Places in Goa

Arvalam Waterfalls

This waterfall, which cascades down from the mountains, from a height of 50 metres, is one of the most awe-amazing spots.

This charming waterfall is a mind-blowing experience, with Rudreshwar temple in its vicinity. The temple holds importance for the Hindus who believe in releasing the soul on the 12th day after death.
The Rock cut caves are just situated nearby. The Government has also developed a park from which the view of the waterfall can be peacefully relished. While leaving the temple of Rudreshwar, one can descend the staircase to look at a majestic waterfall shedding its exuberant silvery showers. The beautiful Arvalem fall, with a head of about 24 feet high, forms a sizeable lake at the bottom, which offers a sizeable temptation to seasoned swimmers.

Arvalem Caves

Just passing the town of Sanquelim, there is a detour road leading towards Arvalem Caves. These caves from the 6th century, are quite small, with no articulate sculptures or paintings.

The origin of these caves is uncertain, some believing them to be of Buddhist origin, although the presence of lingas does not justify this statement claiming them to be of Brahmin origin. They are also claimed to be known as the Pandava caves, signifying the reign of Pandavas here during their 12 year exile as described in the Mahabharata. The shafts of the four carved lingas inside the cave resemble to those found at the famous Elephanta and Ellora caves. The Arvalem caves are very much patterned in the Buddhist cave style, rock cut into laterite stone, with the sanctuary at the northern end and the vihara at the southern end.

Dudh Sagar Waterfall

The Dudh Sagar waterfall is situated in the Indian state of Goa around 60 km off Panaji, the capital of the state. It is connected to the other places in the state like Panaji and Margao with a road and railway network.

In the days gone, by there lived a powerful and rich king on the top of a mountain in the Western Ghats along the Goan frontier. He lived in a lavish palace made of pure ivory and embedded by precious stones. And around this palace, there were luxuriant gardens abounding in a vast variety of flowers. The waterfall initially appears like streams of milk flowing down the mountain which later culminate into gushing cascades after they come in full view of the awestruck visitors. It is perched on the lofty heights of the Western Ghats and falls from a height of 603 metres. The celestial intervention in the origin of these waterfalls adds a mystic significance to Dudhsagar, almost like a dream come true. Even words are too less to describe this stupendous charisma of mythical fascination which is almost similar to a second Eden cradled luxuriously in the mountains. Dudhsagar is even accessible through buses and taxis which can be taken from Panaji city.

Fort Aguada

This fort is one of the largest and impressive forts preserved as one of the best known landmarks in Goan history. Its prominence has grown from the fact that its headland on which it is built offers a wonderful site for military architects due to its shielding of the vital sea access from the heart of the Portuguese territory thereby making it an ideal site for seaward as well as landward defense.

The elimination of the Maratha threat and the acquisition of the New Conquest added more glory to its importance right upto the end of the 18th century when Goa’s future borders were established. The most vital part of it was its impregnability to survive attacks by enemies through land or sea or simultaneously from both sides which often happened.Parallel walls form a defensible passageway which connect the citadel with the anchorage below, where at river level, there are located old buildings not to forget the first chapel already mentioned above. The largest of all springs, the Mother of Water or Mae de Agua is also found here. This part of the fort is closed for visitors as it is utilized as a prison. At the new gates to the prison area, there is a statue of a man and a woman, the man holding the body of a child in his arms while the woman has her arms raised to show the breaking of chain bondage in front of the national emblem of India, the Ashoka Pillar which has an inscription which is dedicated to the memory of people, dead and alive, known and unknown and who have laid down their life for the cause of freedom from foreign powers. The ceremony for commemoration of the beginning of the struggle is held on 18th June each year. The prison was in extensive use as it housed the revolutionaries of the 19th century when in 1946, the first peaceful non violence movement was initiated. All through the fight for freedom, nationalist supporters found themselves imprisoned here. The barrack built by British forces at the beginning of the 19th century during the Napoleonic Wars is no longer visible now.

