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The Gomantak being one of the ancient gateways of India, through its portals have passed many a prince and potentate, merchant and medicant, saint and soldier. The interplay of the cultures brought to Goa across, the Sahyadri mountains in the east and the Arabian sea in the west, has left an indelible impression on various aspects of cultural development of Goa, through the passage of time.

A Brief History of Goa

Bhojas of Chandrapur
Satavahanas Dynasty
Kshatrapa Dynasty
Abhira Dynasty
Chalukyas (540-757 A.D.)
Shilaharas
Kadambas of Goa (1008 to 1300 A.D.)
Adilshahi rulers of Bijapur (1489-1510)
Portuguese in Goa (1510-1961)
Advent of Portuguese (1498)

Lured by the thrill of discovery and goaded by the prospect of seeking Christians and spices Portugal embarked on perilous voyages to the Orient which culminated in Bartholomew Dias’ trip round the Cape of Good Hope. This spectacular breakthrough opened new vistas. A decade later Vasco Da Gama set off eastwards and in 1498 landed in Calicut and broke the Arab monopoly of trade.


Estado Da India (1510)
Fired with the dream of establishing an Eastern Empire for Portugal, Afonso De Albuquerque, Governor-General of Goa, set to acquire stragetic centers also the trade route. At the invitation of the Admiral of the Vijayanagar’s fleet, he occupied Goa with little initial opposition. Though temporarily routed, he triumphantly regained possession of the city on November 25, 1510 and kneeling in the public square he dedicated Goa to St. Catherine whose feast was on that day.

In 1530 Goa became the capital of the Portuguese Empire in the East and mistress of the sea from the Cape of Good Hope to the China Sea.

St. Francis Xavier(1542-1552)
The arrival in 1542 of a young Spanish nobleman turned Jesuit, with a brilliant background of academic learning, created an impact that was tremendous. His compassion for the weak and the downtrodden, his dynamic zeal and his innate holiness edified many. Two years after his death in 1552, the incorrupt body of the saint was enshrined in Goa. It continued to attract pilgrims from all over the world even to this day.

India’s First Printing press (1556)
The first printing press of moveable types in the whole of India printed Doutrina Christa written by Francis Xavier & Garcia de Orta called Colloquios Dos Simples Drogos Medicinais & an early work of the famous poet Luis De Camoes entitled Os Disparates Da India.

Dutch Challenge (1602-1639)

Maratha Incursions (1667-1683)

Revolt of Ranes (1852-1912)

Jai Hind Movement (1946)

To intensify the flickering torch of freedom, the Indian Socialist leader, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, courted arrest on June 18, 1946 by defiantly addressing a mammoth meeting in Goa.

In August 1946, at Londa on the border, a mass meeting of Goan nationalist workers charted out a plan of non-violent action. To express the peoples’s longing for freedom, satyagrahas were launched till the year ended in different parts of the Portuguese enclaves and resulted in 1500 Goans being imprisoned and the ring leaders deported.

Goa Action Committee (1953)

After the French withdrawal from India a futile attempt was made by the Government of India to negotiate with the Portugal for a peaceful transfer of its possession to the Indian Union. Consequently the Goa Action Committee was formed in Bombay to awaken sympathy for its cause within the country and abroad.

Operation Vijaya (1961)

In 1958 all parties amalgamated under the banner of Goan Political Convention presided over by Professor Aloysius Soares.

In a carefully planned action by Armed forces, the Government of India entered Goa. Scant resistance was offered and on December 1961 with hardly any bloodshed, Goa was liberated from the Portuguese to remove the last vestiges of foreign domination in India.

Opinion Poll
Then came the Opinion poll held on January 16, 1967 to decide whether Goa would continue to be a part of UT or merge with Maharastra.

Goa as Union Territory
The Union Teritory of Goa, Daman & Diu is divided into three districts namely Goa, Daman and Diu. As per the census of 1971 the total population of Goa amounts 92.69% of the population of the territory.

The area of Goa was constituted into a district in 1965 and the first Collector of Goa took charge on March 29, 1965. The deputy Collectors and Mamlatdars were appointed earlier in February 1965, two Deputy Collectors for 2 divisions of the district, namely North Division & South Division. The Mamlatdars replaced the Concelho Administrators of the Portuguese Regime.

Goa attained statehood on 30th may, 1987 and was divided into two districts North Goa & South Goa.

The composite Collectorate of Goa was bifurcated into Collectorate North Goa District & South Goa District w.e.f. from 15 August 1987, having their respective headquarters at Panaji & Margao. Panaji city remained to be the capital of Goa.

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North Goa » History of North Goa » Tourist Places of North Goa » Folk Dances of North Goa

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