Goa :)

Reason to Smile: Yet another title that needs no introduction. A place known for its insanity, energy and zombie effect, I got to see the other side of Goa too this time.

The moment I read a post on an event on Goa- Coastal Forts from Shikhar Ved, I was surprised and inquisitive as hell to know whether Goa can have a place that can sooth souls apart from giving you sleepless nights with food and drinks. I was delighted to know after the trip that it does :)

Goa has many forts (obviously some parts of the forts have been ruined) that can capture your hearts and make you fall in love with them. We visited a few of them over a weekend with limited time that we were left with.

Forts like Chapora, CaboDeRama, Marmugoa, Reis Magos, Aguada, Sinquerium and Corjuem were among-st the ones that had beautiful and static structures without any severe damages or walls with love birds signing off their identities :P It is sad to see when the youth doesn't understand that these magical and spiritual walls built to represent a magnificent history don't need their autographs all the time :P

Chapora Fort - The fort overlooks the Chapora river and hence its name. However, there is a more interesting name given to this fort i.e. ‘Dil Chahta Hai’Fort. The name literally translates to ‘the heart yearns’ and the reason for this quirky name is that a Bollywood film with this title was shot back here in 2001. When the movie became a blockbuster, a sweeping hit, striking a chord with the young generation, people started identifying this fort with the name of the movie only. 

Corjuem Fort - It was a military fortress for the defense of Portuguese India. It is smaller than the other forts in Goa, but it gives a good view of the surrounding river and land.The fort also has an interesting incident in which an ambitious Portuguese woman named Ursula e Lancastre, who determined to see the man's world, dressed like a man and traveled the world. She landed up at Corjuem as a soldier but was later captured and stripped.

CaboDeRama Fort - It is the largest and one of the oldest forts of Goa. The cape and the fort are named in honor of ancient Indian epic "Ramayana" hero. It is believed that this place became a home to Rama and his beloved wife Sita during their fourteen-year exile from Ayodhya. From the top of the fortress really magnificent view onto the Arabian Sea and the Goan coastline appears to the eye. It is also interesting to visit the small church of Saint Antonio located on the territory of the fortress. Near the fortress Cabo de Rama Beach is situating.

Marmugoa Port - Ever since it was accorded the status of a Major Port in 1963, the Mormugao port has contributed immensely to growth of maritime trade in India. It is the leading iron ore exporting port of India with an annual throughput of around 27.33 million tonnes of iron ore traffic.

Reis Magos Fort - The Reis Magos Fort, owned by the Goa government and listed under the Goa Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, is the oldest fort in Goa. It has been restored to serve as a Cultural and Heritage Center. From its origin as a defense fortress, to being used as a jail and then a hospital, the fort has served the state since 1493. It was abandoned in 1993 and started showing signs of neglect and deterioration.

Sinquerium Fort - The fort stands overlooking the Sinquerim beach and bisects the shoreline into two. This fort was constructed in the year 1612. The is an extension of the larger upper Aguada fort. The lower fort consists of a bastion and a section of fortified wall on both sides. During the 16th and 17th Century ships used to anchor next to the fort.The main intention of building the fort was to guard Goa against the Dutch and the Marathas. The fort served as a reference point for vessels coming from Europe. On the right hand side of the fort lies the Taj Holiday Village resort. In the distance one can see the Candolim beach and the river princess stranded amongst the waves. Between the Taj holiday resort and the lower fort lies the Sinquerim beach. On the left hand side of the bastion is a fortified wall and rocky outcroppings.

Aguada Fort - Overlooking the vast expanse of ‘seeming to be endless’ blue waters in front of it, Fort Aguada is one of the most popular tourist destinations of Goa. It receives a lot of tourist traffic all around the year. Reasons are that it’s excellent for sightseeing and also that it stands as a testimony to the glory of Portuguese empire. Interesting features of the fort include Aguada LightHouse and Aguada Jail. 

The romantic side of Goa with beaches totally cleaned up and seemed untouched gave me shivers down the spine. I had an image of the place totally flawed and dirty with beer bottles and edible stuff littered all around. I was indeed surprised to learn that the Govt has taken huge initiatives to invite volunteers and locals for the clean, hygiene and spotless place that it has become.

We were a group of 7 folks who were happy to roam around the Goa roads that has soul, peace and tranquility to offer for a change. The cameras we carried jumped to joy too ;) The sunsets were the best to picture with selfies and white waves as background. My FB display picture looks fabulous now :P

Not that I want to flood this blog with descriptions of the forts but as they say - pictures speak a thousand words. I have ensured that my phone camera does a good job for a destination like that and emits justice to the editing that I performed before posting the album.

Keep Smiling till my next adventure dive :)