Sanquelim

Sanquelim Sankhali
Town
Sanquelim Location of Sanquelim in Goa
Coordinates: 15°33′45″N 74°00′40″E / 15.56250°N 74.01111°E / 15.56250; 74.01111Coordinates: 15°33′45″N 74°00′40″E / 15.56250°N 74.01111°E / 15.56250; 74.01111
Country	India
State	Goa
District	North Goa
Sub-district	Bicholim
Elevation	78 m (256 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	11,191
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	403505
Area code(s)	91 832

Sanquelim or Sankhali is a town and municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. Goa Institute of Management, one of the top business schools in India, is located here.

History

Sanquelim locally known as Sankhali which means "chain" in Konkani, the local language, was a port-town under the control of Prabhu-Sar-Desais ( the descendants of royal family of Shringarpur of Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra) for almost 500 years . They took control of this town from the Devagiri Yadavas in the 13th century when their home kingdom was attacked by Muhammad Gavan’s conquest of the fort of Shringarpur in Ratnagiri district of Maharastra.It is said that the Desais won a total of 84 villages and were supported by the chieftains of Surla, Ibrahimpur, Tilari and others, which enabled the Desais to exercise control over a large number of villages. This family in turn supported Konkan Kadamba and later ruled this land freely with tactical alliancess made with Bijapur and Sawantwadi, from time to time. The title of Farzand-i-khas-i-Adilshahi locally known as Khasey Saheb(VIP) was given to the Desai family by the Adilshahi. Sanquelim fought against the Portuguese for 6 long years against Marquese de Alorna, then the Portuguese ruled over it for 200 years.

Temples

Sanquelim is famous for its temples. It has four major and many small temples. The four famous temples are Shri Radha Krishna, Shri Datt Maharaj, Shri Pandurang and Shri Rudreshwar.

Arvalem caves

Arvalem Caves 1

The Arvalem caves, also known as 'Pandavas Caves,' are ancient rock cut caves dating back to the 5th-6th century. These are excavated into the laterite hill and consist of two major chambers. The cave complex draws tourists and archeologists alike.

Harvalem waterfalls

Next to the Arvalem caves down the lane is the Harvalem waterfalls situated closer to the Rudreshwar Temple. It is a picturesque waterfall with a view point under construction by the Goa tourism department.

Geography

Sanquelim is situated in the Bicholim taluka of North Goa. It is located at ^[1] and it has an average elevation of 78 metres (256 feet).

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census,^[2] Sanquelim had a population of 11,191. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sanquelim has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 71%. In Sanquelim, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

References