Goa

GOA Goa

pronunciation (help·info) (Konkani: गोय pronounced /ɡɔj̃ /)

is India's

smallest state in

terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Panaji (also referred to as Panjim) is the state's capital. Vasco da Gama (sometimes shortened to Vasco) is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the influence of Portuguese culture. Portuguese first landed in Goa as merchants, in the early 16th century, and conquered it soon after. The Portuguese overseas territory existed for about 450 years, until it was annexed by India in 1961. Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as abiodiversity hotspot.

Origin of name The name Goa came to European languages from the Portuguese, but its precise origin is unclear. The name Goa is said to have been derived from the Konkani word 'Goy', which means a patch of tall grass. The Indian epic Mahabharata refers to the area now known as Goa, as 'Goparashtra' or 'Govarashtra"' which means a nation of cowherds. 'Gopakapuri' or 'Gopakapattanam' were used in some ancient Sanskrittexts, and these names were also mentioned in other sacred Hindu texts such as the Harivansa and the Skanda Purana. In the latter, Goa is also known as "Gomanchala". Gove, Govapuri, Gopakpattan, Gomantak and Gomant are some other names that the region is referred to in certain inscriptions and texts such as the Puranas.[citation needed

Geography and climate Goa encompasses an area of 3,702 km² (1,430 sq mile). It lies between the latitudes 14°53'54" N and 15°40'00" N and longitudes 73°40'33" E and 74°20'13" E. Most of 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. The highest point is theSonsogor, with an altitude of 1,167 meters (3,827 feet). Goa has a coastline of 101 km (63 miles). Goa's main rivers are the Mandovi, the Zuari, the Terekhol, Chapora River and the Sal. The Mormugao harbor on the mouth of the river Zuari is one of the best natural harbors in South Asia. The Zuari and the Mandovi are the lifelines of Goa, with their tributaries draining 69% of its geographic area. Goa has more than forty estuarine, eight marine and about ninety riverine islands. The total navigable length of Goa's rivers is 253 km (157 miles). Goa has more than three hundred ancient tanks built during the rule of the Kadamba dynasty and over a hundred medicinal springs. Most of Goa's soil cover is made up of laterites which are rich in ferric aluminium oxides and reddish in color. Further inland and along the river banks, the soil is mostly alluvial and loamy. The soil is rich in minerals and humus, thus conducive to plantation. Some of the oldest rocks in the Indian subcontinent are found in Goa between Molem and Anmod on Goa's border with Karnataka. The rocks

are

classified

as Trondjemeitic

Gneiss estimated

to

be

3,600

million

years

old,

dated

by

the Rubidium isotope dating method. A specimen of the rock is exhibited in the Goa University. Goa, being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, seeing day temperatures of over 35 °C (95 °F) coupled with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat. Most of Goa's annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September. Goa has a short winter season between mid-December and February. These months are marked by nights of around 20 °C (68 °F) and days of around 29 °C (84 °F) with moderate amounts of humidity. Further inland, due to altitudinal gradation, the nights are a few degrees cooler. During March 2008 Goa was lashed with heavy rain and strong winds. This was the first time in 29 years that Goa had seen rain during March.

Flora and fauna Forest cover in Goa stands at 1,424 km², most of which is owned by the government. Government owned forest is estimated at 1224.38 km² whilst private is given as 200 km². Most of the forests in the state are located in the interior eastern regions of the state. The Western Ghats, which form most of eastern Goa, have been internationally recognised as one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world. In the February 1999 issue of National Geographic Magazine, Goa was compared with the Amazon and Congo basins for its rich tropical biodiversity. Goa's wildlife sanctuaries boast of more than 1512 documented species of plants, over 275 species of birds, over 48 kinds of animals and over 60 genera of reptiles[7]. Goa's state animal is the Gaur, the state bird is the Ruby Throated Yellow Bulbul, which is a variation of Black-crested Bulbul, and the state tree is the Asan. The

important

forests

products

are bamboo canes, Maratha

barks, chillar

barks and

the bhirand. Coconut trees are ubiquitous and are present in almost all areas of Goa barring the elevated

regions.

A

large

number

of teak, sal, cashew and mango trees

of deciduous vegetation

are

consisting

present.

Fruits

include jackfruits, mangos, pineapples and blackberries. Foxes, wild

boars and migratory birds

are

found

in

the

jungles

of

Goa.

