Arguably the country’s most vibrant state, Goa was under Portuguese rule until six decades ago. In the run up to its Liberation Day on December 19, we proffer a platter of all things delightfully Goan that you must partake of on your next visit.
Goa is the country’s smallest state with the highest per capita income. A coastline of 101 kms with history dating back to the Upper Paleolithic age. A land that is mentioned in Hindu scriptures and Ptolemy’s narratives. You know it as Goa. But for eons it has had other names: Gomantak. Gomanta. Gomanchala. Gopakapattam. Gopakapuri. Govapuri. Govem. As independent Goa turns 61 on December 19, let’s look at 10 things that make the state a traveller’s delight.
Beautiful beaches
With a 101-kilometre coastline, Goa is known for its silken beaches, a few like Miramar, Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Candolim, and Morjim being on every tourist’s must-go list. The quieter ones include Patnem, Agonda, Butterfly, Palolem, Querim, and Galgibaga. Beaches in Goa, however, are not merely about dipping your toe in the salty waters, it is also a haven for food and shopping lovers. Most beaches have seasonal shacks that are perfect for a great meal for good price. Shake a leg at live gigs and spend the evening karaoke-ing.
Fabulous festivals
Introduced by the Portuguese, the Carnival, a precursor to Lent, is a one-of-its-kind extravaganza of music, dance, and pageantry that has been celebrated since the 18th century. Held in February for three days and nights, when the legendary King Momo takes over, the Carnival is one of the highlights of the annual Goan calendar.
If February is the Carnival month, November is the month for films. Held in Goa for 53 years in a row, IFFI (International Film Festival of India) is one of the country’s best platforms to showcase and promote the art of filmmaking. In December, the city of Panaji comes alive to India’s largest multi-disciplinary gathering of artistes and audience at the Serendipity Arts Festival.
Evocative fado
Fado, which borrows its name from Latin fatum (fate), is a Portuguese musical genre characterised by mournful tunes and lyrics infused with resignation, fatefulness and melancholia — emotions encapsulated in the Portuguese word saudade (longing). Music historians have traced fado to 1820s in Portugal where it is believed to have been created by a pair of lovers. Located in Panaji, MadraGoa is the country’s only Fado & Mando café.
Amazing azulejos
Are azulejos painted ceramic tiles? No. They are hand painted. Each one created over hours. One at a time. In India, they are made only in Goa. The art of painting on ceramic tiles originated in 15th-century Portugal and azulejos depicting historic events, places of worship, culture and habitat of the people became everyone’s favourite wall decor.
When the Portuguese came to India, they brought along not only chillies and pineapples, but also azulejos. Interestingly, during the Portuguese reign, there were no Goan azulejo artists; azulejos were imported from Portugal. Today, Goan azulejos are recognised worldwide as the state’s signature ceramic tile.
Decadent Bebinca
“How do nuns make their habits so crisp?” What has this to do with Bebinca, the seven-layered Goan cake? Well, a lot. The story is that Portuguese nuns living in Goa used egg yolks to starch their clothes. And then a nun called Bebinca whisked coconut milk, egg yolk, flour, and nutmeg powder together to create the eponymous cake. Made in clay pots fired with coconut husk, the layers are baked one at a time. The first layer baked from the bottom, the other six with embers on the pot lid. Why seven layers? Because it reminded the nun of the seven hills of Lisbon. Or so the story goes.
Heady feni
Nearly 500 years ago, the Portuguese sailors brought the first cashew tree into Goa, its fruit pear shaped, its rind thick and caustic, the nut pure magic. Traditionally, cashew apples were foot-stomped to get the juice to make urrak and feni, the two most common cashew drinks.
Cashew juice is boiled in a copper pot which is sealed with anthill clay. The first distilled product is urrak (18 per cent alcohol content) and then feni (45 per cent alcohol content). Feni was India’s first beverage to get a Geographical Indication (GI) registration. Interestingly, Time magazine had included cashew feni in its list of 10 Ridiculously Strong Drinks.
Historic churches
Piety begins in the Basilica of Bom Jesus where the relics of St Francis Xavier are interred. The devout from around the world come to Goa for the exposition of the relics held every 10 years (the next exposition will be held in 2024). Built in 1594, it is one of the oldest churches and a shining example of Baroque architecture.
Other famous churches include Mae De Deus Church that houses the miraculous statue of the Mother of God; Church of Saint Cajetan; Se Cathedral; Chapel of our Lady of the Mount; Church of our Lady of Immaculate Conception, Church of St Francis of Assisi; St Anthony’s Church; St Cajetan’s Church.
Ancient temples
The deities and their dwellings have been an integral part of Goan history, culture, and architecture. The 12th century Brahma temple in Carambolim is one of the oldest temples in Goa; the Nageshi Temple in Ponda is said to have been in the same location for thousands of years; the Mangeshi Temple in Mangeshi village is one of the largest in the state; while the Mahalakshmi temple in Panjim now has a Panchloha deity after the original black granite idol was destroyed by the Portuguese.
The Saptakoteshwar Temple in Narve Maem was built in the 12th century under the rule of King of Kadamba and is known for its Mughal dome mounted over its octagonal-tiled roof.
Interesting museums
In Panaji, look for a blue building. It is actually called the Blue Building, the one that houses the country’s sole Indian Customs & Central Excise Museum that strings together the Goan story of taxation and cess from the earliest times. The most fascinating is the ‘smuggling’ displays: the cat and mouse tale of the smugglers and the authorities.
Located on the picturesque Holy Hill, in Old Goa, the Museum of Christian Art (MoCA), the only one of its kind in Asia, displays antiquity of two distinct cultures – Indo-Portuguese – spanning five centuries. The Pilar Seminary Museum takes one through to the time when Goa was under the rule of a galaxy of dynasties, ranging from the Kadambas, the Shilaharas, the Vijayangaras, etc. Also, spare time for Goa State Museum, Museum of Goa, Reis Magos Museum, Goa Chitra Museum and the Big Foot Museum.
Tempting trails
If you do not know which way to walk, pick up Pritha Sardessai’s Cholta Cholta book that will tell you all about the walks in Goa. There are hundreds of walks and trails to find art, cultural, historical, and architectural treasures in the state. Think Fontainhas walks, creek walks, signage walks, statue walks, sketch walks (in which you sketch as you walk through lanes and bylanes), bird walks, tree walks, medicinal plant walks, even a secret food and tavern walk! The list is endless. In Goa, all you need is a bottle of water, a hat, a comfy pair of shoes… And keep walking.
Read more.
An evening in the world’s first house of Portuguese Fado and Goan Mandó