What’s a holiday without a bit of shopping for mementos, to remind you about the place you were holidaying in or to gift your relatives and friends back home?
Here are a few places where you can pick up unique curious and knick knacks during your Goa visit.
Started a few years back, Marcou Artifacts are all about ceramic products and unique souvenirs which depict Goan culture and the local way of life. Their outlet is located in Fontainhas, the picturesque Latin Quarter in Panaji.
Name: MarcouArtifacts
Location: FontainhasPanaji
Contact No: 0832-2220204
Goa Handicrafts, Rural & Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited (GHRSSIDC), a Government of Goa Undertaking was set up in 1980 and performs the role of encouraging, promoting and marketing the myriad of Goan handicrafts by making these items available through its various outlets. Several of their outlets are housed in Tourist Residences operated by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation.
Name: Aparant Handicraft Emporia.
Location: Tourist Residency,Mapusa and opposite Police Head Quarters in Panaji
Architecture Autonomous is an architectural firm specializing in Ecological design. It has a wing which runs the Mario Gallery which is dedicated to the work of Legendary Artist Mario de Miranda. It also runs the Museum, Houses of Goa.
Name: Mario Miranda Gallery.
Location: Gauro Vaddo Calangute and Panaji.
0832 2281152
Velha Goa specializes in traditional hand-painted azulejos or hand painted ceramic tiles and also carries a line of ceramics and imported products. All the raw material for the azulejos are imported from Portugal but the painting on the product is completed in Goa by local artisans. You can visit their retail store at the Velha Goa Galeria in Fontainhas, Panaji.
Name: Velha Goa Galleria.
Location: Fontainhas, Panajim.
0832-2426628
Safa Masjid
Goa may not possess in its landscape the majesty of a Taj Mahal or the grandeur of New Delhi’s Jama Masjid, but it does have a treasure of Indo-Islamic architechture of its own in the form of the Safa Masjid situated in Ponda, which is located around 30 kms from the state capital of Panaji.
Safa masjid is also known as the Shifa Shahouri masjid and was built in the 16th century, which effectively makes it around 500 years old.
The Safa masjid stands solemn by an emerald green pool of water, neatly flanked by a rugged laterite bank and is the physical embodiment of the masjid’s name Safa, which means chaste, clean in the Arabic language.
The mosque is also flanked by several hamams with stylish archs, which are in sync with the principles of the Islamic architecture peppered with Indian influence.
The mosque was built by the rulers of the Adilshahi dynasty from Bijapur.
There is also a sense of mystery to the Safa masjid, which has not been unraveled yet. Tourist guides will regale you about the stories, of how there are mysterious tunnels which lead out from the mosque from under the water tanks. But that’s for you to find out, when you go check it out.
Adding the Safa masjid to your things to do list when you are taking a tour of temples in the Ponda area would be a great idea, especially considering it’s slightly off the mainstream tour grid.
Safa Masjid
Ponda
