Ponda is in North Goa. Ponda is geographically at the heart of Goa, has been surrounded by scenic green villages, filled with grand temples rather different from the more crowded coast. It is located some 29 km from Panaji (or Panjim), the state-capital, and the Goa government has called it "the cultural city of Goa".

Ponda is made up of a crowded, dusted town of the same name (Ponda) and a number of clean, scenic, rustic villages interspersed with scenic temples. Ponda is also known for its proximity to Goa's wildlife, and is the cultural capital for Indian-style music in Goa, apart from being the heartland for the celebration of a number of Hindu festivities. Of late, Ponda is also attracting visitors for its 'spice tourism' that it promotes (visits to real-life spice farm, which offer a tour and food on their estates).

Understand

Called Phonda in Konkani, it is 28 km south-east of Panjim and 17 km north east of Margao. Ponda is the gateway to Belgaum, Hubli and other cities to the east of Goa (in Karnataka and beyond).

Ponda lies in the so-called 'New Conquests'. In the heat of Portuguese religious intolerance centuries ago, Ponda was a safe-haven for Hindus fleeing Portuguese religion-based persecution, in times when it was ruled by local feudatories of the Vijaynagar kingdom or the Bijapur sultanate. This accounts for the large number of temples resettled from Salcete and elsewhere in and around Ponda. Konkani is widely used here. Marathi, Hindi and Kannada too. You can get by in tourist areas with English.

Get in

Ponda is connected to Panjim via non-stop mini-bus shuttle bus services that you queue up for at the Kadamba bus terminus in Panjim. 'Local' buses take more time to reach. Margao is also connected by buses to Ponda.

Get around

Public transport being poor in Goa, you can, at best depend on it for linking up between the main-towns. Roads in the village areas are small and narrow.

See

Spice plantations 'Spice plantations' are growing in popularity with the tourists. Herbarium abyss offers a herbal garden, and serves Goan and Indian cuisine. Sai Organic Farm, Savoi Verem, Ponda. Parvati Madhav Plants Park Plantation is in the Keri village of Ponda, some 30 km from Panjim. Add: Ponda taluka Pascoal Spice Village is near the village of Khandepar, 8 km northeast of the Ponda NH 4A (ph 2344268, 2344119). Sahakari Spice Farm on the Ponda-Belgaum Road at Curti Ponda offers spice tours and a village-style lunch on a banana leaf (ph 2312394, 9422057312). Add: Near Khandepar, Ponda Sanskuti Savoi Plantation is at Ghano, Sanvoiverem. Savoi Plantation Spice for Life is also at Savoi. it is a tropical plantation with inter-crops. Tropical Spice Plantation is at Keri, Ponda. Rustic Plantation is in north-eastern Goa's extreme pocket. Add: Dongurli, Thane, Valpoi in Sattari.

Ponda is home to a number of artistic temples. It's amazing to see the number and spectacular beauty of temples here. Including Mahalasa Narayani at Mardol, the Shanta Durga at Kavlem, Mangueshi at Priol, Ramnath at Ramnathi, Naguesh at Nagueshi, Mahalaxmi at Bandora, Laxmi Narasimha at Veling and Navadurga temple at Madkai.

Temples in the vicinity include Gopal Ganapathi at Farmagudi; Sanusthan Goudpadacharya at Kavlem; Navdurga Temple at Madkai and -- some distance off -- Damodar Temple at Zambaulim and Chandranath Temple at Paroda.

Safa Masjid, a mosque built in 1560 by the Bijapuri ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah is on the outskirts of Ponda. Ponda lies en route to Goa's wildlife sanctuaries, both the Bondla and the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and also the Dudh Sagar Waterfall.

• Butterfly Conservatory Of Goa, Rajnagar, Pisgal, Priol, ☏ +91 99755 92347, yashodan.heblekar@yahoo.com. 9:00 to 5:00. Butterfly park and conservatory with over 100 species of free-flying butterflies. ₹100. 
• Herbarium Abyss, C/o Sai Organic Farm and Herbarium, Savoi Verem, Ponda Taluka (Savoi Verem is a village in this taluka (sub-district)). 
• Parvati Madhav Plants Park Plantation, In Keri village, Ponda Taluka.. Some 30 km from Panjim. 
• Pascoal Spice Village, Khandepar village. 8 km from Ponda town. 
• Sahakari Spice Farm, PB No 31, Ponda-Belgaum Road, Curti, Ponda Taluka. 
• Tropical Spice Plantation, Keri village, Ponda Taluka. 
• Vasundhra Spice Farm (Vasundhra Spice Plantation), Vasundhra Spice Farm, Rachol - Shiroda Ferry Road, Pedde, Shiroda, ☏ +91 9545785872. 

