By Jackson Dias Goa! Cradle of his roots, a land of bright light, of sun and torrential rains, of green fields of rice and coconut trees, with flowers embellishing the place; of united cultures and religions, reflecting various influences. In the course of more than 5,000 years, India and Goa have had a rich cultural heritage. A land of fisher folk and cultivators who refer to God Parshuram in legends of Hindu mythology, incarnating in God Vishnu in the creation of Goa-Gomantak, the meaning of which in Sankrit is – fertile land, land of the Gods – reflects its innumerable attributes! In the late Vedic period, sung in the epic poem of Mahabharata, the reflex of oriental civilization is manifested. A fusion of cultures since immemorial times: of the Sumerians, with the first written mention of Goa in documents of cuneiform writing, around 2200 BC; of the Phoenicians; of the Mauryans, with the great Asoka; of the powerful dynasties of the Kadambas, with their capital in Chand
