Missionaries, spiritual leaders contributed to Goa's culture: Governor

Panaji, May 29 (IANS) Goa has historically attracted missionaries and spiritual leaders who have left a distinct impression on the state's culture, Governor Mridula Sinha said on Tuesday.

"Goa attracted spiritual leaders and missionaries, which left a distinct impression on various aspects of Goa's culture. The state is also known as a land of spirituality. Also, Goa has been governed by many ancient dynasties and finds mention in mythology as well," Sinha said in her message to the coastal state's people a day ahead of the Goa Statehood Day. 

India's smallest state, which attained statehood on May 30, 1987, has been important for the history of India because of its reputation as a major trading centre over the centuries, she added.

Sinha also recalled the death of unarmed Indians during the struggle to liberate Goa from Portugal's colonial yoke, before the state was liberated by the Indian armed forces on December 19, 1961.

"When the Portuguese refused to give its possession to India after independence from the British, unarmed Indians were killed in their struggle to liberate Goa from Portugal's control," she recalled.

Sinha, a brand ambassador for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat campaign, said that cleanliness and hygiene should never be compromised on and should be ingrained in children.