Margao (Konkani Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-European family of languages spoken in the Konkan coast of India. It has approximately 3.6 million speakers of its two individual languages, Konkani and Goan Konkani: मडगांव Moddganv, pronounced [mɔɽɡãːw]( listen)) is Goa Goa (pronounced /ˈɡoʊ.ə/ ; Konkani: गोंय) is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located on India's west coast in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Goa is India's's second largest but busiest town, the commercial capital of the state, and the administrative headquarters of South Goa district and of the Salcete taluka.
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Etymoglogy
Margão is the Portuguese Portuguese ( português or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that grew from the Latin descended Galician-Potuguese language that was spoken in the mediaeval Kingdom of Galicia; whose territory is now divided between northern Portugal, Galicia and Asturias. It also absorbed influences from the Latin and Arabic languages spoken in the areas spelling, with Margao being common in English. It is derived from Mathagrām which means a place with a matha.
Geography
Margao is located at 15°18′N 73°57′E / 15.30°N 73.95°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 31 metres (102 feet).
Nestled on the banks of the River Sal, Margão is amongst the oldest recorded towns in Goa.[citation needed] Margão is famous for the huge Portuguese Portugal /ˈpɔɹtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, Mirandese: Pertual), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; Mirandese: República Pertuesa), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and style mansions which dot its landscape. It is also one of the fastest growing cities in Goa and includes several suburbs including Aquem, Fatorda, Gogol Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (31 March [O.S. 19 March] 1809, – 4 March [O.S. 21 February] 1852) was a Ukrainian-born Russian novelist, humourist, and dramatist, Borda, Comba and Davorlim.
History
The Old Fish Market (Before it was shifted near the kadamba bus-stand.)Margao in pre-Portuguese times was one of the important settlements in Salcete and known as Matha Grama (the village of Mathas) as it was a temple town with nine Mathas in temple schools. Most of the inhabitants were Brahmins Brahmin is a class or caste in the Indian continent, originally thought to have originated from Central Asia. Various subgroups of this caste perform religious duties as priests in Hinduism and preach Dharma. However, teaching Dharma and performing services in temples is not limited to Brahmins (GSB and Daivajnas). It was then famous for its many beautifully built temples. Long before the Portuguese came here, it had a university with a library.[citation needed] During the Portuguese conquest in 1543, Hindu temples were demolished and Catholic churches were built in their place.[citation needed] Almost all traces of Hindu settlements were wiped out.[citation needed] The first church to be built in Margão, and its replacement in 1579, were destroyed by raiders along with the seminary that had been built alongside.[citation needed] The present church was built in 1675.[2][3]
The initial settlement of Margao grew from the site of the ancient Damodar Temple. The original temple was demolished and the temple tank was filled up to be replaced by the Holy Spirit church and church grounds[citation needed]. The Hindus carried their deity Damodar (a form of Lord Shiva Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and the Destroyer or transformer of the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme Being. In the Smarta tradition, he is regarded as one of the five primary forms of God) across the Zuari Agranashini river to the Hindu territories held by the Sonde rulers.[citation needed] While the western side of the Church developed as a market place, the settlement grew on the eastern side, that is, the Borda region, with the church at its core and extended outwards.
The Holy Spirit main square is defined on one side by the church with its baroque architecture and the parochial house, and on the other side by the palatial mansions of affluent elite Catholics, positioned in a row. The Associação das Communidades building and the school being the odd exceptions. They add to its character and sense of scale. They have a maximum height of two stories, and balcões and varandas facing the square. Parallel to the church square is the commercial street (old market). There is also a landscaped area next to the church called Praça da Alegria (joy square).
Margao's importance as an administrative and commercial area grew with the increasing dependence of the surrounding towns and villages; leading to the administrative centre with the town hall at its centre being built in the south. The commercial market became attached to it and was hence called maud-gao or the market town of Goa, and since then the city has grown towards the east.
In 1961, Goa was incorporated into the Indian Union, and Margao was declared as the administrative centre of the district of South Goa.
Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses include agriculture, business, and traffic. In,[4] Margao had a population of 78,393. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Margao has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 73%. In Margao, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.[citation needed]
Education
Margao hosts many prestigious schools and colleges.Among the schools known for excellence is Loyola High School.It is run by the Jesuits 'SJ' of Goa. It is an all boys' school known for producing some of Goa’s most famous sons and students who excel both in academics and in sports. Bhatikar Model High School (formerly known as Model English High School) was established in the year 1935 and is one of the leading educational institutions in the state of Goa as per the curriculum prescribed by the Directorate of Education, Goa, and the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Goa. The other educational institutes in Margao include St. Joseph High School at Aquem, Presentation Convent (for girls), Fatima Convent (for girls) near Old Bus Stand, and Manovikas at Sonsodo.
