A little state placed by the pleasing Western shoreline of India, Goa has been one among the most well-liked tourist spots on this planet! Any discussion regarding the culture of Goa is imperfect if we didn’t explore deep into its rich past! Goa’s history is equally rich as its culture and traditions! It had been said to be the first parts of the subcontinent to become colonized- and among the very last to be liberated. Conversely, the the past of Goa goes way ahead of this colonization…
The queen of seashores in India is talked about even in the Mahabharata- said to be the earliest of Hindu epics. Referred to as ‘Gomantak’ or lush territory in the earlier texts, the the past of Goa is steeped in mystery and myths!legends! Allow me to share a few of the most riveting historical beliefs that are associated with the area:
One legend has it the sage Parashuram contributed towards the making of the whole Konkan coast. The legend goes this way-When he was requested to leave the land where he’d annihilated a whole community of kshatriyas (the warrior class in ancient India), Parashuram asked the sea to recede making sure that he could develop a territory for himself. He shot an arrow through the Western Ghats. Place in which the arrow landed was to become the spot from which the seas had been ordered to go back.
Till date, this place is called Bannali (a Sanskrit word for a village in which the arrow landed)! The sea gods obeyed and land on the banks of the rivers Gomati and Asghanasani was surrendered to Parashuram. You can always catch a glimpse of the renowned Parashuram Temple there! You could still make out the rivers in modern day Goa, only now these are referred to as Mandovi and Zuari.
Another abiding legend regarding the Goa’s history goes this way- the Hindu god lord Krishna was captivated by the great thing about some Konkan ladies he saw bathing on the Konkan shoreline. Further, he was enthralled by their dancing and imparted the name ‘govapuri referring to the cows -from the word ‘gov’ – belonging to the local people) on the region. The modern day ‘Goa’ derives its name from this legendary Govapuri. Fascinating, isn’t it?
The culture of Goa has been influenced a lot by its ancient history. It had been probably the most popular of areas in the kingdom of ancient India. Goa, from the 4th century onwards was ruled by many dynasties. The 1st empire that ruled the place was the Bhojas during the fourth and 5th centuries. They were followed by the Silahara and the Kadamba dynasties.
During the 14th century Goa was thrust into the limelight when it started off as a great trading centre. It became the point of interest for traders seeking to do business using the Middle Eastern countries. This finally led to the colonization from the land through the Europeans at a later stage.
