Benaulim is a village in the state of Goa, India. It is the neighbour of Colva village from the north, Margao in the northeast and Varca village from the south. During the Portuguese regime, it was one of the nine comunidades in the region of Salcete. Contemporary Benaulim is a popular seaside resort in South Goa district, renowned for its balmy weather, golden sands, and palm‑fringed beaches. It also houses Goa's only Don Bosco Animation Center. It is the birthplace of St. Joseph Vaz who was a priest and missionary in Sri Lanka.There are two popular churches in Benaulim. The Holy Trinity Church is a new church built with modern design near the beach area close to Maria Hall Junction, while St John the Baptist Church is old church popular for baptising St. Joseph Vaz. It is located in Cana benaulim. In 2016, BRICS summit was convened here. There is one luxury hotel in Benaulim, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa. There is a hidden side of Benaulim beach entrance behind the resort. They hosted the 8th BRICS Summit in 2016.
Etymology
The village was known as Banahalli or Banawali before the advent of the Portuguese. Ban is the Sanskrit word for 'arrow' and Halli the Kannada word for 'village'. According to the Sahyadrikhanda of the Skanda Purana, Lord Parashurama shot his arrow into the sea and commanded the sea god Varuna recede up to the point where his arrow landed. The arrow is said to have landed at Banahalli. The area was then settled by Goud Saraswat Brahmins from northern India.
History
Ancient Banahalli was the site of the Katyayani Baneshvar temple dedicated to the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati. The temple ruins can be still found in the village. The deities were shifted to Aversa in North Canara in the sixteenth century. The tall type coconut cultivar, 'Banawali Green Round', the landrace of Benaulim, was selected and released as 'Pratap' in 1987 for cultivation in coastal Maharashtra by the Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli owing to its superior morphological and fruiting characteristics and high yielding nature.
Geography
Benaulim is located at . It has an average elevation of.
Demographics
Benaulim has population of 11 919 of which 5 818 are males while 6 101 are females as per report released by Census of India 2011. Child population within the age group of 0-6 is 1 235 which is 10.36% of total population. Female sex ratio is of 1 049 against Goa state average of 973. Moreover, child sex ratio is around 992 compared to the state average of 942. Literacy is 89.25%, higher than state average of 88.70%. Male literacy is around 92.15% while female literacy rate is 86.51%. Out of total population, 4 316 were engaged in work or business activity. Of this 3 087 were males while 1 229 were females. Benaulim has a predominantly Christian population, followed by Hinduism and Islam. Schedule Caste constitutes 0.99% while Schedule Tribe were 0.26% of total population.
Tourist attractions
Benaulim has two beaches: Benaulim beach, which is the main beach, and the neighbouring beach is Sernabatim beach. Benaulim beach is popular among the locals and tourists alike. Apart from sunbathing and swimming, there are also options of parasailing, jet skiing, boat riding and wind surfing. Benaulim's main market is located near Maria Hall, a community centre, where most accommodation, restaurants, grocers and chemists are concentrated.
