Goa Culture

The culture of Goa is a unique synthesis of indigenous elements and extraneous influence. Throughout its chequered history, Goa has nurtured and preserved local art and culture despite being repeatedly conquered by invading forces. The long rule of the Portuguese has influenced the Goan culture in more ways than one and in many aspects of the culture of Goa one witnesses a seamless blend of ethnic and Portuguese traditions.

Dance and music are an integral part of the Goa culture and the jovial, warm people of Goa express themselves with colorful performances. Goa is the treasure trove of exquisite art and crafts and tourists visiting the state take artifacts as souvenirs. Communal harmony is an amazing facet of the culture of Goa with the people carving a unique Goan identity irrespective of their religious persuasions.

Goa Trance

The Goa trance is a distinctive sub-class of the trance music genre. Trance music is a form of fast-paced electronic dance music usually characterized by a tempo of between 130 and 160 bpm, featuring repeating melodic synthesizer phrases. Also known as 604 in trance music parlance, Goa trance developed as a structured music form in the late 1980s.

The idyllic beaches of Goa were the genesis of the Goa trance music. During the 1960s and 1970s, Goan beaches such Anjuna emerged as a favorite rendezvous for the hippies, the flower children of the counterculture era. Music was a way of life for the hippies and their experiments with electronic music sowed the seeds for the birth of Goa trance music.

After being confined to the Hippies for the greater part of the 1980s, the Goa trance music started making a conspicuous presence from the early 1990s. The heydays of Goa trance music were around the period 1994-1998, and since then its popularity has been on the wane. In recent years, Goa trance has been largely replaced by its successor, psychedelic trance or psy trance.

Goa Party

If you want to party, there is no place on this planet like Goa. Goa is synonymous with partying and the land is chock a bloc with party zones on every nook and corner. Beach parties, trance parties, New Year parties -- parties of myriad hues keep the Goan life throbbing with dynamic energy all year round.

Goan Food

Food in Goa is a very serious matter and capitalizes on the range of food products available here. Goa boasts of many different cuisines - the Konkan, the Portuguese and the Bahamani Nawabi traditions. The fruits of the sea are used lavishly in Goan food different types of fish, prawns, mussels, oysters, crabs and many more

Fairs & Festivals in Goa

Festival time in Goa leaves you with your senses reeling - in more ways than you can imagine for the Goa celebrate any occasion with great gusto. They actually have a festival that celebrates the very idea of fun and fiesta

Nightlife in Goa

Nightlife in Goa is exciting and there are many ways to liven up the evening. Goans enjoy going out and it is not unusual to find families out for a night of merriment. In certain areas, almost every third house has a bar-cum-restaurant

Goa History

The history of Goa is steeped in mythological roots. An ancient land, Goa finds mention in Hindu epics as Gomantak, literally meaning 'fertile land with plentiful water.' The first major dynasty to have ruled over Goa was the Satavahanas under who Goa flourished as a prominent center of maritime trade.

Goa Music

Music occupies the pride of place in the cultural milieu of Goa. Goans are born musicians and music runs deep in their veins. Apart from being a vast repository of folk music forms, Goa is also the cradle of a number of Western music forms.

Religions in Goa

Goans are deeply pious people and religion play an important role in the Goan society. Hinduism and Christianity are the two major religions in Goa, together constituting around 95% of the population.

Goa People

The people of Goa are very friendly and extremely happy-go-lucky. They are fond of the good things in life and are certainly not caught up in the rat race. Siesta is an important part of life in Goa with shops downing their shutters from one to four the most Goans retiring for the afternoon. Though the people of Goa are of different faiths and from different cultural backgrounds, they have come together to create the easygoing Goan culture with its emphasis on good living

Heritage of Golden Goa

For the Portuguese, she was Golden Goa, the epicenter of the Portuguese empire in Asia. The Portuguese were great church builders, their desire to spread their faith an important motivation. Little wonder then that modern day Goa is a quaint blend of the old and the new, of Portuguese and Indian elements. It is also a land of great variety - with its many churches and temples, Goa has a deeply religious ambience which contrasts sharply with the highly hedonistic spirit prevalent on her beaches. Hindu temples are as much a part of Goa as are Christian monuments. Large hotels and resorts co-exist with small hotels and paying guest accommodations; fancy restaurants with casual cafes