Margao

Margao is the commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It stands on banks of the Sal river and is the administrative headquarters of Salcete sub-district and South Goa district. It is Goa's second largest city by population after Vasco. Margão is the Portuguese spelling, with मडगांव Madgaon being used in Konkani. The etymology of the name has been debated, with theories ranging from the name having evolved from the pre-colonial Mahargao (“village of Mahars”, a large community of weavers) to being derived from the Sanskrit मठग्राम (Maṭhagrāma) which means "a village of monasteries" owing to the shrines of Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath in Ravanphond, now a suburb of Margao. Alternatively Margão may be derived from Mharuganv, “village of demons”, or Maravile, Portuguese for “marvellous village.” Margao in pre-Portuguese times was one of the important settlements in Salcete and known as Matha Grama (the village of Mathas) as it was a temple town with nine Mathas in temple schools. Its replacement in 1579 was destroyed by raiders. The present church was built in 1675. While the western side of the Holy Spirit Church developed as a market place, the settlement grew on the eastern side, that is, the Borda region. The Municipality during the erstwhile Portuguese regime was known as "Câmara Municipal de Salcete", catering to all the villages in Salcete Taluka for over 300 years until the Goa Municipalities Act of 1968 came into force. The Câmara Municipal de Salcete is now reconstituted into Margao Municipal Council. The Members of the Câmara Municipal de Salcete were then nominated by the Government, but after the reconstitution of the Municipal Council, the Members to all the 25 wards (13 in Margao & 12 in Fatorda) are elected by the Members of the council. Margao's importance as an administrative and commercial area grew with the increasing dependence of the surrounding towns and villages; leading to the administrative center with the town hall at its center being built in the south.