Close to the important industrial town of Vasco da Gama lies the
main port of Goa, in Marmagoa. The town has some industries and
not very much else besides the highly dilapidated ruins of a
fort, and an ironic history, which classifies it as "the town
that never was".
A Ruined History
Well, leaving the dramatics aside, Marmagoa was the site that was
first chosen to be the capital of the Portuguese Empire. This is
why, in 1685, the construction of the fort started along with the
founding of a township. The Viceroy even moved to Marmagoa in
1703, but the Maratha warriors (term used for Shivaji and other
Hindus originating from Maharashtra, who fought against foreign
rulers) attacked the site repeatedly, and Old Goa was made the
capital instead.
The Port Town
Thus, Marmagoa is more or less the Fatehpur Sikri of Goa, minus
the monuments, of course. But with the harbour starts another
lore. The port is one of India's finest natural harbours. If one
wants to extricate oneself from the beaches, a sunset walk around
the harbour can be a pleasant change.
