Mormugao or Marmagao is a city located at the mouth of the Zuari River. It is also a municipal council in South Goa and a natural harbor. This port is a main part of the export industry in India. The port took birth after the treaty of Lisbon between the British and the Portuguese Governments. Down the ages has seen Mormugao being the leading iron ore exporting port with an annual throughput of around 27.33 million tonnes of iron ore traffic. The city is located at 15degree15`N 73degree59`E? / ?15.25degreeN 73.98degreeE? / 15.25; 73.98.
History of Marmagao
Marmagao has been existent since the time of the Portuguese as it is supposed to be the Portuguese capital. The Portuguese when colonised a part of Goa in the sixteenth century, they based their operations in the central district of Tiswadi. The Portuguese began building forts and hillocks when they started facing threats from the sea. In 1624, they built their own fortified town on the on the Marmagao harbour.
The sultans of Bijapur who had colonised Goa before the Portuguese meanwhile began invading the land. Next the Dutch eventually took over from the Portuguese most of the coastal settlements: the Moluccas, Galle, Batticaloa, Trincomali, Manar, Quilon, Malacca, Jaffna, Cochin and Cannanore. Until 1643, the Dutch tried to capture Mormugao but were driven away.
In 1683, the Marathas had been a continuous threat to the the Portuguese in Goa. The defeat was averted as Sambhaji rushed to defend his own kingdom from the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Subsequently the Portuguese viceroy, Dom Francisco de TÂ vora, took the decision of abandoning the land and shifting the capital of the Portuguese holdings in India to Mormugao fort.
In 1685, the new city`s principal office was under construction under the supervision of the Jesuit priest Father Teot¢nio Rebelo. Even the viceroys after T vora shifted their administrative headquarters to the new city of Panjim, which is till today Goa`s chief city.
Tourist Spots in Marmagao
The city is Marmagao is surrounded with natural beauty. Being one of the eminent ports of Goa it ensures a complete tourist`s satisfaction. There are many places to visit in Marmagao. The Mormugao Harbor is a great tourist spot and has been featured in movies like `The Sea Wolves` in 1980 and also in Bhootnath. The Marmagao Fort is also a place to popular for visitors. This fort was built to safeguard the harbour near Vasco Da Gama. This fort is historically very significant and is located in North Vasco. The place has two magnificent fountains. The Varca Beach located in Marmagao also enhances the beauty of the city.
