THE GOAN CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PROJECT REPORTED
NAME : ALI AHMAD KHAN
PROGRAMME CODE: BTS
ENROLMENT NUMBER: 178378485
REGIONAL CENTRE CODE: 08 (PANAJI)
COURSE CODE: PTS4
MOBILE NO: 9623471996
E-MAIL ID: khnali76@gmail.com
CERTIFICATE
I Certified that the Project entitled ‘ THE GOAN CULTURE AND HERITAGE’
(PTS 04) Which ‘ ’ submitted by Ali Ahmad Khan for the award degree of BTS to
Indira Gandhi national open university if for original work which has been carried
out by him under my guidance and supervision
Supervisor’s signature
Name of the supervisor : Mrs. Sadika Farhath .M. Ali
Address : Ignou councillor, 0801.
INDEX
SR.NO TITLE
1. Aim and objective
2. Introduction
3. Religion
4 festivals
5. cuisine
6. alcoholic drinks
7. language
8. literature
9. arts
10. goan crafts
11. hetitage
THE GOAN CULTURE AND
HERITAGE
Aim and objective
The main aim and objective of this project is to get knowledge and be aware of oue goan culture and
heritage.
Culture is the art and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regaurded collectively.
It’s the ideas ,custom, and social behavior of a particular people or society.
Heritage is all the qualities, traditions, or features of life there that have continued over many years
and have been passed on from one generation to another. The historic building is as much part of our
heritage the objective is to disscuse about culture like religion, arts and crafts,dance and music, attire
and many more ; and heritages like forts and other monuments of goa.
INTRODUCTION
The Culture of goan is a blend of Portuguese and Indian cultures. After the Portuguese
arrived Goa in 1510, they adopted the Portuguese culture but retained their Hindu caste
system and few other customs and traditions. Contemporary Goan Catholic culture can be
best described as an increasingly anglicised Indo-Latin culture.Goa a former Portuguese
territory,for more that 250 years is often describedas the rome of the east.It has over the
past de cades,become the dream holiday destination for many foreign tourist.Goa’s rich
culture heritage comprises of folk dance,folk songs,viuals arts,music and entertainments.
Music is in the blood of goan since time immrmorial,in almost every family you will find
pianist or a guitarist.bring a part of culture,music of goa is a blend of east and west.while
the ryural areas still stick to the traditional forms of music ,the urban areas have shiled to
a more modern version.you would get every music from Portuguese to technology but
what has caught goa these day is the goa trance.Goa trance is a vibrant and psychedlid
dance music that is best enjoyed on the dance drug LSD and is a prowerful and kaledoscop
tapestry of sound.of late goa trance has also made an impact in the international music
circle.the music is so much in demand in parties that the are now called the trance
parties.the almost forgotten folk dances dhalo,fugdi,corrdinho,mando and performing folk
arts like khell-tiatro,jagar-perani and many others have come out into their own.indeed the
folk arts,music and folk dance have crossed the broderof the state and become popular in
the rest of the country during the past 25 years .
Goan food too forms an important part of the culture of goa.goa boast of many different
cuisines the kokan,the Portuguese and the bahamani nawabi tradition.The most preferred
and liked drink of the goans is known as feni which is made mainly from coconut
water.Some of the popular sports that are played in goa include bull fighting as wel as
football.moreover wonderful fairs and festivals such as siesta a popular hindu festivals are
also celebrated in goa with much tnthusiasm.When you travel to goa you will find that goa
is famous for its indo latin festivals especially the famous carnival.these are the occusions
when goan peasant manifests joy and happiness.culturral heritage of goa consists of
numerous goa churches,temples and mosque.moreover, goas exotic beaches that sprawl
over wide and soft sands as well as the sea food of goa are much admired and liked by
people visiting goa from different places,.goas cultutre richness and vividness is well
reflected through goan folk dances,goan folk culture and goan songs it’s been 40 years
since the Portuguese left goa and since then goa has turned it self to bring one of the most
westernized and dashing place.
