Goa had long flourished as a port, particularly under the military protection of the Vijayanagar commander Madhav Mantri,

who managed to protect Goa from the acquisitive Muslim sultans.

In the 1470’s the however, Goa finally succumbed to the Muslims and was ruled by Adil Shah of Bijapur.

Then in 1508 Alfonso de Albuquerque arrived from the Portugal and captured the port,

A victory that led to 450 years of Portuguese rule.

It is the Iberian aura, the cultural alloy of Latin and Oriental, the coexistence of Hinduism and Christianity that epitomizes the distinct identity of Goa.

The Portuguese invested a hitherto predominantly Hindu society with their religion, attitudes and lifestyles, and Goa’s ethos and élan are the consequences of this encounter.

Like the stained-glass windows on the churches, Goa’s fabric is a mosaic of bright and variegated colors

The flamboyant designs of Latin exuberance set against the russet hues of traditional Indian attitudes and lifestyles.