Goa
TITLE: Calangute Beach
Calangute is famous for its beach, the largest in north Goa, visited by thousands of domestic and international tourists alike. The peak tourist season is during Christmas and New Year, and during the summer in May. During the monsoon season, from June through September, the sea can be rough and swimming is prohibited. The beach offers water sport activities like parasailing and water skiing, among others.
TITLE: Fort Aguada
Fort Aguada and its lighthouse is a well-preserved seventeenth-century Portuguese fort standing in Goa, India, on Sinquerim Beach, overlooking the Arabian Sea.The fort was constructed in 1613 to guard against the Dutch and the Marathas. It was a reference point for the vessels coming from Europe at that time. This old Portuguese fort stands on the beach south of Candolim, at the shore of the Mandovi River. It was initially tasked with defense of shipping and the nearby Bardez sub-district.
TITLE: Basilica of Bom Jesus
The Basilica of Bom Jesus or Borea Jezuchi Bajilika (Portuguese: Basílica do Bom Jesus) is located in Goa, India, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. The church is located in Old Goa, which was the capital of Goa in the early days of Portuguese rule. ‘Bom Jesus’ (literally, ‘Good (or Holy) Jesus’) is the name used for the Ecce Homo in the countries of Portuguese colonization. The Jesuit church is India’s first minor basilica, and is considered to be one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India.
TITLE: Sé Cathedral
The Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina, known as Se Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and the seat of the Patriarch of the East Indies. Located in Old Goa, India, the largest church in India is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. It is one of the oldest and most celebrated religious buildings in Goa and is one of the largest churches in Asia.The Se Cathedral was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque over a Muslim army, leading to the capture of the city of Goa in 1510. Since the day of the victory happened to be on the feast of Saint Catherine, the cathedral was dedicated to her.
TITLE: Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church
The Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, Panjim, Goa, which was first built in 1541 as a chapel by the Portuguese, was replaced by a larger church, as seen now, in a wedding cake shape. The facade of the church is painted in super white colour like a “white toothpaste” and is built in Baroque architecture. Initially a chapel was built in 1541 to cater to the spiritual needs of the sailors as it was their first port of call. At that time it was a small waterlogged fishing village. It became a Parish in 1600 and in 1609 the chapel was replaced by the present large church to meet the religious aspirations of the people, even though the village was very small. In the 18th century more additions were made to the church in the form of the stairways in a symmetrical zigzag form. A large church bell, the second largest in Goa (the largest is a golden bell at the Se Cathedral), which was part of the Augustinian Monastery on Holy Hill, was retrieved after the monastery was damaged, and installed in this church in 1871.
TITLE: Miramar Beach
Miramar is the beach area of the Goan capital of Panjim, also known as Panaji and is one of the most visited beaches of Goa. Many people, mostly tourists, come to this beach every day. Originally named Porta de Gaspar Dias by the Portuguese, the name was then changed to Miramar.Situated at the confluence of the Mandovi River and the Arabian Sea, it is a small beach that occasionally hosts some events. There are several educational institutions in the surrounding vicinity, including Dhempe College of Arts and Science, Padmashree Vasantrao Dempo Higher Secondary School of Arts and Science and Sharada Mandir High School. Gaspar de Dias club and a popular café are nearby.
TITLE: Bogmalo Beach
Bogmalo Beach (pronounced [bɔːɡmaːɭɔː]) is a small beach-side village in Goa, India. It is situated in a small bay with around a mile of curving sandy beach. The beach is located about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Dabolim Airport and 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the port town of Vasco da Gama.
TITLE: Dona Paula
Dona Paula is a former village, and tourist destination, in the suburbs of Panaji, Goa, India. It is today home to the National Institute of Oceanography, and just alongside it lie the Goa University and the International Centre Goa. It is also home to a number of hotels, small and large, and the luxury Cidade de Goa is situated in the area. The place is named after Paula Amaral Antonio de Souto Maior, a historical figure in Portuguese India. She was the daughter of the Portuguese Viceroy of Jaffnapatnam, in Sri Lanka. She and her family arrived in Goa in 1644 and she married a Fidalgo from Spain in 1656. Her husband was Dom Antonio Souto Maior. They were an extremely affluent family, and the entire property from the present day Cabo Raj Nivas all the way to Caranzalem belonged to the Souto Maiors. She died on December 16, 1682. Dona Paula was a woman of charity and is known to have helped the villagers and worked a lot for their betterment, so after her death, the villagers decided to rename the village as Dona Paula. Initially the village was called Oddavell.
TITLE: Streets of Panjim
Panaji means “land that never floods”. It has terraced hills, concrete buildings with balconies and red-tiled roofs, churches, and a riverside promenade. There are avenues lined with gulmohar, acacia and other trees. The Baroque Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church is located overlooking the main square known as Praça da Igreja. Colourful villas, cobbled streets and interesting buildings give Panaji a Portuguese ambience.
TITLE: Abyss-Big Marine Fish Aquarium
TITLE: Karmali Railway Station
Originally published at aperturephotostudio.wordpress.com on August 14, 2015.
