modern houses, well laid gardens, statues and avenues lined with Glmohar, Acassia and other trees. Enchanting panorama unfolds from atop Altinho (HillTop).
Mapusa: 13kms. The capital of Bardez Taluka, on the National Highway 17, is at the cross roads of the network of highways covering whole of North Goa. Weekly fair on Friday is held at the modern streamline market, attended by large crowds.
Pilar: 11 Kms. Important religious and eductional centre of Christian Missionaries. The Church, Seminary and School atop hillock command a magnificent panorama of the countryside around and a fine view of Mormugao Harbour & Zuari River.
Margao: 33 Kms. The capital of South Goa District in the hinterland of Southern Goa in Salcate Taluka is a thriving commercial metropolis linked by rail to the rest of India & Mormugao Harbour and by National Highways, with Maharashtra and Karnataka. It has imposing old mansions and modern buildings.
Vasco-Da-Gama: 30 Kms. A modern, well laid out city close to Mormugao Harbour, has beautiful and extensive avenues. The air terminus of Goa at Dabolim lies on the outskirts of the city. It is also the railway terminus for passenger service on the South Central Railway.
Mormugao Harbour: 34 ksm. (4 kms. From Vasco-Da-Gama) is one of the finest natural anchorages on the West Coast of India and the hub of intense maritime activity.
Chandor (Chandar): 9 kms. East of Margao the menezes Braganza House, mostly late 18th Century and previously owned by Lemon nationalist and Journalist Luis De Menezes Braganza has a series of magnificent rooms especially the great salon with its fine furniture and the largest private library in Goa.
Arambol Beach: (50 Kms) A unique beach in North Goa, is both rocky and sandy beach and much sought after. It has a sweet water pond right on the store.
Vagator: (22 kms) It is popular beach dominated by Chapora Fort to the North, on its imposing headland. To the South of Vagator is Calangute beach.
Anjuna: (18 kms). A popular beach area adjacent to Chapora Fort. In Anjuna there is magnificent Albuquerque mansion built in 1920, flanked by octagonal towers and attractive Mangalore tiled-roof.
Calangute: (16 kms) is the most popular holiday resort in Goa. Excellent accommodation facilities are available, particulary at the tourist resort and cottages.
Miramar: (Gaspar Dias), 3 Kms. A lovely golden beach of soft sand girdled with palm trees facing the blue Arabian Sea, is the nearest to Panaji.
Dona Paula: 7 kms. An idyllic picturesque spot. Command a fine view of the Zuari River and Mormugao Harbour. Water scootering facilities are available here.
Colva Beach: About 6 kms. from Margao. Colva beach is the pride of Salcete and the only rival to Calangute by its scentic spelndour. Here, sand, sea and sky blend in enchanting natural harmony unspoilt by men. Has good accommodation facilities particilary at the tourist cottages.
Agonda: (About 37 kms. from Margao). A small picturesque and secluded beach much sought after for its serenity.
Palolem: About 37 kms. from Margao. Just west of Chaudi in the Southern Taluka of Canacona is one of the most enchanting beaches in Goa relatively desserted, with backdrop of Western Ghats.
Parks and Gardens of South Goa
In all the major towns especially at Panaji, Margao, Mapusa and Vasco-da-Gama.
Rustic Plantation : is situated on the extreme North-East of Goa at Dongurli village, Thane, Valpoi, Sattari. The Plantation is a rejuvenating experience of a lifetime. Nestled in a vallery amidst verdant mountains with grossy expanses, lush green fruit bearing trees and gurling rivulets, Rustic Plantation is the gateway one looks for.
Pascoal Spice Village : is located near the village of Khandepar, 8 kms northeast of Ponda National Highway (NH) 4A. the lower end of the property is bounded by tributary of the Mandovi River and rises in elevation towards the hills of the interior.
Spices are the indispensable ingredients of Goa’s well known “chillie hot cussine”. They are still grown in Goa on large income plantations along with other income producing crops of areca nuts, cashew nuts, coconuts, tropical fruit, etc. These plantations have manage to combine spices and tourism in a unique and favourable way one of the first plantations to realize this potential was Pascoal Spice Village.
This idyllic screnc setting coupled with a wide variety of spice plants and cash crops is interspersed with a restaurant, cottages, open-air party half, boating, nursery, a wide variety of flowering plants, shrubs, fountains and farm animals.
Savoi Plantation Spice of Life : is located at Savoi Ponda, 25 kms from Panaji and 15 kms from Ponda. Oldest tropical plantation with intercrops. One can see the rural setting of interior Goan Traditional methods of Organic Farming . Crops like Coconuts, Betel nuts, pineapples, spices and many more. A walk in the plantation with local person briefing you about the nature (crops, roots, herbs). Experience the typical Goan Hindu Cuisine served in Mud Pots with Banana Leaf. On the way to Savoi Plantation one can visit Cashewnut Factory, Ananta(Vishnu-the Presever of Universe)Temple party in water. |
