Goa is The Party Capital of India
Goa is often termed as one of the tourist destinations for young and restless. Parties, beach shacks, resorts with in-house spas, beach bars, flea markets and a large number of foreign tourists living in makeshift colonies enjoying a good time with guitars, seafood, and drinks – it has many faces! However, there is much more to it apart from these things. Old Goa is a stunning canvas painted with amazing architecture, colonial monuments, beach sports, cobbled pathways, and impressive coastal scenery.
It has been a holiday destination since colonial times when British officials used to travel from across the country to the beaches for vacations. A long time has passed since colonialism has ended in India. But Goa hasn’t lost its charm.
It can be very easily gauged on the surface level that traveling is all about visiting places. But the deeper we dig into the meat of the matter, the subject line tends to drift a little bit. Today the word travel itself embodies a very broader meaning. Apart from seeing new places, knowing about the different cultural aspects of a country or city, traveling to new destinations enriches your inner soul. There are a plethora of reasons why people choose to travel to a particular place. However, if the destinations are myriad then the overall journey definitely gets a new meaning.
Goa here I come
Coming back to the point of this post after a brief telephonic discussion with my college buddy Sanjeev, I arrived at the decision to visit Goa, alone. How I arrived at that decision is a whole story in itself. Sanjeev is one of best of buddies since college days. Haven’t spoke to him for a while. He is working in Goa after completing his Masters in Science from Goa University. He invited me over and offered to show me around.
After seeking permission from my parents I left for Goa on Monday, 16th February 2009 by Goa Sampark Kranti Express from Hazrat Nizammuddin junction.
12450 – Goa Sampark Kranti Express
The Goa Sampark Kranti Express (12450) is a superfast train that operates on Monday and Saturday. It connects Chandigarh Junction in Punjab to Madgaon Junction in Goa. The Goa Sampark Kranti Express began its maiden journey in 2004.
Goa Sampark Kranti Express (12450) departs Hazrat Nizamuddin at 6:40 AM and arrives at Madgaon next day at 2:15 PM. The duration of the journey is 32 hours and 15 minutes. During this time, the train covers a distance of 2,093 kms.
During its journey, Goa Express traverses through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. It is one of the trains to pass through the scenic Dudhsagar Falls via the Braganza Ghat. The train enables the passengers to partake in Goa’s natural beauty, particularly along the Ratnagiri to the Madgaon.
Stations/Halts of Interest
Between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Madgaon the Goa Sampark Kranti Express makes 9 halts. Some of its important stations and halts of interest are:
Pernem is Famously known as North Entrance of Goa. Thivim, is a village in Nathivim in Bardez, in the North Goa district of Goa. Thivim was also the ancestral village of the first global beauty queen of India, Ms. Reita Faria.
I took pictures from the train along my journey. One of the most memorable of those is that of the Dudhsagar Waterfall. Dudhsagar Falls lies between Castlerock and Kullem near the Goa Karnataka border inside the Bhagwan Mahavir Wild Life Sanctuary in the Sanguem district of Goa. It originates high up on the river Mandovi’s watershed and takes a steep plunge 2000 feet down in the mountains of the majestic Briganza Ghat in Western Ghats belt.
This is a four tiered waterfall with a total height of 310 meters (1017 feet) and an average width of 30 meters (100 feet). Dudhsagar, said to be the tallest waterfalls in the country, which drops from a height of 600 metres through a near vertical cliff to enter the coastal region. The surrounding area is covered by a deciduous forest with many species of birds, insects, plants and animal abound here.
We meet after a long time
Sanjeev was putting up there at Madgaon. I called him after crossing Karmali. The train arrived at Madgaon Junction around 3 pm. Sanjeev was already waiting at the platform by the time I arrived. I had conveyed him my coach number. Therefore it wasn’t difficult for him to spot me alighting the train.
We greeted each other then left for his place on his Hero Honda Passion bike. His rented apartment was in Fatorda, a suburb of the town of Margao in Salcete, South Goa. He was sharing the apartment with his colleague Ajith, a jolly good fellow to hang around with.
The journey had drained me out so I freshened up and had a shower. Afterwards we went out and had some snacks and tea and then reached Colva beach as it was the nearest from his place. We strolled around there for a while. As it was high-tide by then so couldn’t get into sea. We sat there on the beach and soaked in the sunset.
On the way back we went into a cyber cafe as Sanjeev had to file his daily field report. It took little more than an hour. Then we drove around in Madgaon on his bike. Had our dinner somewhere in between. Afterwards we went for a movie named “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi“. We left the theater for his his apartment around 12:30 am and called it a night.
Sanjeev took the next day off and took me to Goa University to meet with his friend who were still studying there as research scholars. Likewise throughout the day we kept roaming around from one block to another and relived our college days. Late evening we along with his bunch of friends who had become my friend by then headed towards Dona Paula Jetty & view point.
The day came to an end at their old food joint with kebabs, chicken drum sticks, beer and wine.
Next day it was time to explore Old Goa, also called Velha Goa. It is beside the Mandovi River. It was the former capital of Portuguese India. Known for colonial-era monuments like the Basilica of Bom Jesus, with the remains of St. Francis Xavier, and the domed Church of St. Cajetan, inspired by St. Peter’s in Rome. Nearby, the vast Se Cathedral, built in the 16th–17th centuries, has ornate chapels and a bell tower.
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