#1 Religion
Goa is a secular state with numerous religions being practiced freely. Hinduism, Islam, and
Christianity are the top religions here. The majority of the population follows Hinduism.
There is a small 0.1% of Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs living in this region. Ancient Goa was
a Hindu region. During the rule of Portuguese, Christianity was imposed on the population.
Roman Catholic was very common during the rule of Portuguese. Many churches were
built in Renaissance styled architecture in Goa. You can also find a few mosques around
the region. Today, all the religions are thriving in harmony in Goa.
#2 Festival
Goa is famous for its Indo-Latin festivals, carnivals, and fiesta. If you are looking for a
European styled celebration, Goa is the right place to visit. On the other hand, traditional
Hindu festivals are also common here. Top festivals to enjoy here are Easter, Diwali,
Christmas, GaneshChaturthi, Goa carnival, Feast of St. Francis Xavier and others.Apart
from religious festivals, Goa is the land, where festivals for music, dance, and other
cultural elements are conducted.
Top festivals to enjoy in Goa are:
1) Shantadurga – January festival related to Goddess Shantadurga. Festival is famous for
the procession, five-day fair, and many cultural activities
2) Wine Festival – Since 2005, Panjim is celebrating the wine festival in January with grape
stomping tradition, wine tasting and much more.
3) MahaShivratri – A Hindu religious festival dedicated to Lord Shiva. Devotees keep
themselves awake throughout the night and perform rituals to Lord Shiva.
4) Goa Carnival – This three-day carnival takes place in Panjim. You can find
processions of live bands floats and much more. This is India’s Mardi gras.
6) Shigmo – This is a regional Hindu festival celebrated for 15 days with colorful activities,
cultural performances and so on.
7) Easter – Christian festival celebrated with zeal in Old Goa regions
8) International Film Festival – the Indian version of the Canne Film Festival during which
actors, directors, and others flock the place.
9) Feast of St. Francis Xavier – Nine-day festival celebrating the life and work of St. Francis
Xavier with feast and other celebrations
10)Christmas – Holy Christian celebration with Christmas tree, feasts, Santa Claus and
much more.
Festivals are the best time to visit and explore Goa in
its most cultural form. Locals appreciate tourists
joining with them for celebrating their festivals.
#3 Cuisines
Rice with seafood dishes are the staple food of the region. Top fish species available in
the menu are ladyfish, lobster, tiger prawn, squid, and others. Coconut is found in
abundance here and thus, coconut oil is the basic lubricant used in cooking. Spices grow
in lush in this region. Thus, the cuisine has a rich spice palate. Vinegar is used in
abundance, which is quite contrasting to other Indian cuisines. This gives a unique taste
to Goan cuisine. Iconic beverage of this region is cashew wine, which is made from
fermentation of cashew fruit. Goan cuisine is a mixture of Portuguese, Konkani, and
Brazillian cuisine. Most of the traditional dishes are grilled and a generous amount of
garlic is added to the dishes. Top dishes to try in Goa are:
1) Pork Vindaloo – pork dish flavored with spices and vinegar
2) Goa sausages – sausage made with pork infused with spices
3) Chicken cafreal – grilled meat dish flavored with green chilies, spices, and
peppercorns
4) Chicken/prawn/vegetable Xacuti – creamy dish made with poppy seeds, chilies,
ground coconut, and others
5) Fish/ vegetable Caldine – yellowish mild Goa fish or vegetable curry
6) Dodol – Christmas cake made with cane sugar, coconut milk, cashew, and rice
flour
7) Bebinca – coconut milk and sugar flavored multi-layered cake
# You would be familiar with Goa’s connection with alcohols but, if you are looking for
some non-alcoholic drinks, top things to try are:
1) Kokum juice – Juice from a local exotic fruit, kokum, service with salt, sugar or both
2) Tender coconut water
3) Sugar cane juice spiked with a small amount of ginger
Popular alcoholic drinks of goa
Feni
Feni is a favorite local drink in Goa and has been a part of Goan food tradition for over 400
years. Feni is made either from cashew or coconut palm sap, which is then fermented and
distilled. This locally made liquor, unlike other alcoholic drinks, doesn’t give you a
hangover. In fact, it is seen as one of the best traditional remedies for Goans to combat
common cold, cough and flu.
