Beyond Beaches And Nightlife: Tourism Ministry Webinar Zooms In On Goa’s History And Culture

Going beyond the much sought-after sea shores and nightlife of Goa, the richness of the coastal state's centuries-old history and culture was unfolded to the spell-bound participants of a webinar event.

Titled “Culture and Tourism — Two sides of Goan Economy”, the Dekho Apna Desh webinar series presented the culture, history, heritage and architectural marvel of India’s most popular tourist destination, Goa.

Organised by Tourism Ministry, the session brought the participants face-to-face with the lesser known places, history, architecture, culture and heritage waiting to be explored by the tourists.

It was presented by Sanjeev Sardesai (historian), Arminio Riberio (architect) and Sawani Shetye (archaeologist). The webinar showcased the richness of Goa that extends back through centuries of profound history, cultural exchange and creativity, which is beyond the famous beaches and nightlife.

Muslim rule during the medieval period and until the Portuguese invasion of Goa, defeating the Bijapur Empire, Bahmani Sultanate and Bijapur Kingdom to Vijayanagara, the session allowed a peek into Goa’s history, from the times of the Kadamba.

The speakers elaborated on how the Portuguese rule that lasted for about 450 years had heavily influenced Goan culture, cuisine and architecture.

The presence of marine fossils, buried seashells and other features of topography in the coastal belt indicate that Goa emerged from the sea due to geological tectonic plate movement.

The story trails of some of the heritage architecture like Safamasjid, Convent of St Monica, Archbishops Cathedral, Basilica of Goa, Deshprabhu Palace, Soundekar Palace built by the Portuguese, Deao Palace, TB Cunha Mansion, Solar Colacos House, Panjim Church are not only interesting but also an insight into Goan history.

The Deko Apna Desh webinar series is presented by Ministry of Tourism with active technical support from National e-Governance Division created by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for effective citizen engagement and communication with all stakeholders using the digital experience platform.

The sessions of webinars are available here and also on all social media handles of Ministry of Tourism, government of India.