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. The River Sal and its backwaters dominate the landscape of Salcete. Historically, the sixty-six settlements south of the Zuari River formed the original Salcette territory. Salcete forms a part of the bigger Konkan region that stretches along the western shoreline of peninsular India.

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). In 1917, the concelho was bifurcated into the present-day talukas of Mormugao and Salcete. The contemporary Salcete taluka has been classified as a rurban area. Margao serves as the administrative headquarters of both Salcete taluka and the South Goa district.

Etymology

"Salcete" is the modern anglicised spelling of the historical lusitanised version Salcette. This word "Salcette" has been derived from the Konkani word Saxtti; साष्टी; Sāṣṭī (IPA: [/'saːʂʈiː/])—a corruption of the Sanskrit word "षट-षष्टि"; ṣaṭa-ṣaṣṭi (IPA: [/'ʂaʈa-ʂaʂʈi/])—meaning "sixty-six". 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. In Goan Konkani, the natives are referred to as Saxtticar or Xaxtticar; साष्टीकार/षाष्टीकार; Sāṣṭīkār/Ṣāṣṭīkār (IPA: [/'saːʂʈiːkaːɾ/] or [/'ʂaːʂʈiːkaːɾ/]). The Salcete Konkani dialect of southern Goa known as "Saxtti" is notably different from the "Antruzi" (Ponda) and "Bardescari" (Bardez) dialects of northern Goa.

History

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.

Salcette territory

Historical Salcette

The original sixty-six settlements of Salcette are as follows:

Contemporary Salcete

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)
#	Settlements	Population
Municipal Councils
1.	Margao	87,650
2.	Cuncolim	16,623
Census Towns
1.	Davorlim	15,350
2.	Curtorim	12,886
3.	Navelim	12,323
4.	Benaulim	11,919
5.	Raia	10,706
6.	São José de Areal	10,229
7.	Nuvem	9,288
8.	Chinchinim	6,908
9.	Verna	6,632
10.	Aquem	6,511
11.	Varca	5,439
Villages
1.	Adsulim	214
2.	Ambelim	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

Demographics

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.

Religion

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.

Languages

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.