India, April 13 -- Mapusa's Friday market is a thing of beauty.

Chaotic, noisy, colourful and aromatic, it is a thing of beauty nonetheless. It is not just food on offer here, but a deep love for the land and its produce-a chance to see an unpolished glimpse of the state's agrarian roots, and a sensory introduction to local rituals and customs.

It is not quite a tourist hotspot, but as a traveller, the market is an exciting initiation into Goa's socio-cultural space and an understanding of the state's heritage.

Goa is an ideal place to slow down. It invites reflection and an unhurried approach to life-through languid mornings spent birdwatching, indulgent meals prepared mindfully, focused explorations of the hinterlands through spic...