A Goa no one knows about#offbeatgoa

Tripoto
16th Feb 2018

Unexplored Goa

Photo of A Goa no one knows about#offbeatgoa by Preeti Choudhary

Goa: The name reminds us of crowded beaches, water sports, night life and whenever one plans for Goa trip these are the things that come to the mind. But my dear friends, apart from Arambol, Baga or Candolim there is much more in Goa. I also love Goa and its beaches but i am also a huge fan of architecture, art, paintings and history. I was always very interested in Goan History, how it was a Portuguese colony and then was included in India. And Portugal for me is bright coloured houses, music, food. This is the picture of Portugal in my head. So when my husband and i planned a trip to Goa i asked him i want one extra day to check out the old Goa and he said yes to it. As soon as we reached Panji we rented a bike and left for old goa. The place where one can still find influence of Portuguese tradition, art and architecture is Fontainhas. Fontainhas is the oldest Latin quarter of Panjim, and is similar to a Mediterranean city and is located at the foot of the Altinho Hills. It is bounded on the west by the hills with springs from which its name derives. (Fontainhas is Portuguese for "little fountain".) On the east side, it is bounded by an ancient creek known as the Ourem Creek. You must be thinking what is so unique about this place. There you can find old houses built in the 18th and 19th centuries in the Portuguese architectural style remain in their original colourful elegance with roofs made of red tiles and houses painted in pale yellow, green or blue colours. Some of these old houses are now converted in cool cafe or art gallery. In evening you can hear Violinists play music and locals in their traditional pants and hats. Women mostly wear flower printed dresses. One can find many antique and old cars in this area. The streets are narrow in this area but are very clean. The Chapel of St Sebastian is also located at the southern end of Fontainhas. The Chapel was built in 1880 and is still in very good shape. I must say this place is a must visit area for those who love to get in touch with culture of different countries.

Photo of Fontainhas, Altinho, Panaji, Goa, India by Preeti Choudhary