Tide comes in on a calm evening, in Goa...

From the archive record

Tide comes in on a calm evening, in Goa... And for a change, the crowds are absent! Goa offers relaxing views of beaches and coconut trees alike, apart from shanties, crowds, cheap food and booze! The origin of the city name Goa is unclear. In ancient literature, Goa was known by many names such as Gomanta, Gomanchala, Gopakapattam, Gopakapuri, Govapuri, Govem, and Gomantak. The Indian epic Mahabharata refers to the area now known as Goa, as Goparashtra or Govarashtra which means a nation of cowherds. Gopakapuri or Gopakapattanam were used in some ancient Sanskrit texts, and these names were also mentioned in other sacred Hindu texts such as the Harivansa and the Skanda Purana. In the latter, Goa is also known as Gomanchala. Parashurambhoomi is a name that the region is referred to in cert