Goa – Land of Feasts and Carnivals

Goa is a small state on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan. It is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, Karnataka to the east and south and by Arabian sea to the west.

Panji is the state capital and Vasco da Gama is the largest city. Goa was first of all captured by Portuguese merchants in the 15th century. The Portuguese rule continued till 1961, till it came under Republic of India.

Goa is world famous for its beautiful beaches and thousands of tourists come from Far off countries of all over the world come to explore its beauty and frolic atmosphere. It comes under most popular tourist destination for holidays and fun for the Europeans. Besides its golden beaches, it is also known for its beautiful churches especially the Basilica of Bom Jesus. It has also rich agriculture and varity of products including coconuts, Cashew nuts are grown.

There is no special tourist season in Goa, but during Christmas its colors and vibrance is impeccable. There are carnivals and dances on the streets. Whole Goa seems to be under festive mood. It is one of the best time to explore Goa.

Goa comes under tropical zone and has a warm and humid climate for most of the year. The month of May is hottest with day temperatures of over 35 degrees celcius with high humidity. The monsoon arrives by the first week of June and gives relief to the Goans from high scorching heat. The monsoon rejuvenates Goa which lasts upto September. The short winter season falls between mid-December and February. The months are marked by cool nights of around 20 degrees Celsius and day temperature of about 29 degrees Celsius.

The primary industry of Goa is tourism. It handles about 12.5 % of all foreign tourist arrivals in India. Tourism is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa, with decreased tourist activity. Goa experiences great traditional Portuguese cultural heritage and about 35% of population is catholic. That’s why large number of tourists arrive in Goa from Europe and USA as they find very relaxed and calm intimate atmosphere as compared to rest of Indian subcontinent. The food of Goa is also a mixture from Portugal, Western India and Arabis. It is one of the few places of India where you can get beef and pork easily. The food served is as that of the European taste and beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks are sold freely.

These are some of the reasons which make Goa a hot spot for the tourists to enjoy their holidays and each years thousands of domestic and foreign tourists visit Goa.