Mandovi River, Major river system in Karnataka and Goa, India
The Mandovi is a river in Karnataka and Goa that flows into the Arabian Sea at Panaji after 87 kilometers (54 miles). Along its course it passes rice fields, small villages and three inhabited islands before widening toward the estuary.
The river served as an important trade route during Portuguese colonial times between the interior and the coastal settlements in Goa. Later the Portuguese administration built forts at strategic points along the banks.
The small harbors and jetties along the river show the daily life of fishermen who head out with their nets in the morning and return with the catch in the evening. In the villages on both banks you see women washing clothes on the steps and children playing in the shallow water.
Boat tours leave daily from Santa Monica Jetty in Panaji, mostly in the late afternoon or early evening. Several ferries connect the banks and the islands throughout the day, with waiting times rarely longer than 30 minutes.
Near the mouth at Panaji several large ships lie at anchor that are used as floating casinos and are brightly lit in the evening. These floating gambling halls are the only ones of their kind in India and attract many visitors.
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