| - Elina Mohanty
A tiny dot on the map of India, Silvassa is the quiet capital
city of Dadar and Nagar Haveli. Silvassa, has its name derived
from a portugese word, known as “Silva”, which
means wood. The tall trees on the outskirts of the town exemplify
the meaning of Silvassa. Apart from being known as a Portuguese
colony, Silvassa is known for its tribal population. These
tribals stay on the outskirts of Silvassa in little Kiosks.
Chillum or the hand made smoking pipes of these tribals are
very famous and characteristic to Silvassa.
Silvassa is a land of blissful beauty and charm. It has wooed
many tourists in the recent years due to its ethnicity. The
folk culture in Silvassa is alive and vibrant. Silvassa, of
late, has been seen as a cosmopolitan town, adding to its
glory.
History
Silvassa was ruled over by the Marathas. In 1779, they gifted
it to the Portuguese for aggregated revenue of Rs 12,000 in
return for the Portuguese friendship. In 1954, the territory
was liberated from its colonial rulers. In 1961, Silvassa
became the capital of the union territory, Dadra-Nagar Haveli.
Places to visit:
The Tribal Cultural Museum
The ethnic tribal culture and heritage of Silvassa is preserved
in this museum. The entrance of the museum is exquisitely
made of hand-made torans. This museum houses puppets and dolls
showing tribal lifestyle, tribal ornaments, tribal fishing
and hunting gadgets, etc. the clay models in the museum add
to its fame. The walls of the museum are dressed with the
bows, daggers, spears, etc used by the tribals. Apart from
these models and antiques, there are several photographs of
tribal festivals and ceremonies. Be it the aerobatic Dhol
dance or the high-on-tempo, Tur dance the photographs captures
the true tribal spirit and aura.
Vanganga Lake and Island Garden
This place is famous because of its beauty as well as for
being the hot spot for many Bollywood movies. Various songs
are picturised at the backdrop of the Vanganga lake and the
Island Garden. Boating facilities in the region help tourists
to enjoy the nature in the area.
Hirva Van
This garden is dedicated to the local tribal deity "Hirva,"
meaning greenery or forest. The garden is located at Pipria
on the Silvassa-Dadra Road. The mist settles on this garden
like a blanket and wraps the old walls and arches.
Khanvel
Khanvel is famous for its lush green hills. This tourist
complex, 25 km away from Silvassa. In the midst of a forest,
Khanvel is truly enchanting. Sakartod river flowing through
the terraced meadows in the hills gives the place a charm
of its own.
Dudhni
This is a Water Sports Complex on river Damanganga. The
view of the Madhuban Dam from here is truly amazing.
The Church of Our Lady of Piety
This is one of the oldest churches of India, built in 1889.
The Bindrabin temple
This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is located
on the bank of River Sakartod.
Apart from these tourist spots, Silvassa has many ruined palaces
and forts.
How to get to Silvassa:
By air, Daman has an airport and is linked to Baroda and
Mumbai by Gujarat Airways.
Nearest rail head to Silvassa is Vapi (12 kms) on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad
line of western railway.
By Road Vapi, which lies on Mumbai-Ahmedabad NH no.8 connects
Silvassa by road to Bombay 180 km.
Regular S.T.Bus services are available from Vapi, Bhilad and
Valsad.
Where to stay:
Silvassa offers decent lodging for tourists. One of the options
may be:
Treat Resort Silvasa
Best Time to Visit:
November to March
| 