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Margao is Goa's second largest town and a bustling commercial centre. Barely frequented by travellers, this central Goan town has an old-worldly charm about it because of its Old Portuguese churches, and fine country houses decked with dark rosewood furniture. Surrounded by fertile farmland, the town has always been an important agricultural market, and was once a major religious centre, with dozens of wealthy temples and Dharamshalas - however; most of these were destroyed when the Portuguese adsorbed the area into their Novas Conquistas during the 17th century. |
Today, Catholic churches still outnumber Hindu shrines, but Margao has retained a distinctly cosmopolitan feel, largely due to a huge influx of migrant labour from neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Chandor
13-km east of Margao across the fertile rice fields of Salcete lies
sleepy Chandor village, a scattering of tumbledown villas and
farmhouses ranged along shady tree-lined lanes. The main reason to
venture out here is the splendid Perreira Braganza / Menezes-Braganza
house, regarded as the grandest of Goa's colonial mansions.
Dominating the dusty village square, the house, built in the 1500s by the wealthy Braganza family for their two sons, has a huge double-storeyed façade, with 28 windows flanking its entrance. Braganza de Perreira, the great grandfather of the present owner, was the last knight of the King of Portugal; more recently, Menezes Braganza, a famous journalist and freedom fighter, was one of the few Goan aristocrats to actively oppose Portuguese rule.
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Forced to flee Chandor in 1950, the family returned in 1962 to find their house, amazingly untouched. The airy tiled interiors of both wings contain a veritable feast of antiques. Furniture enthusiasts, and lovers of rare Chinese porcelain, in particular, will find plenty to drool over, while anyone interested in religious relics should request a glimpse of St. Francis Xavier's diamond-encrusted toenail, recently retrieved from a local bank vault and enshrined in the east wing's tiny chapel. Visitors generally travel to Chandor by taxi but one can also get there by bus from Margao, or by train via Chandragoa station, 1-km northwest. While many people turn up without an appointment, it is still a good idea to call ahead through the tourist office. |
Fronted by a plain classical façade, the mansion was built in
the 1700s, though renovated later following raids by a clan of rebel
Rajput bandits. Today, it is occupied by a famous Goan cartoonist, and
his family, direct descendants of the wealthy Areca planters who
originally owned the surrounding estate. Route Caetan Miranda house,
two minutes' walk south of the square, and Salvador Costa House, tucked
away on the western edge of the village, are other mansions worth
hunting out; the later is occupied by an elderly lady who only welcomes
visitors by appointment. Lutolim's other attraction is the quirky model
village cum heritage centre, a short way east of the square, called
Ancestral Goa. Set up to show visitors a cross section of local village
life as it was a hundred years ago, it's a well meaning but ultimately
dull exhibition of miniature houses and dressed dummies.
Excursions from Margao (Madgaon)
The Old Market
If one is arriving in Goa on the Konkan Railway from Mumbai or South India, one will almost certainly have to pause in Margao to pickup onwards transport by road. The other reason to come here is to shop at the town's excellent market. Stretching from the south edge of the main square to within a stone's throw of the old railway station, the Bazaar centres on a labyrinthine covered area that's a rich source of authentic souvenirs and a good place to browse
The Stately Church Of The Holy Spirit
(13Km.)
While one is here, take a short rickshaw ride north to the Stately
Church of the Holy Spirit, in the heart of a dishevelled but
picturesque colonial enclave. Presiding over the dusty Largo de Igreja
Square, the church, built by the Portuguese in 1675, is one of the
finest examples of late-Baroque architecture in Goa, boasting a
pristine white façade and an interior dripping with gilt crystal and
stucco. The picturesque farming villages strewn across the verdant
countryside around Margao host a scattering of evocative colonial
monuments and a handful of Hindu temples that can be visited on day
trips from the coast.
How To Get There - Margao
By Road
Local private buses to Colva and Benaulim leave from in front of the
Kamat hotel on the east side of Margao's main square. Long distance bus
services one can get at the main Kadamba Bus Stand, 3-km further north,
on the outskirts of the town. This is also the departure point for
interstate services to Magalore, via Chaudi and Gokarn, and for
services to Panjim and North Goa.
By Rail
Margao's new Train station, the only stop in Goa for most long distance
express services on the Konkan Railway, lies 3-km south of the centre.
The Reservation office (Monday-Saturday, 8.00 am-4.30 pm, Sunday 8.00
am- 2.00 pm) is divided between the ground and the first floor;
bookings for the superfast Rajdhani Express to Delhi are made at the
hatch to the left of the main entrance. Tickets for trains for Mumbai
are short in supply so make sure to book the tickets well in advance.
There is also a 24-hour Information Centre and round-the-clock pre-paid
auto rickshaw stand outside the exit.
Places To Stay - Margao
With Colvo and Benaulim a mere twenty-minutes bus ride away the accommodation options are available in plenty at Margao. GTDC Tourist Hotel is standard budget hotel one can stay in at Margao.
Useful Information - Margao
Tourist Information Centres
GTDC's Information Office: (Monday-Friday 9.30 am-5.30 pm) sells
tourist maps and keeps useful lists of train and bus timings.
Banks / Money Changers
Exchange Facilities: Available at the
State bank Of India (Monday-Friday 10.00 am-2.00 pm, Saturday 10.00
am-noon) of the west side of the main square; the Bobcard office in the
market sub-branch of the Bank of baroda, on Luis Gomez road, does visa
encashments.
GPO: The GPO is at the top of the municipal gardens, although its Poste Restante is in a different building, 200m west on the Rua Diogo da Costa.
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