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It’s Goa: surfing is cool but shopping is hotBy D.K. Bhaskar
Enriched with four thousand years of native history and redefined by its Portuguese influence as late as 1960, the state of Goa presents a unique picture to tourists with its colonial buildings, white sandy beaches, thatched huts, a causal crime-free society and a flamboyant young population. It was just after sunrise in the morning and the little hamlets across the vast landscape were brimming with people getting ready for their daily chores. It being a Wednesday, the day of the special market, local fishermen were looking forward to make good business while their women-folk were gearing up to prepare a sumptuous meal of the local delicacies.
Scores of folks called out to ambling tourists and put on
their best business hats, each one outdoing his competitor. I was particularly
impressed with a lambani (tribal) lady with heavy metal and lac jewelry hanging
around her neck, ears, nose and wrists. Her animated sign language and
spectacular dress code attracted many a curious tourist to her little roadside
shop. She was busy arranging her goods before the phirangs (foreign visitors)
arrived on the scene.
Tourists visit Goa all round the year. The city is virtually flooded with cars of all makes. You would be surprised to see Mercedes, Toyota, Honda, and Chevrolet lined up in this attractive shopping haven.
The centre of attraction at the Anjuna beach is its flea market enticing people of all ages. In the 1960’s the hippies began selling chillums at Anjuna which made Goa an infamous paradise. Today the market attracts hardcore shoppers and good bargainers, to trade Tibetan, Kashmiri and Gujarati handicrafts, European snacks, and zesty, Goan music albums. Another interesting feature of the flea market is the road-side tattooing joints. You can have tattoo of varied colors and designs on any part of your anatomy. It’s your choice really! What’s more, there are elephant rides and photographs with a fake sadhus (saints) or a fake snake charmers (to suit your personal taste) to spice it all up! Oh yes, that is Goa.
Goa is the perfect place for a getaway from the hustle and
bustle of daily life.
No shopping is complete in pleasure unless you bargain to your heart’s content and pay what your mind and heart feels is right! That in essence is the charm of a Goan shopping experience. Over 35 beaches along the 175 miles of coastline are
located all around
Main cities in Goa
Margao: Margao is the main town of South Goa. Although urbanization has transformed it a great deal, it still has the old charm of the Portuguese grandeur. Some of the old houses are painstakingly maintained with its old glory.
Vasco-da-gama: This is the famous port city of Goa named after the Portuguese explorer and Goa’s former viceroy who first set foot on Indian soil on July 8, 1497.
By Air: Indian Airlines, Kingfisher, Jet Airways and Air Sahara has direct flights from major cities in India By Rail: Konkan railway connecting between Mumbai and Mangalore is one of the most scenic train routes in the vast network of Indian railways. It passes through Goa stopping at 5 different stations. By Road: There are major luxury buses and ordinary buses running to many places in Goa. The road network is well constructed and gives a glimpse into the grace and beauty of the Western Ghats. |
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TM
The drive from Calangute to Anjuna beach in Goa situated on
the west coast of India was spectacular. A cool sea breeze blew over the bright
burgundy soil, while at the backdrop was the lush green vegetation of the
Western Ghats, a hilly range of mountains in the Deccan plateau in central
India. The coastline comprised many little sleepy villages and blessed with
picturesque countryside. Our 45 minutes drive was enough to give us a flavor of
the colorful and zesty Goan lifestyle.
Goa of the 21st century is much more than sun, surf, sea
and sand. From being the infamous for its hippie colonies and drug trading in
the 60’s and 70’s, Goa has come a long way in attracting tourists from all over
the world. Today it is one of the important trading and tourist attractions of
India. The people of this state are a mixture of varied cultures, race and
religion, who make a living out of diverse business enterprises such as selling
anything from flutes, electronic gadgets, tender coconuts or Feni, a popular
Goan beverage. That’s not all; Goa offers opportunities to indulge in some cool
shopping. Excellent brassware, terracotta, shell work, crochet, carved
furniture, bamboo work, papier-mâché, etc, which are available in variety of
stores turn out to be memorable keepsakes to go back with.
Shopping in the local markets of Goa has its own charm.
Invariably, every tourist who visits the renowned beaches of Goa is charmed into
spending some time and a substantial amount of money on the artifacts available
exclusively at these places. Most shops in these local flea markets are
temporary sheds while some of them are cloth shelters made up just for the day.
One would be taken aback at the wealth of original art that this place offered
if one did not know what to anticipate here.
Her store was virtually an artist’s impression of anything
colorful and exotic. From hand bags to tapestry and intricate jewelry, she was
ready with numerous products for prospective buyers. She flashed a charming
smile and invited me to visit her stall. I could not but help notice that her
flashing smile went well with her unusually large earrings.
Most interesting part of this buyer’s paradise are the
foreign tourists primarily visiting Goa for a longer duration and selling
whatever they had (with the punch line, “imported goods”) to Indian visitors. I
was amused when I learnt how much money they made by trading off their goods to
locals. Undoubtedly the free trade paid off to invest on their beach parties and
merry making.
Goa is a quixotic place for shoppers. Hire a cab and drive
up the winding and picturesque road; you will hit a new place, a new corner and
a new environment and a new shopping experience. There are two parts of this
fabulous place – Old Goa and New Goa. While old Goa gives you the flavor and
feel of colonial, subdued and passionate life, new Goa offers the upbeat,
sophisticated and high society life. Goa today is the citadel of numerous
fashion shoots, swinging parties, cabarets and dance parties.
When you get tired, food entrepreneurship is readily
visible with makeshift tables and chairs to taste the fresh seafood at an arms
length from the shores. Of course who can resist eating the different varieties
of cashew nuts! From the spicy to roast to salt to plain to mixed masala, the
taste buds are tested with multitude of combinations. For the fishy eaters, how
can anyone ignore the dried fish and spicy curries!
Peace, tranquility, cheerfulness, festive atmosphere, you
name it, you got it. It's a very small state and most tourist destinations are
within a couple of hours of each other. The beach, the surf, the people, the
surroundings; everything about Goa is incredible in its own way. It is also a
fascinating experience to go around and shop in the traditional markets of the
Goan towns and villages. These markets reflect Goa's ethnic culture and provide
a glimpse of the typical Goan way of doing business.
Another interesting shopping experience is the "Arpora Saturday Night Bazaar"
which as the name suggests is held every Saturday night, at Arpora village. It
is located a few Kms away from Calangute on the way to Anjuna. You will find lot
of activities going around over here. The lights in the night atmosphere make
this place lively and entertaining. Even here there are Buyers and Seller from
all around the world.
Panajim: This is the state capital. Small and quiet, it has
narrow winding streets, old houses with overhanging balconies and red tiled
roofs, whitewashed Churches and numerous small bars and cafes.
Mapusa: The weekly bazaars held in this North Goa town
have made a mark among the locals and tourists. Fridays are especially special
with hundreds of business people making good selling anything from an old brass
lamp to exquisite garments or just take a walk through hustle-bustle of business
pathway. 
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