Excerpt: Goa, A Traveller's Paradise!
Goa is a traveller’s paradise, sandwiched between the seas and the lush forested hills. It offers glistening beaches, swaying coconut palms, and ultra fresh seafood. Luxury hotels as well as budget guesthouses overlook the glistening sands. Beautiful beaches, silvery sands, fabulous flora and fauna and marvelous churches, all make Goa a hot tourist destination and perhaps the most sought after one in India. It provides splendid views of green hills wooded with jackfruit, mango, and cashew groves bordered by miles of sun-drenched beaches. Gentle and unspoilt people, along with a warm and languid climate, complete this breathtaking kaleidoscope.
But there’s so much more to Goa than sun, sand and psychedelia. Goa can also boast of its rich cultural and historical heritage. In fact, one of the most discerning assets of Goa is it’s rich cultural heritage. Goan folklore comprises folk songs, dances, music, visual arts and folk tales rich in content and variety.
The allure of Goa is that it remains quite distinct from the rest of India and is small enough to be explored in a manner that other Indian states are not. It is hardly surprising that the Portuguese who came in search of spices in 16th century decided to put down roots in this tropical paradise, and four and a half centuries of their rule left its imprints everywhere. Goa’s traditions of language, religion, dances have remained firmly entrenched despite the end of Portuguese rule in 1961. Roman Catholicism remains a major religion in this former Portuguese colony.
In Goa, Latin influence merges with Indian colour to produce an enchanting amalgamation. There is a Mediterranean-like atmosphere in the quaint towns with their red-tiled roofs and narrow streets and the charming fishing villages surrounded by coconut groves. It is easy to become a part of Goa’s warm, effortless existence. It’s east-west mix, beaches and party culture is what attracts approximately two million visitors each year. It is currently renowned for its rave (electronic music) parties and its beaches.