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Published: October 4th 2007
Goa #8
Me on the lookout at Dona PaulaOn Sunday, as part of my hotel package, I had an all day sight seeing tour of Goa followed by a sunset river cruise. I was the only foreigner on the tour which was all conducted in Hindi. It was sometimes hard to tell where we were, but I had my trusty "Eyewitness Travel Guide" and could follow along somewhat. The tour guide did make sure I knew what time to be back to the bus each time we stopped. Two women from my hotel were also on the tour and they were helpful in telling me where we were at each stop.
Brief history of Goa: In 1498, Vasco da Gama became the first European to set foot in India through a sea route, landing in Calicut (Kozhikode) in Kerala, followed by an arrival in what is now known as Old Goa. Goa, then a term referring to the City of Goa on the southern bank of the River Mandovi, was the largest trading centre on India's western coast. The Portuguese arrived with the intention of setting up a colony and seizing control of the spice trade from other European powers after traditional land routes to India had been
Goa #9
By the ferry jetty at Dona Paula, there is a whitewashed statue sculpted by Baroness Von Leister aptly named "Image of India". It depicts a couple facing in opposite directions with the man facing towards the nation's past and the woman towards the future. closed by the Ottoman Turks. Later, in 1510, Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the ruling Bijapur kings with the help of a local ally, Timayya, leading to the establishment of a permanent settlement in Velha Goa (or Old Goa). The Portuguese intended it to be a colony and a naval base, distinct from the fortified enclaves established elsewhere along India's coasts.
After India gained independence from the British in 1947, Portugal refused to accede to India's demand to relinquish their control of its enclave. Resolution 1541 by the United Nations General Assembly in 1960 noted that Goa was non-self-governing and favoured self determination. Finally, on December 12, 1961, the Indian army with 40,000 troops moved in as part of Operation Vijay. Fighting lasted for twenty-six hours before the Portuguese garrison surrendered. Goa, along with Daman and Diu (enclaves lying to the north of Maharashtra), was made into a centrally administered Union Territory on India. India's takeover of Goa is commemorated on December 19 (Liberation Day).
We started out at Dona Paula, 7km SW of Panaji, the capital of Goa. This scenic overlook is near the headland diviiding the Zuari and Mandovi Rivers. It is named for a
Goa #10
The Basilica of Bom Jesus, built in 1594, is revered by Roman Catholics as it houses the remains of Goa's patron saint Francis Xavier. This was the first church in South Asia to be granted the status of 'minor basilica' by Pope Pius XII in 1946. viceroy's daughter who jumped to her death from the cliff when she wasn't allowed to marry a local fisherman.
From there we went to Old Goa, the Portugese capital until the 18the century. A magnificent complex of cathedrals, churches, and monestaries, the area is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The two most important religious monuments are the Basilica de Bom Jesus and the Se Cathedral. The Basilica contains the tomb of St. Francis Xavier, Goa's patron saint who is revered and worshipped.
Francis Xavier was sent by the Portuese King Dom Joao III to Goa in 1542 and over the next few years he "converted" 30,000 people to Catholicism. At his request, a tribunal of Jesuits arrived in 1560 on a mission to curb the "libertine" ways of the Portugese settlers and convert the local "infidels". During the Inquisition of 1567, all Hindu ceremonies were banned, hundreds of temples were destroyed, and all Hindus forcibly converted. Those who refused were locked away to await trial. Over the next 200 years, 16,000 trials were held and thousands were killed. The Iquisition wasn't finally dissolved until 1812.
We next went to the area around Ponda which is renowned for
Goa #19
Tomb of Saint Francis Xavier its numerous Hindu temples. As the Inquisition destroyed Hindu temples, Hindu priests fled with their religious artifacts to regions that lay outside of Portugese control, especially the thickly forested area around Ponda. Here they built any new temples in the 17th and 18th centuries. We visited the Shri Mangesh Temple in Priol and the Shantadurga Temple in Quela.
After lunch in Ponda, we went to "Ancestral Goa" where we toured a colonial Portugese home built 253 years ago. Many of the furnishing in the home are original and it was interesting to see. The whole complex is a well constructed classic "tourist trap".
We proceeded to Colva Beach in South Goa which is Goa's longest uninterrupted stretch of sand. The beach was nice, the sand consisted mostly ofsmall shells so the walking was tough, and the water was warm. I walked for a ways, but got tired of being hassled by people selling sarongs, jewelry, peanuts, and bean masala so I took refuge in a Cafe Coffee Day, one of many in a chain of coffee shops across Indi. A quiet rest in the shade and an iced coffee and a piece of "Chocolate Fantasy" cake were just
Goa #11
The Se Cathedral, thought to be Asia's largest church, is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria with the gilded panels of the high altar depicting her life. Near the front of the cathedral is the baptismal font used by St. Francis Xavier to baptize converts. what I needed!
It was then back on the bus which returned us to Panaji for a sunset river cruise along the Mandovi River. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy and the boat was late taking off so we didn't really see much of a sunset at all. We sailed down the Mandovi River to its junction with the sea and back. We were entertained by Goan dancers and musicians. It was a relaxing way to end a long day.
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