Ponda, India
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Ponda (Marathi: फोंडा) is located in the central part of Goa. The Ponda city lies about 28km south-east of Panaji and 17km north-east of Margao and is also the capital of Ponda Taluka. Ponda is well connected by road to the Panaji (Capital of Goa) and main railway junction of Madgaon. It is the industrial centre of the state of Goa with many large factories and industrial estates located there. Ponda also is the fastest growing city in Goa. Goa's only engineering college, the Goa College of Engineering, is located at nearby Farmagudi.
Ponda lies strategically along the main Panaji-Margao highway and is also connected to the neighboring state of Karnataka via the Ponda-Belgaum highway ( NH-4)
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[edit] History
Ponda formed part of the Novas Conquistas or the "New Conquests" of the Portuguese. It was ruled by the Sonde Rajas under the Vijaynagar Kingdom or the Sultanate of Bijapur. The territory of Ponda was not under Portuguese rule in the 16th Century and hence was seen as a safe haven by the Hindus fleeing persecution by the Jesuits and Portuguese. The forests of Ponda were ideal places for Hindus to form make shift temples with the Idols they had salvaged from the broken temples of Sashti (Salsette). These make shift temples were slowly renovated as the Hindus prospered again and now most of the Major Hindu temples in Goa are found here. The Portuguese eventually took over the area in 1791 from the Raja of Sonda along with Quepem, Canacona and Sanguem. 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. However religious zeal of the Portuguese had ebbed by the 18th century and Portugal itself had seen many political and religious changes due to the prevailing inquisition. Therefore Ponda continued to have a Hindu Majority even during the Portuguese rule.
[edit] Religious Places
As mentioned before, Ponda was a safe haven for Hindu temples. The many Hindu temples in the area include the famous being the Mahalasa Narayani at Mardol, The Shanta Durga temple, Mangueshi Temple, Ramnathi , Mahalaxmi, Nageshi and Navadurga temples. Safa Masjid, a mosque built in 1560 by the Bijapuri ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah is there. It is one of two Islamic shrines that escaped destruction by the Portuguese in Goa. It is very close to the town of Farmagudi. Government engineering college of Goa is in Farmagudi, part of Ponda town. The Kamakshi Higher Secondary School is located at Curti , Ponda.
[edit] Other attractions
Ponda is also the gateway to Goa's wildlife sanctuaries, both the Bondla and the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and also the Dudhsagar Waterfalls.
[edit] Approach
There are regular bus services from Panaji and Margao and they depart from the Kadamba Transport Corporation bus stand in the middle of town. There are also buses to nearby villages and towns leaving from here. The interstate buses also depart from the Kadamba Transport Corporation bus stand.
Local Sightseeing: Nearby cities:Margao, Vasco da Gama, Panaji Nearby beaches:Colva, Benaulim, Majorda, Betalbatim, Betul, Canaguinim, Agonda, Palolem, Rajbhag, Polem Nearby Churches:Church of Holy Spirit, Margao,Rachol Seminary,Rachol
Nearby Temples Shanta Durga temple Shree Gopal Ganapathi, Farmagudi Shree Mahalasa Narayani Temple, Mardol Shree Mangueshi Temple, Priol Shree Laxminarsimha Temple, Nagueshi Shree Mahalaxmi Temple, Bandode Shree Ramnathi Temple, Ramnathi Shree Shanta Durga temple, Kavlem Shree Sanusthan Goudpadacharya, Kavlem Shree Navdurga Temple, Madkai Shree Damodar Temple, Zambaulim Shree Chandranath Temple, Paroda Shree Navdurga Temple, Borim Shree Shantadurga Temple, Fatorpa
Nearby Masjids:Safa Shahouri Masjid, Ponda,Jama Masjid, Sanguem
Nearby Monuments:Cabo de Rama ,Buddhist caves, Rivona
Local Infrastructure Banks around Ponda Nearby Currency exchange centers Post office - Ponda Post Office, Ponda. Police Station - Police Station, Ponda - Tel: 722175 Restaurants around Ponda Nearby Internet Cafes Hospitals - Hospicio Hospital, Margao - Tel: 722164 Drug store / Pharmacy
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