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The ramshackle market town of Mapusa is the
district headquarters of Bardez Taluka. If one arrives by road from
Mumbai and plan to stay in one of the north Goan resorts, one can
jump off the bus here and pick up a local service straight to the
coast, rather than continue on to Panjim, 13-km south. |
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Places to see
Anjuna Beach || Baga Beach || Chapora Beach || Chapora Fort ||
Vagator Beach || Sri Kalika Temple || Sri Morjee Temple
Fairs & Festivals - Mapusa
A dusty collection of dilapidated modern buildings scattered around
the west facing slope of a low hill, Mapusa is of little more than
passing interest in itself, although on Fridays it hosts a lively
market (hence the town's name, which derives from the Konkani words
for "measure" map. And "fill up", sa).
Calangute and Anjuna may be better stocked with souvenirs, but this
bazaar is more authentic. Visitors who have flown straight to Goa,
and have yet to experience the rest of India, wander in on Friday
mornings to enjoy the pungent aromas of fish, incense, spices and
exotics fruit stacked in colourful heaps on the sidewalks.
Local specialties include strings of spicy Goan sausages ('Chourico'),
bottles of 'Todi' (fermented palm juice) and large green plantains.
One'll also encounter sundry freak shows, from run of the mill snake
charmers and kids dressed up as Sadhus to wide-eyed Flagellants,
blood oozing out of slashes on their backs.
How to reach :
By Road
Other than to shop, one may want to visit Mapusa to arrange onward
transport. All buses between Goa and Maharashtra pass through, so
one doesn't need to travel to Panjim to book a ticket to Mumbai,
Pune, Bangalore or Mangalore.
Reservations for private buses can be made at the numerous agents
stalls at the bottom of the square, next to where the buses pull in;
the Kadamba Terminal - the departure point for long distance
state buses and local services to Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator,
Chapora, and Arambol - is five minutes walk down the main road, on
the southwest edge of town.
One can also get to the coast from Mapusa on one of the motorcycle
taxis that wait at the bottom of the square. Rides to Calangute and
Anjuna take twenty minutes. Taxis charges are considerably more, but
one can split the fare with up to five people.
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