3) Shanta Durga Temple: - This is one of the most prominent temples in Goa. It is also considered to be the sacred abode by the Goans. It draws devotees from all the corners of the world. A powerful deity Shanta Durga is believed to make all wishes come true.
It has a very old structure, something that is typical in all the temples lined along the Konkan strip. A very common sight outside every temple is the very artistically made “Deepastambh”, literal meaning being, “the pillar of lights”.
4) Big foot Museum of Loutolim: - A part of the ancestral Goa, the big foot has the relics of ancient Goa and the Portuguese style of living in prominent. Big foot has been built along the legend of an ancient folk tale. The local legend goes that, a wealthy landowner by the name of Mahadar blessed with a deep sense of duty and unending goodness, helped the local poor. Greedy neighbors wishing to take advantage of his naiveté kept on asking him for help till one day fleeced all his possessions and destitute with the loss of his wife, he was left alone. The Gods pleased with his devotion granted him immortality only if he paid penance by standing on one foot atop a rock. This done Mahadar was taken to heaven whereupon, the footprint he left behind promised luck to whosoever stood on it with a heart free from greed and malice.
The auspicious footprint still exists and is believed to grant all the wishes one asks for there.
5) Fort Aguada: - The fort Aguada was built in 1612 and it comprises of a lower fort with Bastions all around and an upper fort. It skirts the sea shore and ascends the summit of the bare rock, uplands called the Aguada point. The upper fort was built as avantage point to serve as a fort and a watering station to the ships. It comprises of a Moat, an underground water storage chamber, a light house, gun powder room and Bastions. It also has a secret escape passage to use during the time of emergency.
The word Aguada means “watering place” in Portuguese. The storage capacity of the water tank is 23, 76,000 gallons. It has five divisions with a support of 16 huge columns and a staircase to ascend.A light house at initial stage used to emit light once in seven minutes. In 1834, it was updated to emit light creating an eclipse every 30 seconds. However this old light house was abandoned in 1976.
Doodh Sagar Waterfalls: - Doodh Sagar literally means “ocean of milk”. This waterfall got its name because of the white cascading water that falls from a height of 300 meters in two segments. An aqueduct of the South Central railway passes through the waterfalls.
This waterfall is situated in the core of Mollem national park and is spread across an area of 107 sq.km The River Doodh Sagar is a source of a major drinking water in Goa.
The forest department has special arrangements to take you inside the dense forest. The falls are hidden almost 12 kms inside the forest.
A rumbling noise of some animal might just scare you, but without an adventurous jerk, there lies no fun in your picnic.
By now you must have realized that Goa, in spite of being a small state has an excellent potential to lure the travel and tourism industry. A little initiative from the Goa Tourism can fend them excellent results.
Thus my small and wonderful voyage came to an end but now as I write nostalgia sets in and I am automatically taken back to that heavenly abode.
As I walk across the wonderful sight,
I am lost in a trance and blinded by the beauty and bold,
of those hills and trees, that stood strong through
the sun, winds and cold.
May change never creep in, because nothing can
ever match the serene abode.
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