12
years after the Portugese landed in Calicut , in
the year 1498 the Portugese attacked the Kingdom of Goa
and annexed it to the Portugese empire in the year 1510. In spite of constant
attacks Goa became the centre of the Portugese holdings in India . Little
did they know that it would one day become one of the most popular tourist
destinations of the modern India .
In the main street, slaves
were sold by auction. The houses of the rich were surrounded by gardens and palm groves; they were built of stone and painted red or white.
Instead of glass, their balconied windows had thin polished oyster-shells set
in lattice-work. The social life of Goa 's
rulers befitted the capitol of the viceregal court, the army and navy, and the
church; luxury and ostentation became a byword before the end of the 16th
century.
When India became independent in 1947, Goa remained under Portuguese control. The Indian
government of Jawaharlal
Nehru insisted that Goa,
along with a few other minor Portuguese holdings, be turned over to India . However,
Portugal
refused.
On 16 December 1961, Indian troops crossed the border into Goa . 'Operation
Vijay' involved sustained land,
sea, and air strikes for more than 36 hours; it resulted in the unconditional
surrender of Portuguese forces on 19 December. Under Indian rule, Goan voters
went to the polls in a referendum and voted to become an autonomous, federally
administered territory. Goa was admitted to
Indian statehood in 1987.
Goa abounds with
famous churches and temples and a harmonious co-existence prevails between
people of various faith. Irrespective of whether they are Catholic, Hindu or
Muslim, many Goans prostrate in symbiotic reverence before deities of other
faiths than the one they profess. Religion dwells in the hearts of Goans
wherever in the world they may be.
Some influences from the
Portuguese era are visible in some of Goa's temples, notably the Mangueshi
Temple, although after 1961, many
of these were demolished and reconstructed in the indigenous Indian style.
Starting
in the late 1990s, Goa began to attract a more
"upscale" audience, which in turn drove prices up, which in turn
drove many in the "hippie" community to other less-expensive areas.