Goa Tourism
Goa is a state in western India with coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea within the region known as the Konkanis and geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located about 250 miles (400 km) south of Mumbai.
Goa has a long history as a Portuguese colony prior to 1961. Goa was a former state of the Portuguese Empire. Due to that, still exhibits the cultural influence of the Portuguese on its preserved 17th-century churches and the area’s tropical spice plantations.
Goa is one of the most important tourist spots in the country because of its beauty and culture. Goa is also known for its beaches. These beaches cover about 125 kilometres (78 mi) of its coastline. These beaches are divided into North and South Goa.
Goa is also famous for adventure water sports; Goa offers the best water sports and other adventures sports such as scuba diving, paragliding, parasailing, banana boat riding and snorkelling.
The Churches and Convents of Goa have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. That’s why Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year.
Goa Geography
The state of Goa is located along the West Coast of India with a geographical area of 3702 Sq.Kms. Goa is a part of the coastal country known as the Konkan, which is an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separate it from the Deccan Plateau.
Goa's seven major rivers are the Zuari, Mandovi, Terekhol, Chapora, Galgibag, Kumbarjua canal,Talpona and the Sal. These rivers are fed by the Southwest monsoon rain and their basin covers 69% of the state's geographical area.
Goa is divided into two districts, namely North Goa and South Goa. Panji is North Goa headquarter and Margo is South Goa headquarter respectively. The north to south length of the State is about 100 km while the east to west is about 50 KM.
Most of Goa's soil cover is made up of laterites rich in ferric-aluminium oxides and reddish in colour. Further inland and along the riverbanks, the soil is mostly alluvial and loamy. The soil is rich in minerals and humus, thus conducive to agriculture.
Goa Climate
Goa features a tropical monsoon climate under the Köppen climate classification. Goa, being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a hot and humid climate for most of the year.Hovering the average temperatures lie in between 25’C to 29’C all the year –round.
The month of May is usually the hottest, when noon temperatures often cross 35"C. The Goan monsoon which lasts from June to September adorns Goa with greenery all around.
The state's three seasons are: Southwest monsoon period (June – September), post-monsoon period (October – January) and fair weather period (February – May).
Goa Culture
Before arriving of Portuguese, people of Goa was following Indian Cultures and Hindu caste system. After the Portuguese arrived Goa in 1510, they adopted the Portuguese culture but retained their Hindu caste system and few other customs and traditions.So, Goa’s cultural traditions have mixed of The Portuguese influence and local strains both which created a cultural mix in Goa which is different from the rest of India.
Language
The official language of India is Hindi. In the state of Goa, although English is widely spoken and is the national language of education and commerce in India, the main language in Goa is Konkani.
Religion
Religion is an important part of everyday life in Goa, and there are three main religions represented in the state - Hinduism which accounts for around 60% of the population, Christianity (30%) and Islam (10%).
Dance & Music
As part of its Portuguese history, music is an integral part of Goan homes. A wide variety of music genres are used in Goa ranging from Western art music to Indian classical music. On western musical scene, they use of instrument such as the violin, drums, guitar, trumpet and piano. Indian musical include dhol, mirdanga, tabla, dholak, shehnai, surt, tasso, nagado, tambura. It has also produced a number of prominent musicians and singers for the world.