Margao is Goa's second
largest town and a bustling commercial centre. Barely frequented by travellers, this
central Goan town has an old-worldly charm about it because of its Old Portuguese
churches, and fine country houses decked with dark rosewood furniture.
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 ATTRACTIONS
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
edge of the main square to within a stone's throw of the old railway station, the Bazaar
centres on a labyrinthine covered area that's a rich source of authentic souvenirs and a
good place to browse.
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 dishevelled 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 fa�ade 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.
EXCURSIONS
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. The cream of Lutolim's houses lie within
walking distance of here, nestled in the woods, or along the road leading south. However,
visits have to be arranged in advance through the Margao tourist office.
Within Loutlim
Pick of the crop in Lutolim is Miranda house, a stone's throw from the square. Fronted by
a plain classical fa�ade, 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.
Lutolim's other attraction is the quirky model village cum heritage centre, a short way
east of the square, called Ancestral Goa. Set up to show visitors a cross section of local
village life as it was a hundred years ago, it's a well meaning but ultimately dull
exhibition of miniature houses and dressed dummies.
Chandor
13-km east of Margao across the fertile rice fields of Salcete lies sleepy Chandor
village, a scattering of tumbledown villas and farmhouses ranged along shady tree-lined
lanes. The main reason to venture out here is the splendid Perreira Braganza /
Menezes-Braganza house, regarded as the grandest of Goa's colonial mansions. Dominating
the dusty village square, the house, built in the 1500s by the wealthy Braganza family for
their two sons, has a huge double-storeyed fa�ade, with 28 windows flanking its entrance.
Braganza de Perreira, the great grandfather of the present owner, was the last knight of
the King of Portugal; more recently, Menezes Braganza, a famous journalist and freedom
fighter, was one of the few Goan aristocrats to actively oppose Portuguese rule. Forced to
flee Chandor in 1950, the family returned in 1962 to find their house, amazingly
untouched. The airy tiled interiors of both wings contain a veritable feast of antiques.
Furniture enthusiasts, and lovers of rare Chinese porcelain, in particular, will find
plenty to drool over, while anyone interested in religious relics should request a glimpse
of St. Francis Xavier's diamond-encrusted toenail, recently retrieved from a local bank
vault and enshrined in the east wing's tiny chapel.
Visitors generally travel to Chandor by taxi but one can also get there by bus from
Margao, or by train via Chandragoa station, 1-km northwest. While many people turn up
without an appointment, it is still a good idea to call ahead through the tourist office.
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.
WHERE TO STAY
With Colvo and Benaulim a mere twenty-minutes bus ride away the accommodation options are
available in plenty at Margao. GTDC Tourist Hotel is standard budget hotel one can stay in
at Margao.
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