Bharatvarsha | Know India Book

🇮🇳Goa🇮🇳

Goa
By- -trustbutterflies-

Goa. What comes to your mind when you think of this state? Parties? Beaches? Dil Chahta Hai? A Parent's Nightmare?

Bollywood 🙄.

But Goa is so much more than the 'Party State', so let's dive into the divine Goa.

Goa is one of the state in southwestern coast of the country. It is surrounded by the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and the Arabian Sea.

Panaji is the capital of Goa, while Vasco De Gama is the largest city. International and domestic tourists visit Goa due to its nightlife and beautiful beaches like mentioned above.

Fun Fact: It is India's smallest state and has the fourth-smallest by Population.

The Goa, Daman and Diu Official Languages Act Makes Konkani the official language of Goa, but Marathi is also an oft-spoken language for 'Official Purposes'. Here's a Pie-Chart for further Understanding.

(Image credit: Wikipedia)

Every state has its staple diet, so does Goa. Rice with Fish Curry happens to be that. Goan Cuisine is popular for its wide variety of fish-based cuisines. There are several condiments and spices which make Goan Cuisine special, what with things like vinegar, coconut, and chilies.

But Goan Food is divided into Goan Catholic and Goan Hindu delicacies, which have very different characteristics and styles.

Goan Prawn Curry, Pork vindaloo, Chamucas (Goan Samosas), Goan Fish Curry, respectively, as shown in the image above.

Often practiced traditional Goan art forms of Dekhni, Fugdi, Mando, Corridinho, Dulpod are popular in the state. Music is an integral part in Goan homes. It is often said, "Goans are born with music and sport." Musical instruments like the piano, guitars, and violins are widely used in most religious and social functions of the Catholics.

Hindus in Goa are fond of Natak and Bhajans. Many famous Indian classical singers hail from Goa, including Kishori Amonakar, Kesarbai Kerker, Jitendra Abhisheki.

There aren't many popular celebrities who belong to Goa. But there are still few people worth a mention, such as Mario Da Miranda, a cartoonist and Padma Vishubhan Awardee. Kimi Katkar, a famous actress during the 1980s and 1990s, also belongs to Goa. Vasudeo S. Gaitonde is regarded as the foremost Indian abstract artist and received a Padma Shri Award.

There aren't many well-known people from Goa, but Goa has been depicted in Bollywood Movies such as Go Goa Gone and Dil Chahta Hai, which has won the National Film Award For Best Feature Film in Hindi.

Goa has two seats in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament of India. Goa's administrative city is Panaji which also happens to be the capital of the State. Pramod Sawant of Bharatiya Janata Party, who was sworn in on March 16th, 2019, is the current Chief Minister of Goa. Meanwhile, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari took oath As The Governor of Goa on 19th August 2020.

Goa has two World Heritage sites: the Bom Jesus Basilica and churches of old Goa. The basilica houses the mortal remains of the revered St. Francis Xavier. These are both Portuguese-era monuments and indicate a strong European character. The relics are taken down for veneration and public viewing.

Goa was part of the Portuguese Colonial rule, which lasted for about four and a half centuries until it was annexed to India in 1961.

In 1843, the Portuguese switched to Cidade da Nova Goa as its capital, which is today known as Panaji. Earlier, it was Velha Goa. By the mid-18th century, Portuguese Goa had expanded to most of the present-day state limits. The Portuguese lost other possessions in India until their borders stabilized and formed the State of Portuguese India.

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We hope you learned something about this beautiful State of Goa and will definitely spread a word about it to others.

Swagatam!
#ind_legion