Canacona is a taluk (subdistrict) on the southern coast of Goa state, India. A Tehsil is an administrative subdivision or tier of local government in some South Asian countries. ... Goa (गोवा in Devanagari) is Indias smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population after Sikkim, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. ...

Canacona is of the five taluks in South Goa district. It is bounded on the north by Quepem taluk, on the northeast by Sanguem taluk, on the south by Karnataka state, and on the west by the Arabian Sea. The town of Chaudi is the administrative headquarters of Canacona taluk. South Goa is one of the two districts that make up the state of Goa, India. ... Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ in Kannada) is one of the four southern states of India. ... The Arabian Sea is the part of the Indian Ocean between the Arabian Peninsula and India. ... A Tehsil is an administrative subdivision or tier of local government in some South Asian countries. ...

Canacona was not incorporated into the Portuguese colony of Goa until 1794. Like most of Goa, the culture of the district reflects an Indo-Portuguese fusion, although the district did not experience the harsh Goa Inquisition of the 16th-18th centuries. It's less Westernised than Goa's central coast, but unlike coastal Maharashtra or Karnataka. 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Goa Inquisition was the office of the Inquisition acting in the Indian city of Goa and the rest of the Portuguese empire in Asia. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Maharashtra (महाराष्ट्र) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ...

The Canacona railway station of the Konkan Railway is located at the centre of the taluk, close to the tourist attractions of the coast. The railway junction of Margao to the north is the closest major rail station. Buses from Mumbai may terminate at Panaji (Panjim), but some go on to Margao. Highway Route NH17 from Mumbai to Goa connects Chaudi to Panaji and Margao. The scenic coastal road connects Navelim, Chinchinim, Assolna, Betul, and Canaguinim. The Konkan Railway (KR) is a zone of the Indian Railways which operates along the Konkan coast of India. ... Margao is Goas biggest city is the commercial capital of the state. ... Panaji or Panjim is the capital and largest city of Goa state in south-western India. ... Mumbai (Marathi: मुम़बई IPA: ), formerly known as Bombay (IPA: ), is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and is the most populous Indian city. ...

Tourism is rather humane scale, people-friendly and relatively more-affordable than other parts of Goa. Away from the coast, Canacona and its neighbouring Quepem taluka have a number of off-the-beaten-track destinations and unusual festivals. In Goa, generally, locals have mixed feelings though about the impact of tourism on the region, with views increasing pointing to environmental degradation due to the growth of this sector. A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Beaches make popular tourist resorts Beaches make popular tourist resorts Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ...

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Canacona's beach belt, 'discovered' by tourism only after the 1990s, is among the most scenic. Palolem is a milder recreation of an east-meets-west Goan beach, with a rich variety of exotic food and accommodation to cater to the international palate.

But beyond the better-known Palolem and Agonda, there are nearly a dozen-and-half lesser-known (or even hidden) beaches. Some are just tiny strips of sand. Vaturem and Xendrem are secluded beaches. Quepem has a two or three beaches, known for their picture-postcard quality.

Cotigao wildlife sanctuary is located within this area. Parthagal math is a five centuries-old monastery. Zambaulim and Fatorpa are Hindu temples.

Canacona is one part of Goa where hillocks jut out almost directly into the sea. Villages are tucked away in low-lying areas, which are carpeted by a sea of green-topped coconut trees. Until foreign migration and tourism came to this area, the coconut tree was the means by which many on this coast eked a living, apart from fishing. The tourism industry, which developed first in central Goa, did not develop in Canacona until the early 1990s. Much of the tourist infrastructure here is run through small-scale local initiatives. Some tourists are accommodated in beach huts, temporary beachside thatched huts built on coconut trees usually above ground level, right on the beach, during the fair weather (October-May) season. Sanvordem and Quepem towns have many small, functional hotels. In the temples of Mashem, Mallikarjun and Zambaulim rooms are available in agrashalas, primarily for pilgrims.

