Goa, love at first sight

Sep 19th, 2008 by tilak

It was rather unusual for an Indian travel freak like me not to visit Goa till I was thirtyfive. Goa is certainly considered as one of the most beautiful and enjoyable tourist destinations of India by the domestic as well as the foreign visitors.

In fact, my first trip to Goa was not for tourism. I carefully avoid going to established tourist places as I prefer to avoid large crowd the presence of whom interferes with my interaction with nature. I like solitude and thus search for a virgin place and fortunately there are still many such corners in this wonderful country. Like a fool I had presumed Goa could not be one amongst them till I actually arrived within the territory of the state.

I had received a posting order to Goa and I was appointed as the Ophthalmic Surgeon of the Naval Hospital located in Vasco-Da-Gama, the port town of Goa. As the famous Portuguese adventurer and explorer played a key role in establishing Portuguese colonies in the west coast of India in the early sixteenth century, the port town of Goa is named after him. I boarded a train from Delhi for Vasco-Da-Gama.

It was a long and tedious journey in the autumn of 1992. Just before entering the state, I had to change trains onto a metre gauge train for the last stretch of the journey. Metre guage and the narrow guage trains are popularly known as ‘toy trains’ in India as they usually pass through mountain terrain and often for short distances. Journeys in these trains are always very enjoyable and exciting. Many routes existed in the 70’s but now are fast becoming extinct as they are being converted into broad guage railway for commercial convenience.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable journey.
The train started climbing the hills through the magnificent forests as we entered the boundary of Goa. I never could imagine the surprise which was awaiting me ahead. The train gradually slowed down as we emerged from a long tunnel and finally screeched to a complete halt. As I peeped through the open window towards the west to inquire about the reason for the halt my glasses were completely fogged by the water droplets gushing through the window.

We had stopped under the Dudhsagar waterfall. ( Dudhsagar meaning ‘Sea of Milk’).

As it was in the post-monsoon period the river was in full spate. It remains as one of the most magnificent experiences of my life. More so, because it was such a surprise as I had no idea that the spot was en-route. I was left speechless by the sight. It was a wonderful wet welcome the state had offered me at our first encounter.

Thereafter the train passed through the seaside and the magnificent sea stretches that I could see from the train was just amazing. Blue water rolled underneath the track at regular intervals. Only at very few places have I ever enjoyed such wonderful views of the sea from a train.

Photograph: © Tilak Bera

That train journey still remains as one of my most favourite journey. This train route is fast becoming less popular as most of the tourists now prefers to reach Goa by air or by the Konkan railway, which is more convenient for the travellers. That route still remains as my favourite and I will prefer it during the monsoon months.

With that first glimpse, I had fallen in love with the (yet unknown) natural beauty of this wonderful state of India, Goa.

Tilak Ranjan Bera. | 18 th September.