Goa and Temples may not rhyme well since it is better known for its beaches, churches and now Casinos.
Temples in Goa are known as "devasthana", that used to be at the center of the village. Life revolved around them not just for religious but social purposes as well. Most of the Temples are "kuldevatha" or family deity temples of the Saraswat Brahmin community, who dominated this region before the Portuguese took over. These temples are a few hundred years old as they exist today though not located where they were originally built. They were located in various villages across the state of Goa and during the Portuguese rule, when the temples were being demolished, the idols were moved here by the Brahmin families and re-installed in and around Ponda. Temples were subsequently built and the influence of Portuguese architecture is visible on all of them in various forms and shapes.
Since my visit to Goa was after a long spell of time, I could see visible changes in Goa. The quality of roads and its network had improved by leaps and bounds. It is perhaps the only State where directions are easily understood and even an outsider can navigate without much difficulty.
I chose a resort at Porvorim for the stay due to its proximity to 2 major towns – Panaji, the administrative capital city and Mapusa known for its vibrancy and markets. Famous beaches like Candolim, Calungute, Baga and Anjuna are also close to Porvorim.
Since I was visiting Goa in the month of November, the weather was quite pleasant thought it was hot and humid during the daytime. The local transportation in Goa is not too great and the best way to move around at one's convenience is to hire a scooter or a car on self drive basis. I hired a hatchback car for 4 days to visit the Temples, the beaches, the famous Mapusa Friday market and a lovely village called Aldona.
My visit to the famous Friday market of Mapusa followed by a short detour to Aldona village, was the highlight of this trip.
The Mapusa market has still retained its old world charm since the days of the Portuguese rule. You can buy the best wet cashews and kokum (no English name for this fruit) at Mapusa. The market has everything to offer, meat, fruits, vegetables, bakery products, clothes, wine and just about anything.
From Mapusa, I visited a village called Aldona (8 kms from Mapusa) which is surrounded by green fields and rivulets. The old Portuguese style villas and Churches make this place really unique.
Goans are typically very simple, honest and extremely helpful people. The inflow of unruly tourists and people from other States has given Goa a bad name of late. The locals are also protesting the existence of casinos, which is destroying their local culture and heritage. Goa is indeed transforming itself into a “sin” city from a small, calm and sleepy State a few decades ago.
Hopefully next time I visit Goa, the place would still retain its charm and not go the wrong way. Viva Goa !!
