Margao

मडगांव/Moddganv Margao
—  city  —
Margao Central place.
मडगांव/Moddganv Location of मडगांव/Moddganv in Goa and India
Coordinates
Country	India
State	Goa
District(s)	South Goa
Mayor	Mr.Azgaokar
Population	78,393 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area • Elevation	• 10 metres (33 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 403601/2 • Telephone • +0832 • Vehicle • GA-02-,GA-08-

Margao ({{lang-knn, Konkaniमडगांव/Moddganv}}, pronounced [mɔɽɡãːw] ( listen)) is Goa'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.

Etymoglogy

Margão is the Portuguese spelling, with Margao being common in English. It is derived from Mathagrām which means a place with a matha.

Geography

Margao is located at .^[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. Margão is famous for the huge Portuguese 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, 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 (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. During the Portuguese conquest in 1543, Hindu temples were demolished and Catholic churches were built in their place. Almost all traces of Hindu settlements were wiped out. 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. 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. The Hindus carried their deity Damodar (a form of Lord Shiva) across the Zuari Agranashini river to the Hindu territories held by the Sonde rulers. 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^[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.

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 as it is a railway junction positioned at the intersection of the Konkan Railway and the South Central 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 which are about six kilometers away. The Madgaon city is connected by road to other cities like Mangaluru, 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 is the most widely spoken language in Margao. Marathi is the other significant language. Portuguese 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.

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 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 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. 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. 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 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 of Margao are currently exported to Portugal.

Margão is also the name of a brand of spices sold in Portugal.

Gallery

Life in Margao

Margao Crossing Guard	Margao City Hall	Rickshaw Stand	Modern Margao
New buildings under construction	Vendor at Margao Fish Market	Fish Market	Margao Streets
Street in Margao	Margao Municipal Park	Busy Margao Intersection

See also

References

External links

• Hospital in Margao - Apollo Hospital
• Tourist information about Margao

Localities in and around Margao    Aquem  · Assolna  · Borda  · Benaulim  · Betul  · Chinchinim  · Chandor  · Comba  · Colva  · Curchorem  · Cuncolim  · Davorlim  · Fatorda  · Gogol  · Mobor  · Navelim  · Quepem  · Raia  · Sanvordem  · Sarzora  · Varca  · Velim  · Verna