GOA
Washed by the Indian Ocean, Goa is indeed a tropical paradise. Palm-fringed white beaches bring many tourists but beyond the beaches lay a complex culture dominated by Portuguese Christians, Hindu temples and rice paddies.
The Portuguese ruled Goa for 450 years. They had been there for more than century before the British arrived. They remained in 1947 when the British left; in 1961 the Indian Army moved in and the Portuguese were forced to leave.
They stamped their character on their Indian possessions. They were determined to convert the entire population to Christianity and went a long way towards succeeding, at least outwardly. Portuguese influence was concentrated on a minute area and within this area their control was complete and often brutal.
Goa remains India’s smallest and richest state, in good part because of Portugal’s powerful influence.
Welcome to the world of Ganesha and the Crucifix…