Goa is a small state on the western coast of India. Goa was the first part of India that was colonized by Europeans and also the last to be liberated. In the past it was known as Govapuri, Gomant or Aprant. The Arab sailors knew it as Sindabur, or Sandabur, and the Portuguese as Goa.
Legends
According to some Hindu legends, Parashurama flung his axe into the sea and commanded the Sea God to recede up to the point where his axe landed. The new piece of land thus recovered came to be known as Konkan meaning "piece of earth" or "corner of earth" (Kona(corner) + kana(piece)). The legend of Lord Parshurama commanding Lord Varuna to make the seas recede to make the Konkan .
The Southern Konkan was called Govarashtra.
The Mahabharata refers to Goa as Gomanta Kingdom or Goparashtra, "a nation of cowherds or of nomadic tribes". In other ancient Indian texts in Goa is also known as Gopakapuri, Gapakapattana, Gomanchala, Govapuri. Suta Samhita, an Indian classic, describes Goa as such: "To the north of Gokarn is a 'kshetra' with seven 'yojanas' in circumference: therein is situated Govapuri, which destroys all sins. The sight of Govapuri destroys the sin committed in a previous existence, as at sunrise darkness disappears. Even by making up his mind to bathe once in Govapuri one attains a high place (in the next world). Certainly there is no 'kshetra' equal to Govapuri."
Settlement
According to the legends of the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin community, they were settled along the banks of the Saraswati river. When the river suddenly went dry, Parshurama created the new land on the coast and ordered them to migrate there. The Saraswat Brahmins settled in three islands in the estuary of the Zuari and Mandovi rivers. The Sarswats settled in three different groups which lent the name to the land based on the number of families settled there:Twelve(Barah) families in Bardesh(modern Bardez); Thirty(Tees) families in Tiswadi; and sixty six(Sashasta) families in Sashti(modern Salcette).[1] . These three islands formed the ancient Gomantak.
Ancient history
In the 3rd century BCE, Gomanta formed part of the Maurya Empire. It was later ruled by the Satavahana dynasty. Eventually, it became a part of the Chalukya empire, who controlled it from 580 to 750. Over the next few centuries it was ruled successively by the Silharas, the Kadambas and the Chalukyas of Kalyani. The Kadambas are credited with constructing the first settlement on the site of Old Goa in the middle of the 11th century.
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history of goa