Colva is the oldest, largest and the most spectacular of south Goa beaches. It
lies about 6 Kms to the west of Margao. The beach consists of about 25kms of the
finest powder white sand and is lined along its shore by coconut palms extending to Bogmalo
in the north and Cabo de Rama in the south along south Goa's coastline. In the
colonial days it used to be the retreat for Margao's high society, who would
come to Colva for their "Mundanca" or change of air. Today the
area that is reminiscent of this age are the beautiful houses or villas that dot the
village. Today's Colva is slowly undergoing commercialization at a
feverish pitch "a la"
Calangute.
Local attractions
The legacy of Menino Jesus
Apart from the beach itself, the other main attraction for the
locals is the "Menino Jesus"
statue at the local church of Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Piedade ( Our Lady of
Mercy) founded in 1630. The church lies in the village square.
The statue was discovered by Rev. Father Bento Ferreira in
1640 while shipwrecked after being attacked by muslim pirates off the
coast of Mozambique. The statue was washed ashore and lay intact on the rocks.
Father Ferreira kept it with him and brought the statue to Colva in
1648 when he was posted as the first vicar to the church at
Colva. The statue was placed in an altar in the church and soon gained the
reputation for granting favors among the local populace.
Following the banning
of the Jesuits by the Portuguese, the Jesuits took the statue with them to Rachol
and refused to return it. This enraged the locals and ensued in a
long, arduous and unsuccessful struggle for the return of the
statue to Colva . Even after obtaining an order for its return from the King of
Portugal, they were unsuccessful. Frustrated, they finally commissioned a
new statue and adorned it with the original ring that had fallen off the
previous statue prior to its transfer to Rachol. This resulted in the return of
the miraculous powers to the new statue. In the light of the debacle with
the previous statue, the statue now remains locked up except during the
Fama festival on the second Monday in October every year. The tradition
attracts thousands and continues to this day and according to the locals, Menino
Jesus has
never failed to deliver.
Photos
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Colva Beach
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Colva Beach
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Colva Beach
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Colva Beach
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Colva Beach
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Colva Beach
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Colva Beach
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Colva Church
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Approach
There are regular bus services from Margao and
Vasco da Gama
and they depart from the KTC bus stand, 3kms north of Margao city. There are
regular buses to Colva, Majorda, Benaulim and other nearby villages leaving from here. The
interstate buses also depart from the KTC bus stand at Margao.
There are two train stations, the newest being the
Konkan Rail train station located about 3kms from the Margao city center.
Nearby Sightseeing
