Benaulim
Encyclopedia
Benaulim also known as Banavali (Konkani
बाणावली Benaulim), is a census town
in South Goa district in the state of Goa
, India
. It is a beach town a little south of Margao
in Goa
, India
.
It is a town of immense natural beauty, located along the scenic south goa coastline. Legend has it that Lord Parashurama
, incarnation of Lord Vishnu
, shot an arrow from the Sahyadri mountains in adjacent konkan
; the arrow
(Baan in Sanskrit
) landed at the site of this present-day town.Thus it was known as Banahalli or Banavalli (the village of the arrow)before the advent of the Portuguese.Ancient Banavalli had a magnificent temple dedicated to Shiva
and Parvati
,known as Katyayani Baneshvar,ruins ,of which can be still found in the village.The deities were shifted to Aversa in North Kanara in the 16th century.
Benaulim's main market is located at Maria Hall which is about 2 km away from the beach.
Benaulim has 2 beaches first Benaulim beach which is the prime beach and secondly Vaddi beach which is less congested and developed than Benalim beach.
, Benaulim had a population of 10,163. Males constitute 49% of the population
and females 51%. Benaulim has an average literacy
rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 51% of the males and 49% of females literate. 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
बाणावली Benaulim), is a census town
Census town
In India, a census town is one which has:# A minimum population of 5,000# At least 75% of male working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits# A density of population of at least 400 persons per km2.In Ireland, a census town is;...
in South Goa district in the state of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is a beach town a little south of Margao
Margao
Margao and commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is the administrative headquarters of South Goa district and of the Salcete taluka.- Etymology :...
in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
It is a town of immense natural beauty, located along the scenic south goa coastline. Legend has it that Lord Parashurama
Parashurama
Parashurama , is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and mother Renuka. He is considered one of the seven immortal human. He received an axe after undertaking a terrible penance to please Shiva, from whom he learned the methods of...
, incarnation of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, shot an arrow from the Sahyadri mountains in adjacent konkan
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
; the arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
(Baan in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
) landed at the site of this present-day town.Thus it was known as Banahalli or Banavalli (the village of the arrow)before the advent of the Portuguese.Ancient Banavalli had a magnificent temple dedicated to Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
,known as Katyayani Baneshvar,ruins ,of which can be still found in the village.The deities were shifted to Aversa in North Kanara in the 16th century.
Geography
Benaulim is located at 15.25°N 73.92°E. It has an average elevation of 1 metres (3 feet).Benaulim's main market is located at Maria Hall which is about 2 km away from the beach.
Benaulim has 2 beaches first Benaulim beach which is the prime beach and secondly Vaddi beach which is less congested and developed than Benalim beach.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Benaulim had a population of 10,163. Males constitute 49% of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
and females 51%. Benaulim has an average literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 51% of the males and 49% of females literate. 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Notable people from Benaulim
- Froilano de MelloFroilano de MelloFroilano de Mello was an Indo-Portuguese microbiologist, medical scientist, professor, author and an independent MP in the Portuguese parliament....
– IndoIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
-PortuguesePortuguese peopleThe Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
microbiologist, medical scientist, professor, author and an independent MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in the Portuguese parliamentAssembly of the RepublicThe Assembly of the Republic is the Portuguese parliament. It is located in a historical building in Lisbon, referred to as Palácio de São Bento, the site of an old Benedictine monastery...
.