Surrounded by fertile farmland, the town has always been
an important agricultural market, and was once a major religious
centre, with dozens of wealthy temples and Dharamshalas
- however; most of these were destroyed when the Portuguese
adsorbed the area into their Novas Conquistas during the
17th century.
Today, Catholic churches still outnumber Hindu shrines,
but Margao has retained a distinctly cosmopolitan feel,
largely due to a huge influx of migrant labour from neighbouring
Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Prime Attraction
The Old Market
If one is arriving in Goa on the Konkan Railway from Mumbai
or South India, one will almost certainly have to pause
in Margao to pickup onwards transport by road. The other
reason to come here is to shop at the town's excellent market.
Stretching from the south end of the main square to the
old railway station, the Bazaar lies in the center of a
labyrinthine covered area that's a rich source of authentic
souvenirs and a good place to shop.
The Stately Church of the Holy Spirit
While one is here, take a short rickshaw ride north to
the Stately Church of the Holy Spirit, in the heart of a
disheveled but picturesque colonial enclave. Presiding over
the dusty Largo de Igreja Square, the church, built by the
Portuguese in 1675, is one of the finest examples of late-Baroque
architecture in Goa, boasting a pristine white façade
and an interior dripping with gilt crystal and stucco.
The picturesque farming villages strewn across the verdant
countryside around Margao host a scattering of evocative
colonial monuments and a handful of Hindu temples that can
be visited on day trips from the coast.
Lutolim
Peppered around the leafy lanes of Lutolim, 10-km northeast
of Margao, are several of Goa's most beautiful colonial
mansions, dating from the heyday of the Portuguese empire
when this was the countryseat of the territory's top brass.
Lying just off the main road, the village is served by eight
daily buses from Margao, which drop passengers off on the
square in front of a lopsided looking church.
Pick of the crop in Lutolim is Miranda house, a stone's
throw from the square. Fronted by a plain classical façade,
the mansion was built in the 1700s, though renovated later
following raids by a clan of rebel Rajput bandits. Today,
it is occupied by a famous Goan cartoonist, and his family,
direct descendants of the wealthy Areca planters who originally
owned the surrounding estate. Route Caetan Miranda house,
two minutes' walk south of the square, and Salvador Costa
House, tucked away on the western edge of the village, are
other mansions worth hunting out; the later is occupied
by an elderly lady who only welcomes visitors by appointment.
How to Get There
Rail:
Margao's new Train station, the only stop in Goa for most
long distance express services on the Konkan Railway, lies
3-km south of the centre. The Reservation office (Monday-Saturday,
8.00 am-4.30 pm, Sunday 8.00 am- 2.00 pm) is divided between
the ground and the first floor; bookings for the superfast
Rajdhani Express to Delhi are made at the hatch to the left
of the main entrance. Tickets for trains for Mumbai are
short in supply so make sure to book the tickets well in
advance. There is also a 24-hour Information Centre and
round-the-clock pre-paid auto rickshaw stand outside the
exit.
Road:
Local private buses to Colva and Benaulim leave from in
front of the Kamat hotel on the east side of Margao's main
square. Long distance bus services one can get at the main
Kadamba Bus Stand, 3-km further north, on the outskirts
of the town. This is also the departure point for interstate
services to Magalore, via Chaudi and Gokarn, and for services
to Panjim and North Goa.
