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Margao
in Goa - Providing info on Margao Travel Tourism, Goa Holiday
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Margao in Goa |
 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 Attractions of Margao (Madgaon) |
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A hot season retreat for Margao's moneyed middle
classes since long before Independence, Colva is the oldest and largest
of South Goa's resorts. more.. |
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In Sanskrit known as "Banali" it was later
corrupted by the Portuguese to Benaulim. It lies in the centre of Colva
Beach, 7-km west of Margao. more.. |
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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. |
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Chaud Chaudi, 33-km south of Margao, is
Canacona district's charmless headquarters. Packed around a noisy
junction on the main Panjim-Mangalore highway, it is primarily a
transport hub, of interest to visitors only because of its proximity to
Palolem, 2-km west. Buses to and from Panjim, Margao, and Karwar in
Karnataka Taluka trundle in and out of a scruffy square on the main
street, from where taxis and auto rickshaws ferry passengers to the
villages scattered across the surroundings fields. The area's only
pharmacy stand just off the crossroads, handy if one is staying in
Palolem |
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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. |
Excursions from Margao (Madgaon) |
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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 |
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The Stately Church Of The Holy Spirit
(13Km.)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. |
How To Get There - Margao |
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By 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. |
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By Rail 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. |
Places To Stay - MargaoWith 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 - Margao |
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Tourist Information Centres GTDC's
Information Office: (Monday-Friday 9.30 am-5.30 pm) sells tourist maps
and keeps useful lists of train and bus timings. |
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Banks / Money Changers 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. |
Hotels & Resorts in Goa |
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Tour
Code: GTT - 009 Duration: 14 Days Destinations Covered: Chennai - Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai - Thekkady - Cochin - Goa - Mumbai |
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Tour
Code: GTT - 008 Duration: 16 Days Destinations Covered: Mumbai - Goa - Belgaum - Badami - Aihole - Pattadakal - Hospet - Hassan - Shravanabelagola - Hassan-Madikeri - Mysore-Srirangapatnam-Bangalore- Mumbai |
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Tour
Code: GTT - 006 Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights Destinations Covered: Goa - Panjim - Savoi - Panaji |
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