Rediscovering the Portugal Dynasty at Daman - Part 1

Recently i was offered a Guest article exchange by Glad2baWoman. Their article Varanasi Vingyors was published on my blog. I had written an article on my last trip to Silvassa for them which is yet to be published. Meanwhile will continue with my other posts of that trip.
After our first days trip at Silvassa, we stayed at Woodland Inn a good budget accommodation with adjacent hotel Amanthran, which serves just a perfect veggie food. Next morning we started for Daman which is around 30kms from Silavassa.
History:
The first Portugese encounter with India was by Vasco da Gama who reached Calicat in 1498. In 1500 Pedro Alvares Cabral arrived to trade for pepper and other spices. In 1505 Francisco de Almeida, in 1509 Afonso de Albuquerque. By then they had control over Anjediva Island, Cannanore, Cochin, Quilon. In 1510, Albuquerque defeated Sultan of Bijapur and establishes permanent settlement in Velha Goa(Old Goa). Later they acquired Madras, and by 1531 several territories from Gujarat Daman, Salsette, Bombay and Bacaim and Diu were under their control. Since then, Daman was under Portugal rule. In 1947 after India’s independence from British, Portugal refused to leave their control of their Indian possessions. In December 1961, Indian militarily invaded Goa, Daman and Diu. Where they were faced with insufficient Portugese resistance and on 19 December 1961 the Governor of Portuguese India signed the Instrument of Surrender, ending 450 years of Portuguese rule in India. The new territories became Union Territories within the Indian Union, and later on 30 May 1987 Goa became the 25^th state of Indian Union and Daman and Diu was separated from Goa and continued to be administered as a Union territory.
450 years of Portuguese rule had left a remarkable impact on the culture and heritage of these places. Comparatively Daman is less explored by tourists as compared to Goa. Daman nestles near the mouth of the Damanganga river as it embraces the Arabian Sea. Moti(Big) Daman and Nani Daman the twin towns of Daman district lie on the either banks of the river.

We reached Daman by 11 in the morning, we headed to the fort at Moti Daman.

Unlike most of the forts, this is part of the city. Dating back to 1559AD, features two imposing Gateways and houses most of the administrative offices.

The fort area has few churches, and Garden(separate posts on these). Other gate of the fort heads to the river bank.  

 New bridge which connects Moti Daman and Nani Daman

Old Bridge

There is an old light house within the Fort which was constructed to provide guidance to all the inbound and outbound sea traffic. 

The old lighthouse is not in use now and the road next to the outer wall of the fort leads to the New Light House. 

 View of the New LightHouse from the fort

 There is lot more to explore in Daman, following posts coming up on the other tourist attractions in Daman.

Travel tips:

•  How to reach
• By Train: Nearest railway station is Vapi, which is 7km from Daman and well connected to major cities.
• By Road: Buses from Mumbai to Ahmadabad and Saurashtra pass through Vapi. Number of Gujarat State Transport buses operate daily from Vapi to Daman.  Cabs ply between Vapi and Daman. Driving from Mumbai, on NH8 take deviation at Karambelli village, between Bhilad and Vapi.
• By Air: Nearest airport is Mumbai, which is around 3hours drive.
• Accommodation: There are government and private accommodations ranging from Rs.150 to Rs.2000.
• Best time to visit September to May

Part 2 Rediscovering Portugal Dynasty at Daman Part 2

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