Vagator Beach

Vagator Beach

Vagator is rocky beach. It is located amongst a huge cover of palm trees. One can see the Chapora fort from the vagator beach. It is one of the very famous beaches of Goa. It has a very busy night life here with a lot of beach parties. The foriegn tourists are dominant here and one can find good accommodation, restaurants and facilities like internet and banking are readily available. It is very close to the Anjuna beach where the flee market is organised. It basically is a fishing village.

A majestic view of the vagator beach Goa, from the chapora fort

A view of the Ozran beach from the top of Vagator, Goa


A foreigner parasailing from the hill top at Vagator, Goa



A view of the vagator beach, Goa

Basilio Magno - (Journalist-Songwriter)

Basilio Magno

Basilio Magno is essentially a journalist but he is better known as a composer-lyricist. He started composing and publishing songs in English in 1950 and was dubbed by critics in Bombay as "Irving Berlin of India". Among his many published songs are viva el rey, beloved England's sweetheart, Friede Komm, O Rock de portugal, Polle Sndor ti, Folk-operetta, a day in Goa, 10 folk songs in English, audio and cassette by basilio.
It was in the month of February 2007, I had read an article about Basilio Magno in the newspaper, and I was particularly interested in two of his compositions "Proud to be a Goan" the anthem of the World Goa Day, which was composed at the request of the founder of WGD which is celebrated annually on 20th of August, since the year 2000 and his prized song 'Friede Komn' dedicated to his holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Its a ballad on Peace. I wrote to Basilio an email to him asking him for the songs. I had an instant reply from him and not only that he sent me his compositions by post which included "Proud to be a Goan", "Meet me at Calangute", "Lets sing and pray for Blessed Joseph Vaz", "A Hymn to Xavier" and many more of his musical pieces. He has been a good friend of mine fover the course of time. He is son of the Goan soil - a "pakkha-goan". After his retirement in Germany, as a pensioner he is presently living in Spain along with his wife Rosa Maria Lopes Gonsalez (Rossi). He Celebrated his 84th Birthday this year on 14-06-07. He was a special invitee to the Convention of the "Goan Diaspora in Lisbon" where he was asked to make a presentation about his work and his understanding of Goan Music and about all his new songs composed, including the World Goa Day anthem. He played his compositions the song that caught everyone's attention was "Come to Goa" - a mini story of Goa told in words and music, meant more for children, adapted to the old Goan air. Proud to be a Goan and his latest production-flock-rhapsody "Ring Wedding Bells (a 10 minutes boy-girl duet) the other pieces of his music played.
Basilio though in Spain his heart is in Goa and for Goans has also been writing a column "Konkani corner" on www.melgoans.com.
You can write to basilio on basiliom@adinet.com.uy

Baga Beach

Baga Beach

Baga once used to be a very quite fishing village. It is situated to the northern end of the Calangute beach. But today with the boom in Tourism, It happens to be one of the most crowded and frequented beach in Goa. All along the coast baga is lined with beach umbrellas and beach beds with foreign tourists sun bathing's. You can find lots of water sports here. Compared to the Calangute beach, Baga beach has a more interesting landscape. Anjuna is the next beach after Baga. In baga one can see the meeting of the riven and the sea. It has lots of beach shacks all along the beach. Baga is famous for its night life as the world famous discotheque " Titos" is situated here.

A fisherman casting his net in the Baga river

A group of tourists having an early morning exercise at the Baga Beach

Ashwem Beach

Ashwem Beach

Ashwem beach is a very beautiful beach. Yet another name on the list of remote beaches of Goa is the "Ashwem Beach". Its also a little rocky beach. Goan famiies go to Ashvem beach for having their picnics. To the north of Ashwem beach lies the Mandrem Beach and down south is the Morjim beach. This beach has a number of beach shack. It also does have some good accommodation in the form of little resorts. But the most ideal accommodation here is the beach huts made of palm leaves.

Ashwem beach is also the nesting place for the olive ridley turtle which is a rare species. The nesting season is between September to February which also happens to be the peak tourist season of Goa. This beach happens to be my personal favorite, as its situated away from the hustle and bustel, and a great place to relax.

That's myself at the beautiful Ashwem beach

A spectacular sunset at the Ashwem beach

The Oratorian Convent - Fr. Joseph Vaz

The Oratorian Convent Where Blessed Fr. Joseph Vaz resided and the Church of the Miraculous Cross, Old Goa.

A couple of kilometers away from the majestic Churches of Old Goa and on top of a little hill is the Oratorian convent and The Miraculous cross church situated. It is here that Blessed Fr. Joseph Vaz resided when in Goa.

Blessed Fr. Joseph Vaz worked for four years (1681 to 1684) in forane of Kanara. He returned to Goa in 1684. On 25th September 1685, at the church of Holdy Cross of Miracles, Old Goa, he joined a community of Goan Priests who were trying to form a religions congregation of its own, He was elected their superior. With them he organised the regions first fully native religions congregation on the lines of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri of Rome and Lisbon, as the "Oratorian Institute of Milagristas of Goa"
From the top of the hill, where the church of The Miraculous Cross is situated, one can have a clear view of the beautiful and majestic churches like the Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral etc situated at Old Goa and it rightly justifies why Goa was called the "Rome of the East". Because of the beautiful view of the full city from here this hill was named the "Boa Vista" which is a Portuguese word which means "Beautiful View".

There is a nicely built but quite narrow tar road that goes up to the "Convento da Cruz dos Milagres" which means "the Convent of the Miraculous Cross". The Miraculous cross installed here was initially situated at the Se Cathedral and was believed to have been growing and later moved here.

