Streets of Panaji
The precise and literal meaning of ‘lifestyle’ is to live life with style that makes its own identity and that is truly distinct from others. And of all the people in India Goan people have all the right to take lot of pride for having developed a lifestyle that is unique and one that truly expresses their cultural heritage. A unique culture and lifestyle where everything mingles, where conservative Indian sarees seamlessly treads with western attires of swim suits and miniskirts, where religion of east and west fuses together beautifully and where people simply live their life as it comes. These are few important traits of Goan people’s lifestyle, which has been in practice since many centuries.
And nowhere is this typical Goan lifestyle of tremendous diversity more visible than in capital city of Panaji. As this city is by far the best exponent of Goan lifestyle. Here people have surely lapped up modern values, but not at the cost of traditional Goan lifestyle. And this is exactly the reason why local people here don’t at all hesitate in wearing modern designer cloths, where also other symbols of modern consumerism like spas, fitness gyms and beauty salons do amazingly roaring business. And all these progressive signs of modernity seamlessly live aside with sheer simplicity that Panaji people still haven’t forgotten. The simple cloths like shirts and trousers, the conservative Indian sarees and salwar kameez still troll on the streets of Panaji city.
But, all said and done about Goan people’s amazing ability to accept diversity, there is another aspect of Goan people’s lifestyle which is equally beautiful. And that is there laid back attitude towards life, to simply live life as it comes. This chilled out attitude towards life is visible and felt throughout Goa, more so in the city of Panaji. Here people don’t try to run faster than life, because they love life so much that they live every moment as it comes. Here relishing the Goan music, enjoying delicious Goan cuisine, strolling on a beach, playing beach football, waiting for New Year party with bated breadth has always taken precedence over earning fast money. The sheer love for life that Goan people have is such a fresh breadth of air in today’s era of globalization where people’s maddening love for money has taken precedence over love for life itself.
To sum it up, the life of Goan people is that of pure love for everything beautiful that makes up human life so enjoyable, in other words: to love diversity of life to the fullest. It is indeed this colorful lifestyle of Goan people that today makes it one of the most cosmopolitan and multi cultural places in India. And also, one of the most beloved tourist destinations of this country.