Margao is also the location of two of the best colleges in Goa - The Parvatibai Chowgule College, and Shri Damodar College of Arts and Commerce. There is also an ITI (Industrial Training Institute) which imparts technical education.
Transport
The Margao Railway station is Goa's biggest and most important[citation needed] as it is a railway junction positioned at the intersection of the Konkan Railway Until the Konkan Railway started its operations, the two important port cities Mangalore and Mumbai were not directly connected by the railway network. Even though economic reasons provided a strong need to connect these two cities, the region through which the railway track passed was geographically very tough and would be an engineering and the South Western Railway. Almost all trains passing through Goa stop here, and it is the gateway to south Goa. Hence Margao is used more commonly as a transit stop rather than as a tourist destination, by many people who either head off down south to Palolem (38 km) or to Benaulim and Colva Colva is a white sand beach in the South Goa district of Goa, India. Colva beach is one of the longest in the world . On the weekend, the crowd explodes with locals as well. The beach also gets particularly busy in October, when hoards of pilgrims come and visit Colva Church. The area is well developed with plenty of budget hotels, beach shacks, which are about six kilometers away. The Madgaon city is connected by road to other cities like Mangalore Mangalore (pronounced /ˈmæŋɡəlɔr/ Tulu: Kudla, ಕುಡ್ಲ; Kannada: ಮಂಗಳೂರು, Mangalūru; Konkani: Kodial, ಕೊಡಿಯಾಲ್; Beary: Maikala, ಮೈಕಾಲ) is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bound by the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, Mangalore is the administrative, Udupi, Karwar, Ratnagiri, Mumbai through national highway 17(NH-17). Also there is road which connects Madgaon to Ponda and other towns of Goa state.
The city hosts the test track for Skybus Metro,[5] an elevated rail system which is patented by the Konkan Railway Corporation.[6] The Skybus Metro project was later scrapped due to an accident which occurred during the test drive killing one engineer and a seriously injuring a crew of three.[7]
Language
Konkani Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-European family of languages spoken in the Konkan coast of India. It has approximately 3.6 million speakers of its two individual languages, Konkani and Goan Konkani is the most widely spoken language in Margao. Marathi Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are 90 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi is the 4th most spoken language in India and the 15th most spoken language in the world. Marathi is the oldest of the regional literatures in is the other significant language. Portuguese Portuguese ( português or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that grew from the Latin descended Galician-Potuguese language that was spoken in the mediaeval Kingdom of Galicia; whose territory is now divided between northern Portugal, Galicia and Asturias. It also absorbed influences from the Latin and Arabic languages spoken in the areas is also spoken and understood by a small number of people. English & Hindi are understood by majority of the population.
Tourism
Margao city hall Margao Municipal Garden, located in the heart of the city. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, picture taken from the Monte Hill. Can of curry from Margão, in Portugal Portugal /ˈpɔɹtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, Mirandese: Pertual), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; Mirandese: República Pertuesa), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and.The city has many sights and destinations. These include the 'Closed' Market called, in the Portuguese language, Mercado de Afonso de Albuquerque or in Konkani as "Pimplapedd" or "Pimpalakatta," the municipal building (Câmara), the municipal garden, Anna Fonte (natural springs), Old Market or Mercado Velho, Holy Spirit Church, grand colonial mansions (especially the Seven Gables House near the church), the chapel at Monte Hill, the Hindu crematorium or 'Smashan' and the Muslim burial ground or 'Kabrasthan' both situated on Pajifond's Rua das Saudades.
Some of the city suburbs include Pajifond, Aquem, Gogol, Borda, Malbhat, Kharebandh, Old Market, Navelim and Comba, the last two being the oldest parts of the city.
There are a number of churches and temples in Margao, since the population is predominantly Roman Catholic or Hindu with a Muslim minority. The famous churches in Margao are the Holy Spirit Church, the Grace Church, The St Sebastian chapel in Aquem and the Monte Hill Chapel, the famous temples are the 'Damodar Temple' (Saal), the 'Hari Mandir', the 'Maruti Mandir' at Davorlim the 'Saibaba Temple' at Davorlim, the 'Shiv Temple' (Ling) at Fatorda near Nehru Stadium. There are 2 mosques in Margao, One in the Malbhat area and one on the Monte hill catering to the Muslim population in these areas. There is also a Jain Jainism is an ancient religion of India that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to progress the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state of supreme being is called Jina ( temple at Pajifond.