The people of Goa have deep faith and belief in this miraculous cross. People of all faiths come and offer prayers here and seek blessings. On the 23rd of every month at 10.00 a.m. Holy mass is celebrated at this church. Hundreds of devotees attend the mass. After the mass is over the devotees line up to seek blessing and veneration of the miraculous cross. Thereafter, "kanji" a dish from rice, (popularly knows as "Pez" in konkani)" which is prepared in large pots and is served in bowls to the hundreds of devotees attending mass.
Taking a walk around one can see the ruins of the Oratortian Convent. The huge broken walls, the broken roof and it shows us lifestyle of the people living there. There is a statue of Blessed Fr. Joseph Vaz installed in the oratory premises. There is also other remains like that of what looks like a bakery that was used for the inmates there.

It would be a good news for the people of Goa if the Archeological Survey of India takes over the premises and work on its conservation because it a part of our Goa's rich culture and Goan heritage.

So the next time you visit Goa, don forget to pay a visit to the Oratorian Convent where blessed Fr. Joseph Vaz Resided and the Church of the Miraculous Cross and seek blessing.

Candolim Beach

Candolim Beach

The Candolim beach is a situated in between the Calangute Beach and the Sinquerim Beach. Its a very beautiful beach, you can say its just an extension of the Calangute beach. The majority of the people who frequent this beach is mainly because it is quieter, compared to Calangute beach. This beach is mostly packed with people on beds and beach umbrellas. But there are peaceful areas where the locals enjoy fishing. The people of Candolim has the distinction of being the first people of having made a serious attempt to overthrow the Portuguese in 1787 but the plot was discovered by the Portuguese authorities.

The rows of beach beds along the Candolim Beach

People having a bath at the Candolim Beach

A little boy enjoying the sunset at the Candolim Beach

A spectacular sunset at the Candolim Beach

Calangute - Queen of Beaches

Calangute - Queen of Beaches

Calangute's heyday as the Mecca of all expatriate hippies is way of past. On the shores of the Arabian Sea, under the shade of palm trees, bathes the Queen of Beaches. Calangute. Fun in the sun, sand and sea along with great opportunities for feasting on fresh seafood and Feni is what a day on the Calangute beach. One can see children making sand castles, colourful crowds surging towards the sea, hippies busy remembering the good old times and the young and old alike lazing on the golden sands. This picture of a perfect tourist haven is completed with shacks under the shade of palm leaves selling everything right from fried prawns and beer to trinkets made of seashells. In a green semi-circle, the villages of Arpora-Nagoa, Saligao and Candolim do their bit to enhance the divine beauty of Calangute.

The word CALANGUTE which has become kolngutt or korgott, is derivedf rom KOLI-GUTT, (or Gudi), which originally meant land inhabited by fisherfolk. It must have become Kolyiangutti, kalangutti, kolngutt, kongott With the advent of the Portuguese, the word probably got distorted to Calangute, and has stuck till today. The name Koli may be connected with the goddess kali, worshiped by the fisher folk. there was a temple in the area of MOTTH. Another possibility is that it comes from KALYAN-GUTTI, which means a village of art, a beautiful village. this is quite a plausible derivation. a third derivation is from konvallo-ghott. which means the coconut was good (strong pith), since coconut trees are believed to possess strong pith which is the "marrow" or soft substance in the center of the plant.

Highly trained and well equipped lifeguards stationed at the Calangute Beach

Water sports and Parasailing at the Calangute Beach

Rows of beach beds all along the Calangute beach

A couple relaxing in the waves of the beautiful Calangute beach

Anjuna Beach

Anjuna Beach

Anjuna is a beach famous world over. It is also famous for its "Wednesday Flea Market" which is held every Wednesday. Its closed during the off tourist season. Its a place that gets tourist without marketing. The majority of the tourists comprise of Israelis and European ravers and most of the tourists are those who have been visiting the year every year. Vagator and Chapora beaches are to the north of Anjuna and on the southern end its the beautiful Calangute.

Beach parties still do take place over here. Anjuna also has some of the hottest discotheques in Goa. The tourist over here are spread out all along as they visit Anjuna not only for the beautiful quite beach, but also for the Wednesday flea market.

The Anjuna Flea market happens to be a major attraction and a must see for every person visiting Goa.. Every Wednesday brings in tourists from all over Goa to Anjuna. One is greeted greeted with a scene of hundreds of stall, loud music as they enter . Its always a amazing sight. Here you can find stalls selling small articrafts, clothes, beach wear, wood carvings and outfits with intricate embroidery, glittering fabric, puppets, colourful clothes, Jewellery & gems, mirror work, Music cassettes, Cd's and DVD's. If its you day, you can walk away with a good deal from a foreign tourist selling second hand goods. Artists doing henna tatoo, permanent body tatoo and body piercing are also found here. This market has a mind-boggling cornucopia of goods from almost every part of India. As you proceed towards the end of the stalls towards the food stalls you can pick up some lip-smacking seafood accompanied by an icy cocktail, beer or fresh lime soda.
The anjuna beach has beach shacks along the beach. What could be more refreshing than to having a late evening swim on the beach and to track your muddy footprints to the dining shack at the beach and enjoy some of the exotic sea food served there along with a cocktail. A ideal way to end a day.

A row of beach beds at Anjuna Beach


Beach Shack and beach beds at Anjuna Beach

A foreign tourist enjoying the festival of Holi in Goa at Anjuna Beach

A holy cow at the Anjuna Beach