Lamgau Caves

Yet another famous tourist spot which cannot be missed out are the caves at Lamgau. These can be approached in 2 ways.
The first being the road through Lamgau village itself, and a quite strenuous trek along the base of the hill, and the second one being much easier which is the drive through Bicholim on the road towards Mapusa. Following the directions of the Pandava caves, a path through some paddy fields lead to 2 rock cut caves of Buddhist origin. The one nearest to Lamgau is small but quite artistic in design. A distant view is impossible due to the growth of areca palms in front of the caves. A small stream adds to the silent atmosphere all around. In this cave, there is a stone linga installed with a tulsi vrindavan and a small nandi bull image in the simple courtyard. The other cave is much more larger and used mostly as a shelter against monsoon and is quite deep with a complicated passage. There are some huge open cast iron ore mines just above the caves wherein the odd rumbling reminds one of the other side of Bicholim town. All along the journey to Mapusa is made more interesting with the presence of many more delightful temples and villages.
There is an interesting temple at Mulgao dedicated to Lord Ravalnath. It is quite ironical that one can find two temples near Assonora after crossing Bicholim into Bardez Taluka. The diversion to the right side of the road leads to Advalpali where the Maruti temple is situated with beautiful graffiti designs both internally and externally. Also found here are lion statues, flower patterns and a statue of Lord Hanuman himself. The temple is aptly surrounded by pipal trees.

Mapusa Market

A famous market and fondly known as ‘Mapusa Friday Market’ as it is taken place every Friday. This is fully crowded and lively being loaded with wide variety shopping, as every inch of place is booked by sellers given a very little space for buyers to move since regular stalls are booked with temporary mats and boards.

You’ll find all kind of requirements from lottery stalls to barbers shops, fruits stalls to vegetable stalls, there is fish street as well as dry fish stalls with all kinds of fish.
You’ll find all types of fruits and as well as vegetables, attractively displayed some of them being Moira Bananas, Mangoes, Chikkus, Watermelons, pumpkins, cabbage well depending on seasons. There is also a spice street and bakery section. Different types of handicrafts made of coir, clothes stalls, glass bangles, sausages, channa baskets, meat market are added features of the Mapusa Market. Every place you’ll find bars and restaurants or tea stalls serving refreshments.

San Jacinto Island

You can visit Ssorcim beach around Bogmalo, which is only 11/2 kms away. This beach is completely secluded save for the local villagers, and is particularly good for fishing. Here, plate coral also grows.
About 5 kms from Bogmalo, there is a little lovely island called San Jacinto Island, this is located in the Mormugao bay. It has old houses and a picturesque chapel. At low tide along the Chicalim coastline, further up the road towards Vasco from Sao Jacinto Island is a tiny islet with a crucifix on it, locally called San Antonio

The Statue Of Abbe Faria

The statue of Abbe Jose Custodia Faria, is that of a priest hypnotizing a woman and is located in a small square just near the Secretariat in Panjim. Abbe Faria was born in 1756 in Candolim and his childhood was quite eventful with his parents separated to become priest and nun respectively. He was bestowed priesthood in 1777 at Lisbon after completion of his education at Rome.

He was blamed for hatching a conspiracy to gather support for the Pinto revolts in 1787. He confided with the envoys of Tipu Sultan and French administrators at Paris to work out a strategy in order to end the Portuguese as well as the British reign in India. Failure of the Pinto Revolt compelled him to stay over and participate in the French Revolution in 1795 leading an army of revolutionaries against the atrocities of the National Convention. It was at this that the he embarked on the stage of his career that would make him famous as the originator of hypnotism through suggestions. It is this achievement that is commemorated in this statue. He died in Paris in 1819 a pauper, but this was not to be the end of his story. Alexender Duman writing his Count of Monte Cristo fifty years later included in his novel a prisoner in the Chateau known as the Mad Monk. He gave this character the name of Abbe through hardly on the true facts of his adventurous life.
The most crucial phase of his career arose when he was widely known as the originator of Hypnotism by way of suggestions. This feature is displayed in the Abbe Faria Statue at Panjim. Even his death at Paris in 1819 made him immortal in history, as he was included as a character in the famous novel, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Duman who referred to him as the Mad Monk, mostly based on the adventurous life led by Abbe Faria.

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