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Scrumptious
Servings in Goa
Feast your eyes and spoil your palette. You will find here, food which is distinct in its own way. Goan cooking involves using
a lot of spice, the most common ones being cumin coriander, chilies, garlic and turmeric. Famous for its seafood, particularly the
combination of fish curry and rice, a local ingredient used to flavour fish is kokum. Seafood of all varieties is eaten, together
with pork and chicken. Goan cuisine does not naturally cater for the vegetarian, and very few vegetarian dishes are found here.
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Following these succulent food items, you must savour the wonderful concoction
of layer upon layer of coconut pancakes, called bebinca. This is sure to put inches on your waistline once you develop a taste for it, but
it’s not to be missed. And one potent drink not to be missed is feni, made out of either coconut or cashew. We, however, strongly advise
that you should not drink it on an empty stomach, and certainly don’t swim after you’ve had a couple of fenis. But the best you will
hear comes from the locals, that, 'you don't realise how strong it is until you get up'!
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Shopping in Goa
The best things to take back from Goa are the unique Goan products available. You can also pick up traditional Portuguese-style
furniture, from sofas to altars, from Panaji. For less traditional purchases, head to Ingo’s Saturday Nite Bazaar in Arpora. You can buy t-shirts,
suede skirts and fluorescent tops, or even go for body-piercing. On the road from Calangute to Porvorim, you will find oriental silk carpets,
marble work and art inlaid with precious stones.
Events in Goa
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Owing to a large Christian community, most Christian festivals such
as Easter and Christmas are celebrated along with a host of minor deity days such as the Feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception
and the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, both in December. Hindu festivals tend to occur at the beginning of the calendar year. The Festival
of Shantadurga Prasann, in January, involves a night-time procession of chariots bearing the goddess followed by over 100,000
faithful followers. In the colourful and dramatic Procession of Umbrellas at Cuncolim south of Margao ,
the same goddess is honoured with a
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procession
carrying a solid silver image of her to the original temple site. The three day Zatra of Shri Mangesh takes place
in February in the lavish temple of the same name. During the same month in the old Fontainhas district of Panaji, the Maruti
Zatra draws huge and colourful crowds. March welcomes the festival of Holi or Shigmo.
If you want to experience the true essence of Goan culture, be sure to visit Goa in late February or early March. That’s
the time when all the colours of the world are out on the streets of Goa. The state’s most popular festival, the Goa Carnival, is celebrated with much zest and splendor.
In Panaji the festivities center around a procession of colorful floats which takes place on Sabado Gordo or Fat Sunday. In fact
the main Saturday parade draws tens of thousands of revelers to the Goan capital and is sure to leave you spellbound!
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Getting
there and away to Goa
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Dabolim is the main entry point for Goa, situated at a distance of around
29 km from Panaji on the coast near Vasco da Gama. Most domestic airlines operate in Goa apart from chartered private airlines
operating from UK and Germany. Indian Airlines has direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai daily. Air India also flies to Goa.
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It is not difficult to reach Goa by trains, especially after opening
of the Konkan Railway that connects Margao and Vasco da Gama to major cities in India. You can take trains from Delhi (1,874 km),
Mumbai (490 km), and Bangalore (430 km) to reach Goa comfortably. From the railway stations, you can hire taxis and motorcycle taxis
to reach the desired destinations |
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Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka state transport corporations operate from the Kadamba
bus stand at Panaji. Frank Shipping operates a boat service between Mumbai and Panaji.
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Getting Around in Goa
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