GOA

Here are some photos we took on our trips to Goa.

click on image below to view another in the series.

Goa, a former Portuguese territory, for more than 450 years is often described as 'The Rome of the East'. It has over the past decades, become the dream holiday destination, for many a foreign tourist. More than 40 years after the departure of the Portuguese, Goa is perhaps the most westernized of all the states in Modern India.

The majority of Goans are very bohemian. Easy going in nature, enjoying a typical 'tropical lifestyle'; including the 'siesta', which is usually from 1pm to 4pm, the hottest part of the day. Music, dance, drama, food and feni, are a few of the things most Goans are passionate about.

Though, Goa is a multi-ethnic state, Goans are very tolerant towards each other's faiths; while unfortunately this is not true of the rest of this country. The majority Hindu community and the sizeable Catholic minority have lived in peace and harmony for decades and centuries. They participate in each other's many feasts. Many Hindus attend the novenas during the feast of St. Francis Xavier (the patron saint of Goa), as the Catholics take part in the zagors and zatras. It is not rare to see young Catholics at local Hindu temples during the feast of Dusshera. They consider it auspicious to have their vehicles blessed by the temple priest on that day.

A few days before lent, many colorful carnivals are held, in all the major towns in Goa. Then, a few days later comes the Shigmo (Hindu festival of spring) distinctive parades go along the very same streets, with many kaleidoscopic floats and frenzied dancers. On these occasions both communities participate.

Goans are flamboyant and out going. The women are attractive and in step with the latest trends of the west. The young men bear themselves with a distinct air of machismo; they love football, bullfighting and automobiles, they are quick to smile - or fight. Goa, itself is often stunningly beautiful. The roadsides are bright with cascades of bougainvillea; the forests are alive with iridescent butterflies, and kingfishers so brilliant that they seem to glow from within. Just after the monsoons, in the flooded paddy fields, a horde of workers can be seen preparing for the new crop. Yes, Goa is a beautiful land, with wonderfully hospitable people.