King’s Beer
Not as commonly found as Kingfisher Beer, King’s Black Label Premium pilsner is well
worth trying in Goa. Brewed from maize, this is a very light tasting, pale colored beer that
is known for its smoky malt aroma with an alcohol content of 4.85%.
Urrak
Urrak, one of Goa’s tastiest drinks, is made from distilled and fermented extracts of cashew
fruit. Urrak is made of the first distillation of the cashew fruits and has a characteristic
sweet, fruity taste while Feni is made with the second or third distillation of the cashew
fruit and is available throughout the year. Goans have been drinking Urrak since the late
1700s.
#4 Language
Konkani is the major language in this region. Almost all Goans can understand and speak
Konkani. Apart from Konkani; Marathi and Hindi are quite common. Konkani was derived
from the ancient language of Indo-Aryan civilization. The languages spoken by different
communities in this region vary from each other. The Christian communities speak Konkan
with a lot of influence from Portuguese vocabulary. Those who live in Northern Goa will
have a greater accent of Marathi and Hindi, because of the proximity to Mumbai. Apart from
this, English is a common language here.
#5 Literature
Goa has a small population of 1.4 million people. However, this hasn’t stopped the region
from producing quality literary works. Did you know that Goa is the first Asian destination
to have a working printing press? It was brought into the region in the 16th century but, it
was destroyed during colonial wars. You can find Goa literature in almost 13 languages.
The top languages of work are Portuguese, English, Konkani, and Marathi. The first novel
from Goa was published in the 19th century by Francisco Luis Gomes. If you are looking
for some books to enlighten you in Konkani literature, visit Goa University Library, Goa
State Central Library, and others.
#6 Arts
Goan culture gives more importance to theater performance arts. Dashavatar and Kalo are
the most performed art in theatre stages. Tiatr is anothDulpod and Mando. Hinduism
population of Goa enjoys Kirtan, Natak and Bhajan styled music too.
Konkani Cinema - Konkani cinema might not be as famous as Bollywood but, it is of
cultural importance. In 2018, the Konkani cinema celebrated its centennial and has
released 145 films. The first Konkani film was made in 1949 but, it was never released.
The first released movie was MogachoAnvddo in 1950.
#7 Dance And Music
The traditional music styles of Goa are been organizing GALF (Goa Arts and Literary
Festival). This festival is celebrated for three days and it includes discussions, lectures,
debates, and displays of art, photography,music, and others.
renowned classical singers of the country were from Goa like Jitendra Abhisheki, Kishori
Amonkar, Prabhakar Karekar, and others. The traditional dance forms of the land are
Fugdi, Deknni, Dashavtara, Corridinho, and others. Western-style of singing, dance and
other cultural activities are very common among the population.
Ghode Modni
This is a folk dance form, which is performed as the dance of warriors. The dancers carry
a sword and wear armors to show their bravery. For this dance form, the background
music is usually Tasha and Dhol.
Mando
Mando is a common music version, which is usually in the romantic genre. This folk style
starts with a sand tune and ends with a happy rhythm (Duldop). This music style is a
mixture of Konkani music and Portuguese style.
Dekhni Dance
This is a song-dance performance. The, which is famous in cinemas.
Goff Talgadi and Shigmo
These two are folk dances, which are performed to welcome spring. This is a festive styled
dance form performed by farmers. Talgadi dances have a small stick in their hand, which
they beat as per the rhythm of the song. It is quite similar to Gujarat’s dandiya
dance.Shigmo dancers wear colorful dresses and the dance style has many beats.
