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Old Goa,
nine km west of Panaji, half dozen imposing churches and cathedrals
 (among the largest in Asia) are all
that remain of that remain of the Portuguese capital that was once
said to rival Lisbon in magnificent. Some of the old buildings have
become museums and maintained by Archaeological Survey of India -- a
maintenance is very necessary because if the lime plaster which
protect the laterite structures is not renewed frequently, the
monsoons will reduce the buildings to ruin. |
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Even before the arrival of the
Portuguese, Old Goa was a thriving and prosperous city, and the
second capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty Bijapur. At the time, it
was a fortress surrounded by wall, tower and moat, and contained
temples, mosques and the large palace Adil Shah. Today, none of
these structures remain expect for a fragment of the gate way
to the place. Under the Portuguese, the city grew rapidly in size
and splendor, despite an epidemic in 1543 which wiped out a large
percentage of the the population. Many huge Churches
Monasteries and convent were erected by the various religion orders
which came to Goa under royal mandates. The Franciscans were the
first to arrive.
The city Muddled on into the
early 19th century as the administrative capital of Portugal's
eastern empire. In 1843, the capital was shifted to Panaji .It is
also called Velha Goa.
Area
Climate
Population
:
Telephone Code: 0832.
Tourist Season : All Year
Round; Goa is like that.
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