Ponda Tourism Information|Major Attractions of Ponda

Ponda Tourism Information

Major Attractions of Ponda - The city of Ponda lies about 28kms south-east of Panaji and 17kms north-east of Margao and is also the capital of Ponda Taluka . The town was born after the Portuguese took over the area  in 1791 from the Raja of Sonda and annexed it  along with Quepem, Canacona and Sanguem forming the New Conquests. It began as an administrative center  with the establishment of administrative offices and court and soon became a commercial center. Most of the area known as Ponda today was a part of "Quela"  village. It lies strategically along the main Panaji-Margao highway and is also connected to the neighboring state of Karnataka via the Ponda-Belgaum highway or the NH-4.

Today it is an industrial city with many large factories and industrial estates nearby. Goa's only engineering college, the Goa College of Engineering is located at nearby Farmagudi.

Ponda taluka is most famous for its temples, most of which have made the area their home for centuries following displacement from their original sites elsewhere in Portuguese occupied Goa  during the  early days of the Inquisition.

Major Attractions of Ponda is also the gateway to Goa's wildlife sanctuaries, both the Bondla and the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and also the Dudhsagar Waterfalls.

Called Phonda in Konkani, it is 28 kms south-east of Panjim and 17 kms north east of Margao. Ponda is the gateway to Belgaum, Hubli and other cities to the east of Goa (in Karnataka and beyond).

Ponda lies in the so-called 'New Conquests'. In the heat of Portuguese religious intolerance centuries ago, Ponda was a safe-haven for Hindus fleeing Portuguese religion-based persecution, in times when it was ruled by local feudatories of the Vijaynagar kingdom or the Bijapur sultanate.

Excursions Around Ponda - This accounts for the large number of temples resettled from Salcete and elsewhere in and around Ponda. Ponda is home to a number of artistic temples. It's amazing to see the number and spectacular beauty of temples here. Including Mahalasa Narayani at Mardol, the Shanta Durga at Kavlem, Mangueshi at Priol, Ramnath at Ramnathi, Mahalaxmi at Bandora, Laxminarsimha at Nageshi and Navadurga temple at Madkai.

Excursions Around Ponda - Temples in the vicinity include Gopal Ganapathi at Farmagudi; Sanusthan Goudpadacharya at Kavlem; Navdurga Temple at Madkai and -- some distance off -- Damodar Temple at Zambaulim and Chandranath Temple at Paroda.

Excursions Around Ponda - Safa Masjid, a mosque built in 1560 by the Bijapuri ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah is on the outskirts of Ponda. Ponda lies en route to Goa's wildlife sanctuaries, both the Bondla and the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and also the Dudhsagar Waterfalls.

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