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Often Christened as The Rome of the East, Goa was once a Portuguese colony for about 450 years, the influence of Portuguese culture is seen in every aspects of culture. One of the most visited holiday destinations of India; Goa is mostly sought after by the Europeans who have a fascination for westernized life in Indian soil. Goa is itself fantastic with its diverse cultural life. A harmony of religions of Hindu, Muslims and Christians are seen in Goa. Though the main beach towns are modern in its outlook, the traditional Goans are as traditional as other south Indian states.

At the beaches of Goa, a bohemian culture is seen where the hippies throng in large number. The beaches of Goa are hub of activities such as music and dance. The modern Goa lifestyle is synonymous with music, dance, food and feni.

The village people of Goa are traditional; they cultivate crops, celebrate fairs and festivals, and perform some rituals and customs. The modern Goans are modern and westernized and enjoy a free life. The famous festivals celebrated in Goa are Shigmo Mel, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Christmas, Easter, Goa Carnival, etc. Goa Carnival is a great festival which draws thousands of tourists from across the globe.

Dance and Music

Goa has a rich music and dance culture. The traditional musical forms are Mando and dulpod. Natak, Bhajan and kirtan are important parts of cultural life of the Hindus of Goans. The Indian classical singers-Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kishori Amonkar, Kesarbai Kerkar, Jitendra Abhisheki, Pandit Prabhakar Karekar - hail from Goa. Some of the traditional dance forms are dekhnni, fugdi and corridinho.

The music of Goa also covers Portuguese music, and Goa Trance music, the famous electronic music form developed in Goa’s soil at the late 1980’s.

Theatre

The most famous traditional performing arts of Goa are Natak, Tiatre and Zagor. Other performing arts are Ranmale, Dashavatari, Kalo, Goulankala, Lalit, Kala and Rathkala. The stories of the Hindu epics are enacted with song and dance. Tiatre Konkani Theatre churns out lot of music and drama. Some Tiartist produce satirical plays.
Cuisine

The famous staple diet in Goa is rich with fish curry. Most of the Goan Hindus eat fish. Spices are used while preparing the dishes. The festival dish Khatkhate made of vegetables and coconut with spices is popular both for Hindus and Christians. Idli and Dosa are also common dishes in Goa. The local alcoholic beverages popular in Goa are cashew feni and coconut feni. The modern restaurants of Goa are hub for multi-cuisine delicacies.