goa

Goa is India's smallest state population. Located in West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the stateof Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Goa is India's richest state with a GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole.It was ranked the best placed state by the Eleventh Finance Commission for its infrastructure and ranked on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Commission on Population based on the 12 Indicators. Panaji is the state's capital, while Vasco da Gama is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the cultural influence of thePortuguese, who first landed in the early 16th century as merchants and conquered it soon thereafter. Goa is a former Portuguese province; thePortuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961. Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa by area and the fourth smallest by is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot
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 Unlike most other parts of India, Goa has a distinct style in every

sphere of life.

The people of the state have taken life as it comes and

that spirit distinguishes them from others. One peculiar sight in Goa is that of skirts outnumbering saris on the roads, due to strong Portuguese influences. Traditional clothing also has its importance in this society and Konkani women, wearing the sari in a style that is quite different from any other place in India, can be still seen in great numbers.

 Due to the strong Roman Catholic influences, most of

the festivals of Goa are Christianity specific. Feast days, thanksgiving, monsoon celebrations, processions; all mark the Goanese festival calendar. Shigmo, the Goanese version of Holi, is celebrated in the month of February/March. The Feast of Our Lady of Miracles, celebrated 16 days after Easter, is secular by nature and is celebrated with pomp and gaiety by both Hindus and Christians.

 The Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987

makes Konkani in the may also be used "for all or any of the official purposes". Portuguese was the sole official language during Portuguese colonial rule. It is now, however, mostly spoken by only the elderly Portuguese educated populations and is no longer an official language. The Government also has a policy of replying in Marathi to correspondence received in Marathi. Whilst there have been demands for according Konkani in the Roman script official status in the state, there is widespread support for keeping Konkani as the sole official language of Goa. Konkani is spoken as a native language by about 61% of the people in the state but almost all Goans can speak and understand Konkani. Other linguistic minorities in the state as per the 2001 census are Marathi (19%), Kannada(7%), Hindi (5%), and Urdu (4%)]

 The major art forms of the state include bamboo craft, woodcarving, brass

metals, seashell craft, Papier-Mache, and wooden lacquer ware. Other important crafts are Jute Macrame, Fabric Collage, Plaster of Paris, Crochet and embroidery, fiber and Batik prints, fiber stone carving, Coconut shell carving, metal embossing, silver and imitation jewelry, cotton dolls, soft toys, woolen tapestry, and artistic weaving

Goa does not lag behind as far as local arts and crafts are concerned and

with the superb craftsmanship of the local artisans has managed to carve out a niche for itself in this highly competitive field.

Local artists make excellent souvenirs from a wide range of materials.

These items are crafted by professional artisans in their ethnic ambience in the rural areas, and also by artisans working at the arts and crafts complexes run by the government.

 Traditional Goan art forms

are Dekhnni, Fugdi, Corridinho, Mando, Dulpod and Fado . Goan Hindus are very fond of Natak, Bhajan andKirtan].Many famous Indian Classical singers hail from Goa, including Kishori Amonkar, Kesarbai Kerkar, Jitendra Abhisheki and Pandit Prabhakar Karekar.
Goa is also known as the origin of Goa trance. While Goa trance has achieved

widespread popularity itself, it also heavily influenced later forms of music such as psytrance.

Goa cuisine, a blend of different influences especially Portuguese, is famous for its seafood. Goa cooking generally include lots of spices giving the dishes a distinctive taste and aroma. The staple food in Goa is fish, both among the Hindus as well as the Catholics. Rice is an important item of Goan diet and is eaten with delicious fish or meat curry, or in the form of Pulao. Pork is a must for any festive occasion and the most famous preparation is the vindaloo. Goans use a lot of coconut for cooking and the most commonly used spices include cumin, coriander, chillies, garlic and turmeric. The Christians prefer to use vinegar, while the Hindus use kokum and tamarind to get the tang in their respective cuisines. Goa is not particularly known for its vegetarian dishes. The vegetables are usually cooked without any spices or masalas. Goans make their own version of vinegar from toddy. Pastries are almost a part of every common meal as well as any occasion or feast. Their popular alcoholic drink is Feni, made from juices of cashew apples.