The avifauna includes kingfishers, mynas and parrots. Numerous types of fish are also caught off the coast of Goa and in its rivers. Crabs, lobsters, shrimps, jellyfish, oysters and catfish form some of the piscine catch. Goa also has a high snake population, which keeps the rodent population in control. Goa has many famous National Parks, including the renowned Salim Ali bird sanctuary. Other wildlife sanctuaries include the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Molem Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife

Sanctuary, Madei

Wildlife

Sanctuary, Netravali

Wildlife

Sanctuary Mahaveer

Wildlife

Sanctuary and the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary located on the island of Chorao. Goa has more than 33% of its geographic area under government forests (1224.38 km²) of which about 62% has been brought under Protected Areas (PA) of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park.

Since there is a substantial area under private forests and a large tract under cashew, mango, coconut, etc. plantations, the total forest and tree cover constitutes 56.6% of the geographic area.

Transport Goa's sole airport, the Dabolim Airport, is both a military and civilian airport catering to domestic and international airlines that stop en route to other Indian destinations. In addition to regular flights, the airport handles a large number of chartered flights. Goa receives International flights from Dubai, Sharjah and Kuwait in the Middle East and from the United Kingdom, Germany and Russia during the charter flight tourist season. Dabolim airport is serviced by the following carriers - Air India, Indian Airlines, Air Deccan, Kingfisher airlines, Go air, Spice jet, Jet Airways besides Charter flights fromThomas Cook (condor) etc. Goa's public transport largely consists of privately operated buses linking the major towns to rural areas. Government-run buses, maintained the Kadamba Transport Corporation, links both major routes (like the Panjim–Margao route) and some remote parts of the state. In large towns such as Panjim and Margao, intra-city buses ply. However, public transport in Goa is less developed, and residents depend heavily on their own transport, usually motorised two-wheelers. Goa has two National Highways passing through it. NH-17 runs along India's west coast and links Goa to Bombay in the north and Mangalore to the south. NH-4A running across the state connects the capital Panjim toBelgaum in east, linking Goa to cities in the Deccan. The NH-17A connects NH-17 to Mormugao Harbour from Cortalim, and the new NH17B, is a four lane highway connecting Mormugao Harbour to NH-17 at another location, Verna, via Dabolim airport. Goa has a total of 224 km (139 mi) of National highway, 232 km (144 mi) of state highway and 815 km of district highway. Hired forms of transport include unmetered taxis, and, in urban areas, auto rickshaws. A unique form of transport in Goa is the Motorcycle taxi, operated by drivers who are locally called "pilots". These vehicles transport a single pillion rider, at fares that are usually negotiated prior or after the journey (it is always better to ask locals on the correct fare before you try any negotiations yourself). In some places in Goa, there are river crossings which are serviced by the ferry boats, operated by the river navigation departments. Goa has two rail lines — one run by the South Western Railway and the other by the Konkan Railway. The line run by the South Western Railway was built during the colonial era linking the port town of Vasco da Gama with Hubli in Karnataka via Margao. The Konkan Railway line, which was built during the 1990s, runs parallel to the coast connecting Mumbai to the Malabar Coast. The Mormugao harbour near the city of Vasco handles mineral ore, petroleum, coal and international containers. Much of the shipments consist of minerals and ores from Goa's hinterland. Panjim, which is situated

on

the

banks

of

the

Mandovi,

also

has

a

minor

port,

which

used

to

handle

passengersteamers between Goa and Mumbai till the late 1980s.

Languages The official language of Goa is Konkani. Following the end of Portuguese rule, the most widely used languages are Konkani and Marathi.[17] Konkani is the primary spoken language;Marathi and English are used

for

official,

literary,

or

educational

purposes.[18].

Other

languages

include Hindi, Kannada and Portuguese. Language is a controversial issue between two contending camps: pro-Konkani and pro-Marathi.[19] Most of the Goans united and fought for Konkani as their mother tongue.[citation

needed]

After 1987, a complex formula grants 'official language' status to Konkani, while

Marathi is also allowed to be used "for any or all official purposes." Portuguese, the earlier language of the colonial elite, has been hit by shrinking numbers, though a small number still prefer it as the medium for discourse at home, and a few Portuguese books have even been published in recent years.[citation needed] English, viewed as a language of opportunity and social mobility, is widely understood by many of the state residents. Script has also been an issue with Goan Christians favouring the Roman script, while the Hindu brethren favour the Devanagari script.