Dolphin-watching and fishing trips attract visitors, especially British and Scandinavian visitors. The beach villages of Palolem and Agonda and the more deserted Cabo de Rama Fort are developing as tourist destinations.

Goa's second-largest wildlife sanctuary is at Cotigao. It's terrain is fairly plain, with hills in the south and east. Much of the sanctuary is covered with dense forests, with a few open grasslands. Forest crown density is often over 50%. Some trees, Goa's loftiest, touch 30 metres. Cotigao is near Poinguinim, some 44 km from Margao. Villagers have reported sighting tigers, according to officials. Birds are aplenty. Some 200 species could be spotted, given time and patience. These include the Indian Pied Hornbill, Larger Golden Backed Woodpecker and the Great Indian Woodpecker. The Nature Interpretation Centre, at the entrance of the sanctuary, and an Ecotourism Complex at Hattipal provides accommodation. The Forest Department's scenic but simple rest-house is on the Poinguinim highway, some 4 km away.

Shantadurga temple, worshiped by both Hindus and Catholics, at Fatorpa holds its 'zatra' (festival day) on the ninth day of the Hindu month of Margashirsh. It falls in Goa's cool season, sometime in December-January. Huge crowds from all over Goa make their way to this small remote village in Quepem taluka, some 5 km from Cuncolim. (Goa has a range of syncretic practices, where both Hindus and Catholics worship at each other's shrines. Nearly every Catholic trace ancestral roots to Hinduism over generations.)

At Fatorpa, a tall, intricate wooden chariot ('rath') of three tiers, with the deity inside, is decorated and pulled by male devotees in a night procession. Hindu temple priests know many Catholic families by name, because they come to the festival yearly and donate money or goods. American anthropologist Dr Robert S Newman conducted detailed studies on this place.

Shantadurga's temple was in the neighbouring village of Cuncolim, in early colonial times across the 'international boundary' since Portuguese conquests then didn't extend to Quepem.

On the fifth day of Phalgun (usually in March), the 'procession of umbrellas' takes place. Both Hindus and Catholics take part in a mix of practises that crosses over religious border-lines in Goa.

In nearby Quepem, the Damodar temple was rebuilt in Zambaulim. It came here after colonial religious intolerance shifted it away from Margao and relocated in what was then Panchamahal. This region was ruled by the King of Sunda, till ceded to the Portuguese in a treaty. Margao's businessmen have close ties with the deity and often conduct their business invoking 'Dambab'.

Mallikarjun Temple at Shristhal, some 2.5 km away from Chaudi on the main-road leading to Karwar (take the road going left) is one where devotees head for advice from the oracles. Called the 'kaul', the advice of the gods is taken either from priests in a trance or by them interpreting the way flower petals drop down. Locally, Mallikarjun is the popular deity, as visible from the names of local educational institutions. This centuries-old temple was renovated in 1778.

Visits to Anjediva Island are permitted courtesy Station Commander Sea Bird Project. Future visits could be curtailed due to plans by the Navy to step up security.

To visit the Island from Goa one has to proceed by any bus going to Karwar or Mangalore, leaving in the morning. The journey is about 2-1/2 hrs. From the bus stand to Karwar Port, from where a trawler takes one to Anjediv. One might need to alight into a small boat before reaching the shore, due to the shallowness of the island waters.

Canacona's supposedly aboriginal population, the Kunbis (with Gaonkar or Velip as their surnames) live in areas around Gaondongri, Cotigao, Chapoli (the site for a new dam), Assali, Kulem, Khola and Agonda. Besides the Kunbi, there are also their priestly counterparts, the Velips.

Loliem has a couple of centuries-old 'hero' stones, etchings on stone to record historic events of the time dating back many centuries. This village's statue of Betal itself possibly goes back to the seventh century if not earlier, according to "cultural-historian" Phaldessai. Canacona has several statues of him, and not four as it is usually said. Also important is the Paik cult, common in Uttat Kannada.