Goans do follow Portuguese culture

The best view of the Goan coast can be seen from the topmost turret of the ruined Portuguese fort above Chapora. From the dark upper slopes of the Pernem hills down to the level ground of the coastline stretches mile upon mile of banana and coconut groves, the deep green of the palms offset by the white sand of the shore and the foam of the breaking rollers.

                   
 Fort Tiracol in the far north of Goa, which is less luxy but much cosier and comes with its own 17th-century baroque church. It would be a great mistake, however, not to leave the beach at least once during a trip to Goa, for the former Portuguese enclave is a fascinating place.

Caste is the most public way in which the Goan Catholics still cling to their Hindu roots. Even Dona Georgina, who had been so keen to stress her Portuguese heritage, was also proud to call herself a Brahmin. 

The Portuguese practice of afternoon siestas continues to be followed by some Goans, and an attitude of so-called “susegad” prevails. Derived from the Portuguese word “sossegado,” meaning quiet, it refers to a state of tranquil contentment, peace and tolerance. Perhaps that’s why hippies flocked to Goa

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The king of Portugal sent Francis Xavier to Goa in 1542 to bring Christianity to the colony. The missionary then continued east, dying off the coast of China. When his body was exhumed to be returned to Goa it showed no sign of decay and still remains surprisingly intact, though the right forearm was removed to a church in Rome.

Old Goa’s other significant church stands across a main road, its white exterior gleaming under the tropical sun. Se Cathedral, one of the largest churches in Asia, looks as if it might be in Tuscany. Its cavernous interior contains the Chapel of the Cross of Miracles, where the faithful touch a huge wooden cross in prayer.

Outside, only one of two bell towers remains, giving the facade a lopsided look. The ringing of its Golden Bell took on an ominous tone in the 16th and 17th centuries during the Goa Inquisition, when the condemned were executed in the nearby market square.