Demographics A native of Goa is called a Goan in English, Goenkar in Konkani, Goês (male) or Goesa (female) in Portuguese, and a Govekar in Marathi. Goa has a population of 1.344 million residents, making it India's fourth smallest (afterSikkim, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh). The population has a growth rate of 14.9% per decade

[13]

. There are 363 people for each square kilometre of the land. 49.77% of the

population lives in urban areas. The sex ratio is 960 females to 1000 males. The birth rate is 15.70 per 1,000 people in 2007.[14] According to the 2001 census 886,551 belonged to Hinduism, 359,568 to Christianity, 92,210 to Islam, 970 to Sikhism, 649 to Buddhism, 820 toJainism and 353 to other religious communites.[15][16] Roman Catholicism reached Goa during the period of European colonisation, which began in 1498 when the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrived on the Malabar coast. With the establishment of Goa Inquisition in 1560, a large sections of the population became Roman Catholic. These Catholics, popularly known as Goan Catholics, account for the largest Christian community in Goa. A small community of Jews also live in Goa as well.

Culture Festivals The

most

popular

celebrations

in

Goa

are Ganesh

Chaturthi (Chavoth-

Konkani), Diwali, Christmas, Easter, Samsar Padvo, Shigmo and the Carnival. Goa is also known for its New Year's celebrations. The Goan Carnival is known to attract a large number of tourists.

Literature Goan Hindus are very fond of Natak, Bhajan and Kirtan. Many famous Indian Classical singers hail from Goa, such as Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle,Kishori Amonkar, Kesarbai Kerkar, Jitendra Abhisheki, Prabhakar Karekar.

Theater and dance Some traditional Goan dance forms are dekhnni, fugdi, and corridinho. Tiatr (Portuguese for theater) and Jagar are the chief forms of Goa's traditional performance arts. Other forms are Ranmale, Dashavatari, Kalo, Goulankala, Lalit, Kala and Rathkala. Stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata along with more modern social subjects are narrated with

song and dance.[21][22] The drummers, keyboard artists, and guitarists are part of the show and give the background score. Margao is

the

cultural

center

of

drama

arts.

Famous dramatists include Prince

Jacob, Rosefern, Joaquim Jack, Pascoal Rodrigues, Menino de Bandar, Mario Menezes. At Around 50 new roman scripts are released and 100 Konkani music CDs and DVDs are realeased on the Goan market every year.

Food Rice with fish curry (Xit kodi in Konkani) is the staple diet in Goa. Goan cuisine is renowned for its rich variety of fish dishes cooked with elaborate recipes. Coconut and coconut oil is widely used in Goan cooking

along

with chili

peppers, spices and vinegar giving

the

food

a

unique

flavour. Pork dishes such as Vindaloo, Xacuti and Sorpotel are cooked for major occasions among the Goan Catholics. An exotic Goan vegetable stew, known as Khatkhate, is a very popular dish during the celebrations of festivals, Hindu and Christian alike. Khatkhate contains at least five vegetables, fresh coconut, and special Goan spices that add to the aroma. Sannas a variant of idli and Koilori a variant of dosa are native to Goa. A rich egg-based multi-layered sweet dish known as bebinca is a favourite at Christmas. The most popular alcoholic beverage in Goa is feni; Cashew feni is made from the fermentation of the fruit of the cashew tree, while coconut feni is made from the sap of toddy palms.

Historic sites and neighborhoods Goa has two World Heritage Sites: the Bom Jesus Basilica [2] and a few designated convents. The Basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, regarded by many Catholics as the patron saint of Goa (the patron of the Archdiocese of Goa is actually the Blessed Joseph Vaz).

MESSAGE FROM D.G.P.-GOA Dear colleagues, It is with a sense of pride that I assume the charge of DGP Goa. Having met some of you during my brief stay, I already know that I head a fine force led by capable officers. I am looking forward to being the head of this family in the months to come. With the tourist season already picking up and the looming threat from terrorists and organized crime, our task is clearly cut out. I have issued detailed instructions in this regard which I am sure have reached you. There is no doubt in my mind that each one of you will strive to do your best to keep Goa incident free. In our fast changing world, criminals are getting increasingly tech savvy, using the latest developments in communication and transport to commit crime. We not only have to keep pace with them but keep ourselves several steps ahead to prevent them from committing their dastardly acts. We have to fight the scourge of terrorism and organized crime from a position of strength by acquiring the latest technology and also the necessary skills in crime prevention and detection. Most importantly, we have to realize that our main resource are our officers and men who have to be kept trained and motivated. We must look after their welfare and training. We have to improve their living conditions and their housing. Police welfare, therefore, should be on the top of our agenda. Improving police - community relations is another thrust area. If we are able to win the hearts of the people we are paid to serve, more than half our battle is won. This can happen only if we are able to perform not only on the law & order and crime front, but also in our public dealings by our helpful and sympathetic behaviour towards people who come to us in their moment of distress. We should also have regular meetings and interactions with them and give them a sense of involvement in our work. Cases where women, children and the elderly are victims of crime should always receive our prompt attention. I am sure we can achieve all the above mentioned objectives and much more working together in unison.