Dhangar
This is the folk dance form of shepherds. This dance is backgrounded with flute music. These dances are
dedicated to Krishna and Radha (Hindu mythological love couples).
Lamp Dance
This dance is performed by dancers while holding a lamp on their heads with balance. This
dance form is common during the Shigmo festival. The music for this dance is mainly
instrumental. This dance is quite common in the central and southern parts of Goa
#8 Goan Crafts
Goan craftworks are more colorful and nature-based than many states of the country. Just
like any other region in India, Goan crafts are unique and interesting. There are numerous
flea markets, street shops and malls in Goa where you can find craftworks of varying kinds.
Starting from lacquer work to bamboo toys, you can find souvenirs for all ages.
The top forms of craftwork items of this region are jute articles, bamboo articles, brass
statues, wood articles, Papier-Mache, embroidery, coconut shell articles, and others. If you
are looking for some decorative items for your home, pottery works, and terracotta items
are common in the markets. Starting from flower pot to ashtray, you can find numerous
products. If you are looking for metal works, brass and copper crafts are of top importance
here. Do you know that many families in Goa consider metal casting articles as an
heirloom? The articles are passed on from one generation to another. Starting from church
bells to oil lamps, you can find articles of varying styles and for different religions too.
#9 Clothing
The traditional wear of the Goan population has a lot of influence from Western culture. The Koli
fishermen dress in half-pants and bright shirts. Tribal communities wear loincloths with a thick blanket
on their shoulders. The modern population has adapted western wear. Most of the womenfolk wear 9-
yard sarees or skirts. Traditional jewelry is worn by women.
#11 Occupation
Since it is a coastal area, many communities have fishing as their main occupation. The fertile regions
of Goa have many farmers. Top crops cultivated in this region are paddy, banana, pulses, cashew,
mango, coconut, ragi, pineapple, maize, jackfruit, and others.A major part of the population has
indulged in the tourism industry due to the increasing number of tourists. Apart from these, with the
development of the IT field, you can find computer-based workers in every nook and corner of Goa.
HERITGE
Aguada Fort
The Aguada Fort was built by the Portuguese colonial rulers on the beach south of
Candolim at the shore of the Mandovi River in 1612. A freshwater spring within the fort
provided water supply to the ships that used to stop by. This is how the fort got its name
'Aguada' meaning Water. The heart of the fort was protected by two hundred cannot and
a deep dry moat, which one still has to cross to get inside. `
Shri Mangueshi Temple
Shri Mangueshi Temple is situated in North Goa. It is of the must visit Goa tourist
places and a major pilgrimage site of Goa stateThis beautiful temple is dedicated to Lord
Shiva. It belongs to the typical Goan Hindu temple style of architecture. It is very
distinctive with its white towers, welcoming at the entrance even though it is small and
exquisite..
Se Cathedral
The Se Cathedral is dedicated to St. Catherine. It is also known to be the oldest and the most
celebrated religious buildings in Goa and has the prestige of being the seat of Archdiocese
of Goa. According to history, Alfonso Albuquerque in 1510 defeated the Muslim army on the
feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria and took possession of Goa. The construction of this
imposing church began in 1562 during the reign of King Dom Sebastiao and substantially
completed by 1619.
Reis Mogos Fort
This Fort was built by the Portuguese Viceroy Alfonso de Noronha in 1551 and was
rebuilt in 1707. It was played an important role in the defense of Goa in 1739 against the
Marathas. Originally it was an armed outpost built by the Adil Shah in the late 1400 and
got destroyed in 1500. In the beginning the Portuguese used this Fort as a shelter for the
viceroys and dignitaries who arrived from Lisbon. But gradually Portuguese realized the
strategic importance of this Fort and used it to ward off Marathaarmies.
