वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ is a translation of the Sanskrit phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ taken from the Maha Upanishads. This means ‘The World Is One Family’. The G20 theme affirms the value of all forms of life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet and in the wider universe.
It is an amazing testimony to India’s leadership worldwide that the prestigious G20 summit is being hosted by an exciting land which marries the old and the new to great perfection. Moreover, Goa, being the exciting diamond studded crown on India’s head, is honoured to do our bit at this momentous time.
We take great pride in showcasing Goa’s art, culture, music, heritage and brilliance through this book’s pages, which will evoke great interest in forging benign and lasting relationships between the countries that power the path to take our universe forward. Moreover, Goa’s rich diversity, founded in centuries-old interactions across various cultures and civilizations of our planet, makes it the right spot for the confluence of ideas emanating from the leadership, which is so much the essence of G20.
Goa is a multi-cultural land propelled by an astute population that has transformed a laid-back locale into a bustling hub of economic success through tourism mining, real estate and other economic drivers. Tremendous opportunities abound since the state is on the threshold of something substantial, considering that Goa is the most sought-after destination for people worldwide seeking to embrace a unique land that is so evident all over. In addition to its wonderful people, Goa is a land blessed with the richness of nature, abundant rainfall, and rich soil that opens up vistas for water management, sustainable tourism, and development of culture hubs. Goa has created the right infrastructure to become a Food Capital of sorts, thus capturing the essence of organic food that has been the hallmark of Goa’s cooking through the years.
Goans have always been known for being outstanding business people, something that is evident through the success stories of the Goans in business enterprises across continents, from East Africa early on, to the Gulf in the second half of the 20th century, to the UK and other parts of Europe over the past few years. Moreover, Goans are known for their loyalty, intelligence, honesty and kindness, thus, making them one of the most sought-after groups of people in the business world. Goan musicians have left their indelible mark on the music scene in this country. Bollywood is totally indebted to the leadership provided by stalwarts with India’s movie juggernaut hitching a ride on the Goan musical brilliance seen through the ages.
It is not surprising that this is the case since Goa has seen the mix of myriad musical influences from Africa, South America, Latin Europe, and, of course, India itself, thus making Goa one of the unique places in the world of music.
Certainly not lagging in sports, Goa has a solid foundation in the world’s most exciting game of football, which also opens up opportunities for forging sporting relationships with so many G20 countries who are giants in this beautiful game. Goa’s peaceful and culturally vibrant people are also keen learners who appreciate higher education for the youth. It opens opportunities to bring in world-class schools of art, culture, music, food, and higher education in medicine, science, engineering and the like. With a peaceful environment, there could be no better place to create partnerships that will bring various cultures together via education, which also suits the pro-environment people of Goa. A right balance of development and sustainable environmental practices is needed if Goa is to live-up to her full potential of being called the Promised Land.
More than anything else, Goa is known as an open land full of ideas and thoughts that bring people together.
Our penchant for reaching out to various influences is well established, and it is only but natural that the G20 will bring opportunities of various types, and most excitingly, the traditional wisdom of India via Goa can marry the ideas of the other leaders of the G20, for the good of our world. May this book provide that simple but beautiful way to the heart of Goa, and may the readers have an enriching experience of this mystical land.
For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.