Itineraries

Shantadurga is a popular deity, and at Kavlem, in the Taluka of Ponda itself, is a unique temple complex devoted to her. In her unique form, as a Durga of peace as her name suggests, Shantadurga is seen as the goddess who mediates between Vishnu and Shiva.

The Manguesh temple -- almost equidistant from Panjim (22 km) and Margao (26 km) at Priol - sits on a hillock surrounded by green. This temple is dedicated to lord Shiva.

At Mardol, barely 1 km from the Mangueshi temple, is the Mahalsa temple. The deity worshipped is an attribute of Vishnu -- Mohini during the fight between the devas and the asuras.

Ramnath temple, 33 km from Panjim and in Ponda taluka too, is another of the notable spots on the temple trail of this taluka. At Madkai village, the Navdurga temple is located (28 km from Panjim) and the annual Zatra is held around November. Borim village's temple (also in Ponda taluka, 12 km from Margao) is Navdurga. Naguesh is the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, in the village of Bandora, some four kilometres east of Ponda town. This temple is known for its wood carvings on Ramayana events, among others.

Bandora village (4 km from Ponda town) is home to the temple of Mahalaxmi. It has a gallery of images, a rare collection of wooden images of Lord Vishnu in India. Mahalaxmi is considered to be a peaceful ('satvik') form of the deity.

Village of Keri is about 8 km from the centre of Ponda. Here you can visit the temple of Betal at Satode. This temple has the largest statue of Betal anywhere in Goa. Close to this temple is the home of one of the most reckoned Indian classical singer, Surashree Kesarbai Kerker. Her house now houses a secondary school.

Temple of Vijayadurga is just 2 km from Satode. This temple is nearly 400 years old and has unique architectural features. There is a beautiful lake adjacent to the temple complex. There is facility for tourists to stay within the temple complex and the rooms can be booked while visiting the temple. Vegetarian g=food is served for lunch and dinner and payment for this is voluntary

In Savoi Verem village is the Madanant temple, some 12 km from Ponda and 30 from Panjim. It lies surrounded by hills, fields, betal-nut and coconut trees.

In Shiroda village is the Kamakshi Saunstha. In Farmagudi, Ponda, some 26 km from Panjim, the Gopal Ganapati temple sits amidst beautiful natural surroundings, near Bandora. This temple was built under the patronage of Goa's first chief minister, Dayanand Bandodkar. The "Gomantak Tirupati" Balaji and Padmavati temple, one km from Kundaim on NH4A at Cuncoliem, is a newer addition. Devkikrishna Ravalnath is at Marcela, Ponda.

Tapobhoomi is a more recent initiative, and a centre of pilgrimage, spread over 10,000 sq. metres. It was launched by the 'Haturli Swami' (full name, Haturli Mathadish Shrimad Brahmanand Swamiji) who was known for his social reforms. It includes a Sanskrit school, chamber for meditation, ayurveda centre, Yoga centre, music ('bhajani') school, and religious library.

Kavlem, in Ponda taluka itself, houses the Goudpadacharya Kavle Math. It is named after a prominent seer and exponent of the Advaita system of Vedanta. The Math was earlier located at Cortalim, but shifted in 1630 and re-established here, following the Portuguese policy of religious intolerance.

Farmagudi, Shree Gopal Ganapathi, free food is provided on every Ekadasi (Sanskrit for eleven; also spelled as Ekadasi) or Agyaars is the eleventh lunar day of every lunar month in the Hindu calendar.

Do

Visits to temples, spice-farms and cultural centres.

• Samrat Club's annual Sangeet Sammelan. Samrat Club organises its annual Sangeet Sammelan (Festival of Song) in memory of 'Master' Dinanath Mangueshkar (the father of the prominent Hindi filmi singer Lata Mangueshkar, also of Goan ancestry) at the Shri Shantadurga Devastan (Shantadurga Temple) in Kavlem, usually around the month of December. This is also in Ponda taluka (sub-district). 
• Spice Garden at Savoi Verem, Savoi Verem (Get there by bus or cruise, starting from near the Mandovi Bridge in Panjim), ☏ +91 9823013300, +91 9822132034. SeaScan Pleasure Cruises. 

