This side of paradise

As an orange sun descends into the Arabian Sea at another perfect dusk in Goa, it’s hard to imagine that a brutal murder could ever happen on these pristine beaches. Yet, the British teen Scarlett Keeling tragically lost her life here, because of poor judgment in choosing her companions. As most Goans will insist these days, especially the ones running the thousands of shacks dotting the beaches, this incident is an aberration in the old Portuguese-influenced town’s history of splendid hospitality. Goans are dismayed at the publicity the Keeling incident has generated, a lot of it suddenly portraying Goa as dangerous for tourists. They protest that this single, isolated incident could have happened anywhere in the world.

After all, Goa is the place global nomads have flocked to since the ’60s, when the hippie movement found a platform. The sheer natural beauty of Goa, with its lush green paddy fields, quaint churches and divine cuisine have lured tourists right from the ponytailed, tattoo-flaunting variety to the more discerning, who head to the fabulously expensive resorts that have sprung up across town. Today, Goa is paradox; you have the all-night rave parties where European backpackers let loose, and you have the very wealthy tourist who can spend Rs 20,000 a night during Christmas-New Year, and who probably picks up an apartment with a private pool before the vacation is over. Goa is the coolest place in India to have a second home. After all, where can you get the atmosphere of Hawaii combined with the coolness quotient the colourful hippies provide? Land rates in Goa have gone up five times in 3 years. Developments promising golf courses, and fully kitted out apartments have sprung up everywhere. Goans themselves are struggling to keep pace with the changes this seaside town has recently seen.

This tropical paradise has given the world Goa Trance, the electronic music that evolved here in the ’90s. However, the image of spiritual seekers finding themselves while taking drugs and dancing wildly to trance music is fading fast. This is a city in the making, where there’s serious money to be made by breaking down old homes and constructing flats. Or converting heritage properties into antique stores, or fancy restaurants. The character of Goa has evolved, from a simple seaside town to a bustling metro, where, as we know, murder is hardly that uncommon.