Offshore oil drilling as seen from Fort Aguada, Goa, India.
Fort Aguada and its lighthouse is a well-preserved seventeenth-century Portuguese fort standing in Goa, India, on Sinquerim Beach, overlooking the Arabian Sea. The fort was constructed in 1612 to guard against the Dutch and the Marathas. It was a reference point for the vessels coming from Europe at that time. This Old Portuguese fort stands on the beach south of Candolim, at the shore of the Mandovi River. It was initially tasked with defense of shipping and the nearby Bardez District.
A freshwater spring within the fort provided water supply to the ships that used to stop by. This is how the fort got its name: Aguada, meaning Water. Crews of passing ships would often visit to replenish their fresh water stores. On the fort stand a four-storey Portuguese lighthouse, erected in 1864 and the oldest of its kind in Asia. Built in 1612, it was once the grandstand of 79 cannons, It has the capacity of storing 2376000 gallons of water, one of the biggest fresh water storage of the time in whole of Asia, this fort is divided in two segments upper part act as fort and watering station while the lower part serve as safe berth for Portuguese ship were as upper part has a mote , underground water storage chamber , gun powder room ,light house and bastions, it also has a secret escape passage to use during time of war and emergency. The lighthouse at initial stage is used to emit light once in 7 minutes, in 1834 it was changed to emit light creating eclipse every 30 seconds, however it was abandoned in 1976.
Fort Aguada was the most prized and crucial fort of Portuguese. The fort is so large that it envelops the entire peninsula at the south western tip of Bardez. Built on the mouth of river Mandovi, it was strategically located and was the chief defence of Portuguese against the Dutch and Marathas. Today the Fort Aguada Beach Resort sits where original fort once did. The land around the fort is now owned by The Indian Hotels Co. On the ramparts behind the fort is the Fort Aguada Beach Resort. The five-star-rated hotel, owned by the Tatas, is part of an 88-acre (360,000 m2) complex overlooking the Arabian Sea is situated on Sinquerim Beach. It is located 18 km from Panaji, Old Goa. Fort Aguada Beach Resort is composed of a number of villas and cottages, with 130 rooms including 24 Terrace Suites. There are also nine restaurants and nearby beaches. In addition to water sports, there recreational facilities for tennis, squash and mountaineering.
Goa is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in West India in the region known as the Konkan country.It is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Goa is India's richest state with a GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole. It was ranked the best placed state by the Eleventh Finance Commission for its infrastructure and ranked on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Commission on Population based on the 12 Indicators. Panaji is the state's capital, while Vasco da Gama is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the cultural influence of the Portuguese, who first landed in the early 16th century as merchants and conquered it soon thereafter. Goa is a former Portuguese colony; the Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961. Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot.
Source: Wikipedia
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