Landmarks
Some lesser known information about some famous landmarks:
Margao city hall: The city hall is situated in the heart of the city.
Margao municipal garden: The northern segment of the Margao municipal garden was developed by the Mavany family and is named after Aga Khan, during his visit just before Goa's liberation. The entire garden is now Municipal property and is maintained by the Margao Municipal Council.
Narcinva D. Naik residence/Damodar Sal:Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863–July 4, 1902), born Narendranath Dutta was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the founder of Ramakrishna Mission. He is considered a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga in Europe and America and is also credited with raising interfaith awareness, stayed in this house during his visit to Goa in October 1892.[8] The mansion also houses Margao's well-known temple-hall "Dambaba Saal".
Culture
The town is also known as the cultural capital of Goa Goa (pronounced /ˈɡoʊ.ə/ ; Konkani: गोंय) is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located on India's west coast in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Goa is India's. A culture center named 'Ravindra Bhavan' was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat in July 2008 at Fatorda. It also has Goa's only sports stadium, the Nehru Stadium at Fatorda.[9]
Some of the theaters in Margao include OSIA Multiplex, Vishant and Lata.
The Dindi festival at the Vithal Rakhumai temple in the Comba ward occurs on the 2nd day after Diwali Diwali or Dīpāvali (Tamil: தீபாவளி, Gujarati: દિવાળી, Hindi: दिवाली, Kannada: ದೀಪಾವಳಿ, Konkani: धाकली दिवाळी, Malayalam: ദീപാവലി, Marathi: दिवाळी, Nepali: दिपावली, Oriya: ଦୀପାବଳୀ, Sanskrit: दीपावली, Telugu:. A procession of the deity takes place at night through the city. A large congregation of Hindus in the festive attire can be seen at the huge open air market outside the temple. The feast of the Holy Spirit Church, locally known as purumetache fest occurs just before the Monsoon Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea. Usually, the term monsoon is used to refer to the rainy phase of a seasonally-changing sets in. People from all over Goa congregate at the special market to buy spices and dried fish to be used during the oncoming rainy season.
The usual specialities that are found in the cuisine of Goa are also to be found in Margao. The curry of Margao is a praised local speciality. Cans of curry Curry is a generic description used throughout European culture to describe a general variety of side dishes, best known in South Asian cuisines, especially Indian cuisine. The word curry is an anglicised version of the Tamil word kari (கறி ), which is usually understood to mean "gravy" or "sauce" rather than "spices& of Margao are currently exported to Portugal Portugal /ˈpɔɹtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, Mirandese: Pertual), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; Mirandese: República Pertuesa), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and.
Margão is also the name of a brand of spices sold in Portugal Portugal /ˈpɔɹtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, Mirandese: Pertual), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; Mirandese: República Pertuesa), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and.
Gallery
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Margao Crossing Guard |
Margao City Hall |
Rickshaw Stand |
Modern Margao |
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New buildings under construction |
Vendor at Margao Fish Market |
Fish Market |
Margao Streets |
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Street in Margao |
Margao Municipal Park |
Busy Margao Intersection |
See also
| Madgaon (MAO) | ||||
| Next 'Small' station towards Mumbai: Majorda | Konkan Railway Until the Konkan Railway started its operations, the two important port cities Mangalore and Mumbai were not directly connected by the railway network. Even though economic reasons provided a strong need to connect these two cities, the region through which the railway track passed was geographically very tough and would be an engineering : Railway (India) | Next 'Small' station from Mangalore: Balli | ||
| Distance from Mumbai(CST) = 0765 KM | ||||
| Next 'Main' station towards Mumbai: Kudal | Konkan Railway Until the Konkan Railway started its operations, the two important port cities Mangalore and Mumbai were not directly connected by the railway network. Even though economic reasons provided a strong need to connect these two cities, the region through which the railway track passed was geographically very tough and would be an engineering : Railway (India) | Next 'Main' station from Mangalore Karwar | ||
References
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Margao
- ^ "Hindu temples and deities" by Rui Gomes Pereira
- ^ "Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti" by B.D.Satoskar
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ^ Skybus page from konkanrailway.com
- ^ Patent of Skybus from konkanrailway.com
- ^ Accident details
- ^ News article from goacom.com
- ^ Cricinfo page on Nehru Stadium
External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Margao |
Categories: Cities and towns in South Goa district | Railway stations on Konkan Railway | South Goa district
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