Goa : Part I

Goa is amazing state . And history of the state is further interesting .

Located on western coastal line , surrounded by Maharashtra and Karnataka states . 100 KMs of coastal line and syncretic culture attracted me . Young crowd of my age loves Goa electronic parties .

' Panjim ' capital , ' Vaso-da-Gama ' largest city and ' Margo ' is the historic city . Additionally I planned for ' Old Goa ' the area full of Churches and holds world heritage site .

One of the longest held colonial possession in the world , almost 450 years , needed a special vision , a special client configured in brain . I started googling about Goa . I understood , lot of pre-knowledge is required to enjoy Goa in multiple paradigms .

' Goparashtra ' or ' Govarashtra ' the area referred at the Mahabharata times . Country of cowherds . 'Gopakapuri' or 'Gapakapattana' were found used in some ancient . Hindu texts such as the Harivansa and the Skanda Purana. In the latter time , Goa is also known as " Gomanchala ". Google provided additional further names Gove, Govapuri, Gopakpattan, and Gomant .

As per available history , Goa was ruled by Mauryan Empire . Later ruled by Satavahanas of Kolhapur , then by Chalukyas of Badami . Thereafter Goa was successively ruled by the Silharas , the Kadambas and the Chalukyas of Kalyani , rulers of Deccan India .

Further recently in 1312 AD , Delhi Saltanat , 1370 Harihara of Vijayanagara empire . After 1469, Goa was ruled by the Bahmani sultans of Gulbarga . Thereafter Adil Shahis of Bijapur ruled it . 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 .

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 closed by the Ottoman Turks .

After getting settled , history records are found that " With the imposition of the Inquisition (1560-1812), many of the local residents were forcibly converted to Christianity by missionaries, threatened by punishment or confiscation of land, titles or property . Many converts however retaining parts of their Hindu heritage . To escape the Inquisition and harassment, thousands fled the state, settling down in the neighboring towns of Mangalore and Karwar in Karnataka , and Savantwadi in Maharashtra . With the arrival of the other European powers in India in the 16th century , most Portuguese possessions were surrounded by the British and the Dutch . Goa soon became Portugal's most important possession in India , was granted the same civic privileges as Lisbon In 1843 the capital was moved to Panjim from Velha Goa . By mid-18th century the area under occupation had expanded to most of Goa's present day state limits . "

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 favored 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 the 19th of December (Liberation Day) . The UN Security Council considered a resolution condemning the invasion which was vetoed by the Soviet Union . Most nations later recognized India's action, and Portugal recognized it after the Carnation Revolution in 1974 . On May 30 , 1987 , the Union Territory was split, and Goa was elevated as India's twenty-fifth state, with Daman and Diu remaining Union Territories .

With such historical background , visiting Goa was going to be a fun .

The photograph was clicked at Dona Paula , is a former village , and tourist destination , in the suburbs of Panaji , Goa , about which I shall write soon .