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Salcete (Konkani: Saxtti/Xaxtti; Portuguese: Salcette) is a sub-division (tehsil) of the district of South Goa, in the current state of Goa, situated by the west coast of India.[3] The Sal river and its backwaters dominate the landscape of Salcete.[4] Historically, the sixty-six settlements south of the River Zuari formed the original Salcette.[5] Salcete forms a part of the bigger Konkan region that stretches along the western shoreline of peninsular India.[6]

Salcete Saxtti/Xaxtti Salcette
Taluka (sub-district)
Salcete countryside
Location of Salcete in South Goa, Goa
Coordinates: 15.212450°N 74.07323°E / 15.212450; 74.07323
Country	India
State	Goa
District	South Goa
Headquarters	Margao
Settlements (as of 2011)	2 cities 11 towns 35 villages
Government
• Deputy Collector	Jyoti Kumari, IAS[1]
• Talukadar[1]	Prataprao Gaunkar
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	294,504
Demonym	Saxtticar/Xaxtticar
PIN	4036XX, 4037XX
Vehicle registration	GA-08

In erstwhile Portuguese Goa, the Salcette concelho (county) located in the Velhas Conquistas (Old Conquests) was co-terminous with the undivided Salcette (Salcete and Mormugaõ talukas).[7] In 1917, the area of the erstwhile Goa and Damaon was bifurcated into the present-day talukas of Mormugao and Salcette.[8] The contemporary Salcete taluka has been classified as a rurban area.[9] Margao serves as the administrative headquarters of both Salcete taluka and the South Goa district.[10]

Etymology

"Salcete" is the modern anglicised spelling of the historical lusitanised version Salcette. This word "Salcette" has been derived from the Konkani word Saxtti; साष्टी; Sāṣṭī (IPA: [/'saːʂʈiː/])—a corruption of the Sanskrit word "षट-षष्टि"; ṣaṭa-ṣaṣṭi (IPA: [/'ʂaʈa-ʂaʂʈi/])[lower-alpha 1]—meaning "sixty-six".[11] According to the Hindu mythology of the Konkan, the original sixty-six settlements of the Salcette territory were established by sixty-six Saraswat Brahmin clans who had emigrated here from northern India.[12] In Goan Konkani, the natives are referred to as Saxtticar or Xaxtticar; साष्टीकार/षाष्टीकार; Sāṣṭīkār/Ṣāṣṭīkār (IPA: [/'saːʂʈiːkaːɾ/] or [/'ʂaːʂʈiːkaːɾ/]).[3] The Salcete Konkani dialect of southern Goa known as "Saxtti" is notably different from the "Antruzi" (Ponda) and "Bardescari" (Bardez) dialects of northern Goa.[13]

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 "Sāṣṭī" in the local language.[14]

Salcette territory

Historical Salcette

The original sixty-six settlements of Salcette are as follows:[15]

Contemporary Salcete

Salcete taluka comprises nine comunidades: Benaulim, Betalbatim, Colva, Curtorim, Loutolim, Margao, Nuvem, Raia, and Verna.

The sub-district consists of two cities, eleven towns, and thirty-five villages as per the 2011 Census of India.

Salcete Taluka (Census 2011)[2]
#	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

Notes

Citations

References

• Kadamb, S. G. (2013). Sources of History of the Kadambas of Goa: Inscriptions (First ed.). Broadway Publishing House. pp. 1–14. ISBN 9789380837314.
• Kosambi, Damodar Dharmanand (1962). Myth and Reality: Studies in the Formation of Indian Culture (reprint ed.). Popular Prakashan. ISBN 9788171548705.
• Rodrigues, L. A. (1990). "The Peninsula of Salcete". In Kusuman, K. K. (ed.). A Panorama of Indian Culture: Professor A. Sreedhara Menon Felicitation Volume. Mittal Publications. pp. 231–246. ISBN 9788170992141.

External links

• South Goa District : Census 2011 data

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