Salcete (IPA: ; Romanised Konkani: Saxtti or Xaxtti, IPA: ; Goan Konkani: साष्टी / षाष्टी, Sāṣṭī / ṣāṣṭī ?), also spelt as Salcette, is a geographical area situated in the southern portion of Goa state, on the south-west coast of India. It is a part of the larger Konkan coast of western India. Historically, the settlements south of the Zuari river formed the original Salcete territory.
In Konkani, the local language, the region is known as Saxtti or Xaxtti and the natives are referred to as Saxtticar or Xaxtticar (IPA: / ; साष्टीकार / षाष्टीकार, Sāṣṭīkār / ṣāṣṭīkār).
Salcete is derived from the Sanskrit word “षट-षष्टि” ṣaṭ-ṣaṣṭi meaning ‘Sixty-six’, after the tradition that sixty-six settlements were established by the Saraswat Brahmin families who had emigrated to Salcete from northern India.
The erstwhile ‘Salcette Concelho’, co-terminous with the original Salcete territory, was a municipality of the Portuguese Goa and Damaon, Velhas Conquistas (Old Conquests) and included Mormugao taluka. In 1917, this municipality was bifurcated into Mormugao and Salcette. The contemporary Salcete taluka of the civil district of South Goa is a rurban area. Margao serves as the administrative headquarters of both Salcete taluka and the South Goa district.
History
King Viramarmadeva of the Kadamba dynasty issued a copper-plate inscription in 1049 CE concerning a grant of a piece of land called Tudukapura in Kudtarika agrahara of Chhat sathi desha. This inscription suggests that Chhat sathi refers to modern Salcete, known as Sāshṭi in the local language.
Salcete territory
Environs typical of houses in rural Salcete
The original sixty-six settlements of Salcete are as follows:
- Sernabatim
- Vanelim
- Colva
- Seraulim
- Gandaulim
- Duncolim
- Betalbatim
- Nuvem
- Calata
- Gonsua
- Majorda
- Utorda
- Nagoa
- Verna
- Loutulim
- Camurlim
- Ambora
- Raia
- Rachol
- Curtorim
- Nesai
- Macasana
- Guirdolim
- Chandor
- Cavorim
- Paroda
- Mulem
- Sarzora
- Talvorda
- Veroda
- Cuncolim
- Betul
- Velim
- Ambelim
- Assolna
- Cavelossim
- Chinchinim
- Deussua
- Carmona
- Orlim
- Varca
- Sirlim
- Dramapur
- Dicarpale
- Davorlim
- Aquem
- Telaulim
- Navelim
- Margao
- Benaulim
- Adsuli
- Cana
- Mormugao
- Vadem
- Chicalim
- Dabolim
- Sancoale
- Cortalim
- Quelossim
- Cuelim
- Arossim
- Cansaulim
- Velsao
- Pale
- Issorcim
- Chilcona
Salcete taluka
Salcete taluka comprises nine comunidades: Benaulim, Betalbatim, Colva, Curtorim, Loutolim, Margao, Nuvem, Raia, and Verna.
The subdistrict consists of two cities, eleven towns, and thirty-five villages as per the 2011 Census of India.
| Salcete Taluka (Census 2011) | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Settlements | Population |
| Municipal Councils | ||
| 1. | Margao | 87,650 |
| 2. | Cuncolim | 16,623 |
| Census Towns | ||
| 1. | Davorlim | 15,350 |
| 2. | Curtorim | 12,886 |
| 3. | Navelim | 12,323 |
| 4. | Benaulim | 11,919 |
| 5. | Raia | 10,706 |
| 6. | São José de Areal | 10,229 |
| 7. | Nuvem | 9,288 |
| 8. | Chinchinim | 6,908 |
| 9. | Verna | 6,632 |
| 10. | Aquem | 6,511 |
| 11. | Varca | 5,439 |
| Villages | ||
| 1. | Adsulim | 214 |
| 2. | Ambelim | 2,853 |
| 3. | Assolna | 3,410 |
| 4. | Betalbatim | 3,551 |
| 5. | Calata | 1,739 |
| 6. | Camurlim | 2,247 |
| 7. | Cana | 494 |
| 8. | Carmona | 3,864 |
| 9. | Cavelossim | 1,955 |
| 10. | Cavorim | 2,228 |
| 11 | Chandor | 707 |
| 12. | Colva | 3,141 |
| 13. | Deussua | 1,479 |
| 14. | Dicarpale | 3,057 |
| 15. | Dramapur | 3,441 |
| 16. | Duncolim | 748 |
| 17. | Gandaulim | 438 |
| 18. | Gonsua | 222 |
| 19. | Guirdolim | 3,622 |
| 20. | Loutolim | 6,121 |
| 21. | Macasana | 1,972 |
| 22. | Majorda | 2,813 |
| 23. | Mulem | 2,799 |
| 24. | Nagoa | 3,873 |
| 25. | Orlim | 2,049 |
| 26. | Paroda | 620 |
| 27. | Rachol | 1,686 |
| 28. | Sarzora | 2,270 |
| 29. | Seraulim | 3,250 |
| 30. | Sernabatim | 1,548 |
| 31. | Sirlim | 845 |
| 32. | Talaulim | 2,911 |
| 33. | Utorda | 2,018 |
| 34. | Vanelim | 1,860 |
| 35. | Velim | 5,955 |
| Total | 2,94,504 | |