SUN, SILHOUETTES AND SHADOWS: Dona Paula's jetty makes a dramatic picture on a cloudy day.

OUT TO SEA: Out into the deep blue -- or is it green_ -- seas. A traditional fisherman takes his canoe (called a 'vodhe') and crosses the Chapora river.

SUNNY DAYS, CHEAP FOOD: Tourists still find Goa's beaches an attractive place to visit.

COCONUTS... EVERYWHERE: Coconut palms seem to be omnipresent in Goa, where villagers have spared no trouble to cultivate this useful tree.

ALTINHO'S HOMES: Impressive homes dot the elite residential colony of Altinho in Panjim. This was earlier a locality where the elite lived in Portuguese colonial times. Now, it is home to top bureaucrats and politicians, and lesser government servants at one end.

CRADLE FOR FOOTBALL: Goa remains a cradle of football talent in India. Young schoolboys seen at practice at Arpora in the Bardez taluka (sub-district) of north Goa. Bardez, incidentally, is also the region from where a large number of expatriate Goans trace their roots to.

RIGHT ON THE BEACH: Environmentalists say that hotels coming up right on the sands mar the charm and the coastal beauty of this state.

SALIGAO ON A WINTRY DAY: Smoke billows from domestic fires in the distance, while rice-paddy fields turn into a temporary pond gathering rainwater after a heavy, unseasonal downpour.

COLOURS OF THE MANDO: Young Goan lasses, and accompanying musicians, rehearse final notes, minutes before taking to the stage at a recent mando competition. Mando is part of the popular Goan repertoire of community and group singing.

SYMBOL TO UNITY: Despite few and rare aberrations, Hindus and Catholics largely live in peace in Goa. Goan Catholics also largely trace their roots to Hinduism and possibly other religions like Buddhism too.

ON THE FOOTPATHS OF TIME: This group of Catholic nuns, some dressed in traditional Indian saree, take an evening stroll at Old Goa. This former colonial capital, is now largely a ghost town -- with convents, monastries and coconut groves. But the building boom is also invading the area, threatening serenity and centuries- old history.

THE CATCH IS IN: And it's a prized catch. But locals complain that fish prices are turning astronomical in recent times.

SHACKS ON THE SHORE: Foreign tourists say they love the tasty food served by the 'shacks' (temporary restaurants of thatched coconut leaves) put up on the seashore. But the government, and apparently the starred tourism lobby too, is eager to do away with the shacks.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT: These Goan children attempt to perfect juggling tricks, at a training camp organised by Portuguese specialists.

EAST AND WEST: Suit-clad, this musician readies to play the 'ghumot' -- a typically eastern instrument, made of an earthernware pot covered with the skin of a reptile. Goa, some say, is a place where east and west meet.

GROWING UP IN NATURE'S LAP: Goan kids, from around Caisua-Chapora, smile for the camera as nature creates a scenic picture as the background.

OLD GOA: Called by some the Rome of the East, it is a historic former city and a world heritage site. It's majestic monuments and religious shrines were built during the heydey of the Portuguese empire, and Goa was Lisbon's headquarters in Asia.

TOURISTS READY FOR A RIDE: Cruise tourists await a ride across to the Mormugao harbour from Dona Paula jetty. In the fair-weather, a convenient launch service sometimes connects these two points.

COMPUTERS FOR SCHOOLKIDS: Expatriate Goans and tourists visiting Goa -- including the GoaNet network on the Internet -- have attempted to promote computer education in schools. One student seen studying in a computer classroom supported by voluntary effort.

SIGHTS FOR A PRICE: At Dona Paula, visiting tourists from other parts of India can use a telescope-of-sorts to undertake a guided visual-tour of some prominent landmarks in the area. Guides, like the one seen awaiting tourists above, also point out spots where popular Hindi films were shot in Goa. It costs Rs 3 for a look at a few sights, which lasts a couple of minutes.

GOAN SONG: Young Goan boys lighten up a tense moment before taking to the stage at a competition of the traditional 'mando' song-dance. Mando is part of the popular Goan repertoire of community and group singing.