Dona Paula Beach, Goa

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Two famous rivers of Goa, the Zuari and the Mandovi meet the Arabian Sea at this secluded bay. Once a silent village, it is today one of the most commercialized areas of Goa. It offers a fine view of Marmugao Harbour. The Dona Paula sculpture offers a number of legends, all totally romanticised. All this, plus the water sports below, all attract thousands of tourists. The plaque below the white sculpture reads:

LEAD ME FROM UNTRUTH TO TRUTH
FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
AND FROM DEATH TO IMMORTALITY

Goa is majorly-majorly about beaches. Miramar, Dona Paula, Colva, Baga, Baina, Calangute, Anjuna, Aarambol.....phew! the list is long...

the best of the beaches were Arambol which is loooooooooong enough for about a 3 hrs. walk. Dona Paula is something good. Not exactly a beach, however, it is more or less a constructed thing. Gives a wonderful view of Vasco and the nearby places

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The Dona Paula beach in Goa is associated with a love story between a rich Portuguese girl named Dona Paula de Menezes, who was the daughter of a viceroy of Colonial Goa, and who committed suicide by throwing herself from the cliff at this beach because she was not allowed to marry a local fisherman named Gaspar Dias she loved. Because of the romantic story associted with it , it is also called the Lovers' Paradise and one can see flocks of love birds spending time here every evening. There is still the myth that the beach is haunted by the spirit of Dona Paula and on moonlit nights she is still seen to be emerging from the waves. This has attracted lot of tourists to visit and continue visiting the place on evenings. This is the reason why this beach is more popular in the evenings.
Many bollywood movies have been shot here and the love story has also been the inspiration to the story of many Bollywood stories. The beach also has a long flea market where local vendors sell various items ranging from food and drinks to home decoratives made from sea shells for cheap price. There is also an Indian Arts Emporium in Dona Paula which sells Indian handicrafts and jewelery.
There is a sculpture made of Dona Paula and Gaspar Dias on the Cliff at Dona Paula beach.

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Dona Paula is just south of the capital Panjim. Its a lovely sandy cove, but its better known for the rocks at the end of the jetty. Local legend says two young lovers, whose families did not want them to wed, committed suicide by diving from the rocks. In the evenings lots of young couples flock here for the sunset.