Chapora Fort
Built in red laterite stones, the fort has steep slopes on all the sides and stands on an
area which has irregular outer plan. This massive fort was constructed by the king of
Bijapur, Adil Shah. This is one reason why it has been named Shahpura, which means
the 'town of Shah'. The Chapora Fort is one of the prime attractions on Goa.
Shri Shantadurga Temple
Shri Shantadurga Temple is a large temple located at the foothill of Kavlem village in
Ponda Taluka. This temple is considered as one of the most important and the biggest
temple in Goa. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Shantadurga the Goddess of Peace.
The deity is also called 'Santeri' informally. According to the legend, a fierce battle was
made between Shiva and Vishnu that Lord Brahma prayed to Parvati to intervene, which
she did in the form of Shantadurga. Shantadurga placed Vishnu on her right hand and
Shiva on her left hand and settled the fight. The deity of Shantadurga is shown as
holding two serpents one in each hand representing Vishnu and Shiva. This avatar of
Shree Jagdamba Devi which had come to make peace between Shree Vishnu and Shree
Shiva came to be known as Shree Shantadurga Devi.
St. Augustine Tower
The Church and Monastery of St Augustine were built in 1572 by 12 Augustines when they
arrived in the city of Goa. The construction of the church was completed in 1602 AD. They
also built a convent besides the church. A ban was imposed by the Portuguese
government against the Augustines. The church and the convent thereafter were
deserted.
Shri Mahalaxmi Temple
Shri Mahalaxmi Temple is situated in the village of Bandora or Bandivade about 4 km
from Ponda. This Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu's consort Mahalaxmi. The temple is
considered as the abode of the original Goddess of the Shakti cult and its unique feature
is that the Devi wears linga on her head. The idol of Mahalaxmi with four arms holding a
sickle, a club, a dagger and a vessel containing Prasad and flowers, has a close
resemblance to that of Mahalaxmi idol at Kolhapur. Besides the main black granite stone
idol, there was another idol of the Devi made of panchloha. The Sabhamandap has a
gallery of 18 images, out of 24 images of emanatory aspects of Bhagavata sect., it is one
of the largest galleries of wooden Images of Vishnu in India.
Cabo De Rama Fort
Cabo de Rama Fort is also known as The Cape of Rama. The fort derives its name from
Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana stayed here with his wife during their 14 years of
exile. The Fort was first occupied by Hindu rulers who spread their empire all over India.
The cape is crowned by a fort which was originally a Hindu structure and rebuilt by the
Portuguese in 1763 after acquiring it from the Maratha King of Sonda. The Fort has
elaborated defenses complete with a moat, gatehouse and several bastions. Many of the
bastions still have large cannons lying strewn above them. The fort has a well and two
springs from which cold and hot water used to emerge from two different nozzles. The
Fort also houses a large water tank with stone steps descending into it. Also within the
Fort are ruins of buildings that may have been used are quarters for the troops stationed
at the fort.
CONCLUSION
Goa is very unique when compared to the rest of the regions in India. The land spikes with
entertainment and western culture. If you are looking for a vacation in India, it is time to
visit Goa. Goa’s culture is the main attraction, which adds more spice to your vacation.
Here is everything you need to know about the culture of Goa.
Culture of goa includes religion practiced here ,festivals celebrated, cusine, language
spoken, literature, art and craft, dance music, adevature, clothing, occupation and many
more.
Heritage includes forts like aguada fort, Reis Mogos Fort, cabo de rama, chapora
fort;temples like shri shantadurga, shri mangueshi, shri mahalaxmi temple;and churches
like st. cathedral, st Augustine tower.
Refrence
1. https://www.travelogyindia.com/goa/culture-ofgoa.html
2. www.indianmirror.com/culture/states-culture/goa.html
3. www.trawell.in/goa/heritage
4. www.travelogyindia.com/goa/culture-of-goa.html
Thank you
