| Salcete | |
| Native Name: | Saxtti/Xaxtti |
| Other Name: | Salcette |
| Settlement Type: | Taluka (sub-district) |
| Image Alt: | Idyllic scenery |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name1: | Goa |
| Subdivision Name2: | South Goa |
| Seat Type: | Headquarters |
| Seat: | Margao |
| Parts Type: | Settlements (as of 2011) |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | 2 cities 11 towns 35 villages |
| Leader Title: | Deputy Collector |
| Leader Name: | Jyoti Kumari, IAS[1] |
| Leader Title1: | Lok Sabha constituency |
| Population Total: | 2,94,504 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Demonym: | Saxtticar/Xaxtticar |
| Leader Title2: | Assembly constituency |
| Leader Title3: | MLA |
| Leader Title4: | Talukadar |
| Leader Name4: | Prataprao Gaunkar |
| Registration Plate: | GA-08 |
| Postal Code Type: | PIN |
| Postal Code: | 4036XX, 4037XX |
Salcete or Salcette (Konkani: Saxtti/Xaxtti) is a subdivision of the district of South Goa, in the state of Goa, situated by the west coast of India.[2] The River Sal and its backwaters dominate the landscape of Salcete.[3] Historically, the sixty-six settlements south of the Zuari River formed the original Salcette territory.[4] Salcete forms a part of the bigger Konkan region that stretches along the western shoreline of peninsular India.[5]
In erstwhile Portuguese Goa, the Salcette concelho (county) located in the Velhas Conquistas (Old Conquests) was co-terminous with the undivided Salcette territory (Mormugao and Salcete talukas).[6] In 1917, the concelho was bifurcated into the present-day talukas of Mormugao and Salcete.[7] The contemporary Salcete taluka has been classified as a rurban area.[8] Margao serves as the administrative headquarters of both Salcete taluka and the South Goa district.[9]
"Salcete" is the modern anglicised spelling of the historical lusitanised version Salcette. This word "Salcette" has been derived from the Konkani word Saxtti; साष्टी; (IPA: pronounced as /[/'saːʂʈiː/]/)—a corruption of the Sanskrit word "Sanskrit: षट-षष्टि"; ṣaṭa-ṣaṣṭi (IPA: pronounced as /[/'ʂaʈa-ʂaʂʈi/]/)—meaning "sixty-six".[10] 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 North India.[11] In Goan Konkani, the natives are referred to as Saxtticar or Xaxtticar; साष्टीकार/षाष्टीकार; (IPA: pronounced as /[/'saːʂʈiːkaːɾ/]/ or pronounced as /[/'ʂaːʂʈiːkaːɾ/]/).[2] The Salcete Konkani dialect of southern Goa known as "Saxtti" is notably different from the "Antruzi" (Ponda) and "Bardescari" (Bardez) dialects of northern Goa.[12]
See also: Adil Shahi-Portuguese conflicts. 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.[13]
The original sixty-six settlements of Salcette are as follows:[14]
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)[15] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Settlements | Population | ||
| Municipal Councils | |||
| 1. | 87,650 | ||
| 2. | 16,623 | ||
| Census Towns | |||
| 1. | 15,350 | ||
| 2. | 12,886 | ||
| 3. | 12,323 | ||
| 4. | 11,919 | ||
| 5. | 10,706 | ||
| 6. | 10,229 | ||
| 7. | 9,288 | ||
| 8. | 6,908 | ||
| 9. | 6,632 | ||
| 10. | 6,511 | ||
| 11. | 5,439 | ||
| Villages | |||
| 1. | Adsulim | 214 | |
| 2. | 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 | ||
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, Salcete had a population of 294,464 with sex ratio of 1025 females to 1000 males. Salcete Taluka has an average literacy rate of 89.34%, higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 92.63% and female literacy is 86.15%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 1.17% and 11.06% of the population respectively. 72.15% of the population lives in urban areas.[16]
Christianity is followed by the majority of population of Salcete Taluka, and forms over 75% of the population in rural areas. Hindus form a significant minority. At the time of the 2011 Census of India 53.57% of the population of the Taluka followed Christianity, 34.61% Hinduism, 11.38% Islam and 0.19% of the population followed other religions or did not state religion.[17]
Konkani and Hindi are among the most spoken languages in Salcete Taluka.
At the time of 2011 Census of India, 71.73% of the population of Salcete Taluka spoke Konkani, 10.52% Hindi, 4.65% Marathi, 3.82% Kannada and 3.20% Urdu as their first language.[18]