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Margao is Goa's second largest town and
a bustling commercial centre. Barely frequented by travellers, this
central Goan town has an old-worldly charm about it because of its Old
Portuguese churches, and fine country houses decked with dark rosewood
furniture.
Surrounded by fertile farmland, the town has always been an important
agricultural market, and was once a major religious centre, with dozens of
wealthy temples and Dharamshalas - however; most of these were destroyed
when the Portuguese adsorbed the area into their Novas Conquistas during
the 17th century.
Today, Catholic churches still outnumber Hindu shrines, but Margao has
retained a distinctly cosmopolitan feel, largely due to a huge influx of
migrant labour from neighbouring
Karnataka and
Maharashtra
.
PRIME ATTRACTIONCITIES
The Old Market: If one is arriving in Goa on the Konkan Railway
from Mumbai or
South
India , one will almost certainly have to pause in Margao to pickup
onwards transport by road. The other reason to come here is to shop at the
town's excellent market. Stretching from the south edge of the main square
to within a stone's throw of the old railway station, the Bazaar centres
on a labyrinthine covered area that's a rich source of authentic souvenirs
and a good place to browse.
CHURCHES
The Stately Church Of The Holy Spirit: While one is here, take a
short rickshaw ride north to the Stately Church of the Holy Spirit, in the
heart of a dishevelled but picturesque colonial enclave. Presiding over
the dusty Largo de Igreja Square, the church, built by the Portuguese in
1675, is one of the finest examples of late-Baroque architecture in Goa,
boasting a pristine white façade and an interior dripping with gilt
crystal and stucco.
The picturesque farming villages strewn across the verdant countryside
around Margao host a scattering of evocative colonial monuments and a
handful of Hindu temples that can be visited
on day trips from the coast.
EXCURSIONSMANSIONS
Lutolim: Peppered around the leafy lanes of Lutolim, 10-km
northeast of Margao, are several of Goa's most beautiful colonial
mansions, dating from the heyday of the Portuguese empire when this was
the countryseat of the territory's top brass. Lying just off the main
road, the village is served by eight daily buses from Margao, which drop
passengers off on the square in front of a lopsided looking church. The
cream of Lutolim's houses lie within walking distance of here, nestled in
the woods, or along the road leading south. However, visits have to be
arranged in advance through the Margao tourist office.
Within Loutlim: Pick of the crop in Lutolim is Miranda house, a
stone's throw from the square. Fronted by a plain classical façade,
the mansion was built in the 1700s, though renovated later following raids
by a clan of rebel Rajput bandits. Today, it is occupied by a famous Goan
cartoonist, and his family, direct descendants of the wealthy Areca
planters who originally owned the surrounding estate. Route Caetan Miranda
house, two minutes' walk south of the square, and Salvador Costa House,
tucked away on the western edge of the village, are other mansions worth
hunting out; the later is occupied by an elderly lady who only welcomes
visitors by appointment.
Lutolim's other attraction is the quirky model village cum heritage
centre, a short way east of the square, called Ancestral Goa. Set up to
show visitors a cross section of local village life as it was a hundred
years ago, it's a well meaning but ultimately dull exhibition of miniature
houses and dressed dummies.
OTHERS
Chandor: 13-km east of Margao across the fertile rice fields of
Salcete lies sleepy Chandor village, a scattering of tumbledown villas and
farmhouses ranged along shady tree-lined lanes. The main reason to venture
out here is the splendid Perreira Braganza / Menezes-Braganza house,
regarded as the grandest of Goa's colonial mansions. Dominating the dusty
village square, the house, built in the 1500s by the wealthy Braganza
family for their two sons, has a huge double-storeyed façade, with
28 windows flanking its entrance.
Braganza de Perreira, the great grandfather of the present owner, was the
last knight of the King of Portugal; more recently, Menezes Braganza, a
famous journalist and freedom fighter, was one of the few Goan aristocrats
to actively oppose Portuguese rule. Forced to flee Chandor in 1950, the
family returned in 1962 to find their house, amazingly untouched. The airy
tiled interiors of both wings contain a veritable feast of antiques.
Furniture enthusiasts, and lovers of rare Chinese porcelain, in
particular, will find plenty to drool over, while anyone interested in
religious relics should request a glimpse of St. Francis Xavier's
diamond-encrusted toenail, recently retrieved from a local bank vault and
enshrined in the east wing's tiny chapel.
Visitors generally travel to Chandor by taxi but one can also get there
by bus from Margao, or by train via Chandragoa station, 1-km northwest.
While many people turn up without an appointment, it is still a good idea
to call ahead through the tourist office.
HOW
TO GET THERERail: Margao's new Train station, the only stop in
Goa for most long distance express services on the
Konkan Railway, lies 3-km south of the centre. The Reservation office
(Monday-Saturday, 8.00 am-4.30 pm, Sunday 8.00 am- 2.00 pm) is divided
between the ground and the first floor; bookings for the superfast
Rajdhani Express to Delhi
are made at the hatch to the left of the main entrance. Tickets for trains
for Mumbai are short
in supply so make sure to book the tickets well in advance. There is also
a 24-hour Information Centre and round-the-clock pre-paid auto rickshaw
stand outside the exit.
Road: Local private buses to
Colva and
Benaulim leave from in
front of the Kamat hotel on the east side of Margao's main square. Long
distance bus services one can get at the main Kadamba Bus Stand, 3-km
further north, on the outskirts of the town. This is also the departure
point for interstate services to Magalore, via Chaudi and Gokarn, and for
services to Panjim and North Goa.
PLACES TO STAYWith Colvo and Benaulim a mere twenty-minutes bus ride away the accommodation options are available in plenty at Margao. GTDC Tourist Hotel is standard budget hotel one can stay in at Margao.
USEFUL
INFORMATION GTDC's Information Office: (Monday-Friday 9.30
am-5.30 pm) sells tourist maps and keeps useful lists of train and bus
timings.
Exchange Facilities: Available at the State bank Of India
(Monday-Friday 10.00 am-2.00 pm, Saturday 10.00 am-noon) of the west side
of the main square; the Bobcard office in the market sub-branch of the
Bank of baroda, on Luis Gomez road, does visa encashments.
GPO: The GPO is at the top of the municipal gardens, although its
Poste Restante is in a different building, 200m west on the Rua Diogo da
Costa.
NEARBY CITIES Lutolim: 10-km
Chandor: 13-km
Vasco-da-Gama: 30-km 