Eat

Don't miss Goan Hindu style cooking of this area. Fish preparations are typical and unique here.

Drink

Not much, other than the usual small bars.

Sleep

• Central Tourist Home, Singbal Bldg. Khadpaband Rd, ☏ +91 8322 2312158. 11 beds. ₹95 to ₹150 (non-attached), ₹95 to ₹150 (single occupancy), ₹175 to ₹250 (attached). Extra mattress ₹50. 
• Farmagudi Hill Resort (a GTDC resort), Farmaguddi, ☏ +91 832 2335037, +91 832 2335122. Rusting setting, near the temple heartland of Ponda. GTDC-run. Good value for money. Period of operation: Throughout the year. The total number of rooms are 37 plus there are 2 dormitories. 
• Geetashram Lodging & Boarding, Nr. Old Bus Stand, ☏ +91 8322 2312384. 19 rooms. ₹80 each. 
• Hill View Motel, Shri Joildo Aguiar (Near Ponda Municipality, Opposite H.D.F.C. Bank, Sadar, Tisk, Ponda.), ☏ +91 83222313320, +91 832 2312331, +91 9890495331. Check-out: 24 hours. Nineteen rooms. Attached T.V room, non-attached, extra person and extra mattress allowed, Ample parking facility, Play ground available, Children Park in vicinity. (Within 5 km radius of Shantadurga, Ramnathi and Nagueshi Temples ,9 km from Kundaim Indusrial Estate, 4 km from Bethora Industrial Estate, 7 km from Madkai Industrial estate.) 175-249. 
• Hotel Atish, Farmagudi, ☏ +91 832 2335124, +91 832 2335382, fax: +91 832 2335249. 40 rooms. All double, single occupancy allowed. 20 are a/c. Facilities: Multi-cuisine restaurant, bar, banqueting facilities for 250 and 30 pax. Swimming pool with health club, children's recreation facilities. Banqueting open air lawn. 
• Hotel King Samrat (Tisk Usgao), ☏ +91 832 2344219, +91 832 2344219. 12-18 rooms. A/c. 
• Hotel Kirti, Nirankal Rd, ☏ +91 832 2313048. 16/23 rooms. Non-AC. 
• Hotel Menino, Market Area., ☏ +91 832 2314148, +91 832 2315026. Has a restaurant serving tasty food. 24/48 delux rooms. 
• Hotel Musafir, Tisk, ☏ +91 832 2312040, +91 832 2315805. 11/28 rooms, in various classes. 
• Hotel Padmavi, Gaunekar House, ☏ +91 832 2312144. 15/30 rooms. Non-AC occupancy, with TV. 
• Hotel President, Super Market Complex, ☏ +91 832 2312287. 11/21 rooms. Non-attached. 
• Hotel Shram Jivan, H.No., 717, Ballavaddo Cundaim, ☏ +91 832 2315572. 25/30 rooms. 
• Julie’s Inn, Maria Fatima Aguiar Tisk. Three rooms. 
• Lahara Lodging & Boarding, Sawant Bldg., Old Bazar, ☏ +91 832 2312428. 15/24 rooms. Non-attached. 
• Navayug Lodging & Boarding, Girijabai S. Sawant Datta Prasad Bldg.. Dormitory accommodation. 
• Shri Navdurga Hotel, Banastarim, ☏ +91 832 2287840. Seven rooms. 
• Spice Village, Khandepar, ☏ +91 832 2344268, +91 832 2344119. 11/22 rooms. 
• Sunivas Lodge, Shyamsundar V. Desai (H.No. 318, Mardol), ☏ +91 832 22395734. Three to four bed rooms available. 
• Tourist Cottages Bondla, Bondla-Goa, ☏ +91-832 2229701. 12 rooms. Best probably to book in advance. Much demand on weekends. 

Stay safe

Dress modestly specially while visiting religious places. People are friendly and hospitable, but not all may speak English in these parts of Goa. Behaviour that would not turn an eyelid in coastal Goa might not be acceptable here.

Go next

Main town of Ponda is connected to other parts of Goa by bus. Also several buses of Karnataka state NWKRTC come to Ponda connecting to Belgaum, Dharwad and Hubli.

• Anshi National Park
• Karwar
• Lakkundi