Ponda, Goa

Ponda formed part of the Novas Conquistas (New Conquests) of Portuguese India. It was ruled by the Sonde Rajas under the Vijayanagara Empire and the Bijapur Sultanate. In the 16th century, due to the absence of the Portuguese, Ponda was a safe haven for Hindus fleeing persecution by Jesuits and the Portuguese. In 1675, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj seized Ponda from the Bijapur Sultanate. It remained part of the Maratha Empire until 1764. Under Chhatrapati Shivaji, Saundekar Raja was the vassal of Ponda.

The forests of Ponda were ideal places for Hindus to form makeshift temples with the idols they had salvaged from the broken temples of Sashti. These makeshift temples were slowly renovated as the Hindus gained prosperity. Now, most of the major Hindu temples in Goa are found in Ponda.

In June 1756 Luís Mascarenhas, Count of Alva(Conde de Alva), the Portuguese Viceroy was killed in action by Maratha Army in Goa. The Portuguese eventually took over the area in 1791 from the Raja of Sonda, along with Quepem, Canacona and Sanguem. It began as an administrative center with the establishment of administrative offices and court, and soon became a commercial center. Most of the area known as Ponda today was a part of Kavale village. Ponda continued to have a Hindu majority even during Portuguese rule. Ponda was known as Antruz Mahal during Portuguese rule.

Ponda is located at 15.40°N 74.02°E / 15.40; 74.02.[3] It has an average elevation of 42 metres (138 ft).

Ponda lies along the National Highway 4A, which connects Panaji to Belgaum in the neighboring state of Karnataka.

According to the 2011 census of India, Ponda had a population of 22,664. Males constituted 51.8% of the population and females 48.2%. Ponda had an average literacy rate of 85.2%, higher than the national average of 74.0%, with male literacy at 86.7% and female literacy at 83.5%. In Ponda, 9.9% of the population was under 6 years of age.[4] Konkani is the most widely spoken language.

Goa Engineering College (GEC), National Institute of Technology Goa (NIT Goa), Indian Institute of Technology Goa (IIT Goa) and Ponda Education Society's Rajaram & Tarabai Bandekar College of Pharmacy are located at Farmagudi, 3 km from Ponda. The National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR) is located in Ponda. Other colleges in Ponda are G.V.M's College of Commerce, P.E.S. Shri Ravi Sitaram College of Arts & Science, Gomantak Ayurved Mahavidyalay and Research centre Shiroda, G.V.M's Dr Dada Vaidya College Of Education, etc.

Kendriya Vidyalaya is the only CBSE affiliated school. State board affiliated schools in Ponda city are, A.J De Almeida High School, St. Mary's High School, S.S. Samiti's I.V.B.D. High School, M.I.B.K. High School, Dr K B Hedgewar Vidhyalaya, etc. G.V..M.'s SNJA Higher secondary school, G.V.M's Adarsh Higher Secondary School, S. Samiti's Higher Secondary School of Sciences, P.E.S. Shri Ravi Sitaram Higher Secondary School are some of the higher secondary schools in Ponda.

Ponda is rich in heritage and diversity. It is surrounded by scenic green villages and temples namely, Mangeshi temple, Mahalsa temple, Shantadurga Temple, Nageshi, etc. The Butterfly Conservatory of Goa is located in Priol attracts nature enthusiasts and has more than 100 varieties of butterflies. Sahakari Spice Farm, Tropical Spice Farm, Savoi Spice Plantations Pascoal Farm are among the most popular places in Ponda. These farms have a variety of spice trees and are good places to relax under the dense forest cover. Some farms also serve Goan style lunch and other modes of entertainment.

Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary is a famous zoo in Ponda. It is a picnic spot for families and school going students.

Another attraction is the Safa Masjid. It has pure Islamic architecture and the main attraction is the water tank at the entrance of the mosque.

Old Borim bridge is well known among the college students in Goa. People come here to witness the beautiful sunset.

In the evenings locals prefer to go to the Shankar Parvati And Ganapati temple hill or Narayan Guru Temple hill in Patantali for relaxation and to enjoy the sunset.

The famous Dudhsagar waterfall is about 43 km from Ponda and Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary is 28 km from the city.

Ponda is connected by road to the capital of Goa Panaji, to the main railway junction of Margao and to the International Airport at Dabolim. Regularly-scheduled bus services to Panaji, Margao and Vasco (near Dabolim) depart from the Kadamba Transport Corporation bus stand on the outskirts of the town. Buses to nearby villages and towns, as well as interstate buses, also depart from the same bus stand. There are buses regularly between Ponda and Dharwad, Hubballi and Belagavi run by the Kadamba Transport Corporation and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. The National Highway 566 connects Ponda to Vasco via Verna. The National Highway 4A connects to Belgaum/Hubli and Panaji.

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• National Institute of Construction Management and Research