Ponda, Goa

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Ponda
फोंडें
Ponda
city
Ponda
Coordinates: 15°24′N 74°01′E / 15.40°N 74.02°E / 15.40; 74.02Coordinates: 15°24′N 74°01′E / 15.40°N 74.02°E / 15.40; 74.02
Country India
State Goa
District North Goa
Elevation 42 m (138 ft)
Population (2001)
 • Total 17,688
Languages
 • Official Konkani
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Website www.pondacity.com

Ponda (pronounced /fɔɳɖɛ̃ː/) (Konkani: फोंडें Phōṃḍēṃ), also known as Fonda, is a city and a municipal council in the North Goa district of Goa, India. Located in the central area of Goa, Ponda lies 29 kilometres (18 mi) southeast of Panaji, the capital of Goa. The industrial center of the state, Ponda is home to many large factories and industrial estates, and is Goa's fastest-growing city.[citation needed]

History

Ponda formed part of the Novas Conquistas (New Conquests) of Portuguese India. It was ruled by the Sonde Rajas under the Vijayanagara Empire and the Bijapur Sultanate. In the 16th century, due to the absence of the Portuguese, Ponda was a safe haven for Hindus fleeing persecution by Jesuits and the Portuguese. In 1675, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj seized Ponda from the Bijapur Sultanate. It remained part of the Maratha Empire until 1764. Under Shivaju, Saundekar Raja was the vassal of Ponda.

The forests of Ponda were ideal places for Hindus to form makeshift temples with the idols they had salvaged from the broken temples of Sashti. These makeshift temples were slowly renovated as the Hindus gained prosperity. Now, most of the major Hindu temples in Goa are found in Ponda.

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 Kavale village. The 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, so Ponda continued to have a Hindu majority even during Portuguese rule. Ponda was known as Antruz Mahal during Portuguese rule.

Geography

Ponda is located at 15°24′N 74°01′E / 15.40°N 74.02°E / 15.40; 74.02.[1] It has an average elevation of 42 metres (138 ft).

Ponda lies along the National Highway 4A, which connects Panaji to Belgaum in the neighboring state of Karnataka.

Demographics

As of the India census,[2] Ponda had a population of 17,688. Males constituted 52% of the population and females 48%. Ponda had an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 75.5%, with male literacy at 84% and female literacy at 80%. In Ponda, 11% of the population was under 6 years of age. Konkani is a widely spoken language.

Religion

Shanta Durga temple in Kavale, Ponda

There are many Hindu temples in Ponda. The Gram Daivat (root deity) of Ponda is Shri Kapleshwar, whose temple is in Kapileshwari. Ponda is known as the "Temple Town of Goa."

Safa Masjid is a mosque built in 1560 by the Bijapuri ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah I near the town of Farmagudi. It is one of two Islamic shrines in Goa that was not destroyed during Portuguese rule.

Educational institutions

Goa Engineering College (GEC), Ponda Education Societys Rajaram & Tarabai Bandekar College of Pharmacy is located at Farmagudi, 3km from Ponda. The National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR) is located in Ponda. The Kamakshi Higher Secondary School is located at Curti, Ponda. St. Mary's High School, S.S. Samiti's I.V.B.D. High School, A.J.D.E Almeida High School, Goa Engineering College (Farmagudi), S.S. Samiti's Higher Secondary School of Sciences, G.V.M.'s College of Arts and Science, P.E.S. Shri Ravi Sitaram College of Arts & Science, and Dada Vaidhya High School Curti are some of the schools and colleges located in Ponda.

Places of interest

Ponda is the gateway to Goa's wildlife sanctuaries, both the Bondla and the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, and also to the Dudhsagar Waterfalls. The nearby Butterfly Conservatory of Goa attracts nature enthusiasts. It is at Pisgal, Priol, and very close to the Tropical Spice Plantation.

Local sightseeing

Transport

The city is connected by roads to the Goan capital of Panaji and the main railway junction of Margao. Regularly-scheduled bus services to Panaji and Margao depart from the Kadamba Transport Corporation bus stand on the outskirts of the town. Buses to nearby villages and towns, as well as interstate buses, also depart from the same bus stand. There are buses regularly between Ponda and Dharwad, Hubli and Belgaum run by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. The national highway 17B connects Ponda to Vasco via Verna. The national highway 4A connects to Belagao and Panaji.

References

  1. ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc – Ponda
  2. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 

External links

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