Did you know why it is called Goa

Any talk regarding the culture of Goa is deficient if we didn't investigate deep into its rich past! A tiny land located on the scenic Western coast of India, Goa is among the most popular tourist spots on this planet! The history of Goa is equally rich since it's culture and traditions! It was the most earliest parts of the subcontinent to be colonized- and one of the last to be liberated. On the other hand, the history of Goa goes way ahead of this colonization...

The queen of seashores in India is referred even in the Mahabharata- one of the earliest of Hindu epics. Known as 'Gomantak' or fruitful place in the last texts, the history of Goa is steeped in mystery and folklore! Here are a few of the most riveting historical beliefs that are connected with the area:

One legend has it that the sage Parashuram contributed to the creation of the whole Konkan shoreline. The legend goes in this way-When he was requested to leave the territory where he'd annihilated a whole population of kshatriyas (the warrior class in ancient India), Parashuram asked the ocean to draw back in order that he could develop a territory for himself. He shot an arrow through the Western Ghats. The place where the arrow landed was to be the mark from which the seas had been ordered to draw back.

Till date, this region is known as Bannali (a Sanskrit word for a village where the arrow landed)! The ocean gods obeyed and land on the banks of the rivers Gomati and Asghanasani was surrendered to Parashuram. You can still see the rivers in modern day Goa, only now these are known as Mandovi and Zuari. You possibly can always make out of the famous Parashuram Temple there!

Another enduring legend about the history of Goa goes this way- the Hindu god lord Krishna was fascinated by the great thing about some Konkan women he saw bathing on the Konkan shoreline. He was further enthralled by their dancing and imparted the name 'govapuri (from the word 'gov' -referring to the cows belonging to the local people on the region. The modern day 'Goa' derives its name from this legendary Govapuri. Fascinating, isn't it?

By its ancient history, the civilization of Goa has been influenced a lot. It had been probably the most in demand of regions in the kingdom of ancient India. From the 4th century onwards, Goa was ruled by a number of dynasties. The 1st dynasty that ruled the place was the Bhojas during the 4th and fifth centuries. Silahara and the Kadamba dynasties came after that.

Goa was thrust into the limelight during the 14th century after it started out as an important trading centre. It evolved into the focal point for traders seeking to make trades with the Middle Eastern countries. This in the end led towards the colonization from the land by the Europeans at a later stage.