List of people from Goa

This is a list of famous and notable people from Goa, India. This list aims to include persons who are known to a large number of people, and is not based on the extent of their popularity. Neither is the list viewed from the context of the present. Their fame could be brief, what matters is that they were well-known during the peak of their popularity.

Sports personalities

• Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, prominent soccer player and former Goa captain. One of Goa's best goalkeepers. An Arjuna awardee for his achievements in sports.
• Bruno Coutinho, prominent Indian footballer and Arjuna awardee.
• Leander Paes (b. 1973-), international tennis player.
• Dilip Sardessai, former cricketer.
• Wallis Mathias and Antao Souza - represented Pakistan cricket team in Tests in the 1950s and early 60s.
• Melvyn J V D' Souza,prominent Soccer referee represented India and the FIFA in domestic and International arena from 1970s till early 1990s.
• Dr. Otilia Mascarenhas, 1973 Arjuna Award winner, Indian women's hockey team captain 1971-74.

Olympians

• Neville D'Souza: Soccer, 1956, representing India
• Fortunato Franco: Soccer, 1960, representing India
• Peter Paul Fernandes: Field Hockey, 1936 representing India and 1948 representing Pakistan
• Leo Pinto: Field Hockey, 1948, representing India
• Lawrie Fernandes: Field Hockey, 1948, representing India
• Walter D'Souza: Field Hockey, 1948, representing India
• Maxie Vaz: Field Hockey, 1948, representing India
• Reginald Rodrigues: Field Hockey, 1948, representing India
• Vece Paes: Field Hockey, 1972, representing India
• Joaquim Carvalho: Field Hockey, 1976, representing India
• Jack Britto: Field Hockey, 1952, representing Pakistan
• Rui Saldanha: Field Hockey, 1972, representing England
• Lavy Pinto: Athletics, 1952, representing India
• Edward Sequeira, Athletics, 1972, representing India

Musicians

• Remo Fernandes prominent Goan pop star and Bollywood playback singer.
• Lorna Cordeiro, Goa's nightingale
• Lata Mangeshkar, great playback singer of India. She has a world-record for the highest number of recorded songs
• Asha Bhosle Another great playback singer.Younger sister of Lata Mangeshakar
• António Fortunato de Figueiredo, conductor, violinist (1903-1981). Founder-director of Academia de Música (now Dept of Western Classical Music, Kala Academy), founder-director Orquestra Sinfónica de Goa (Goa Symphony Orchestra).
• Kishori Amonkar, noted Indian classical singer.
• Jitendra Abhisheki, noted Indian musician.
• Kesarbai Kerkar (1892-1977).
• Deenanath Mangeshkar, after whom the auditorium at the Kala Academy, Goa is named.

Indologists

• Damodar Dharmanand Kosambi (1907-1966) renowned Indologist.
• Dharmanand Kosambi (1876-1947) studied Pali and was a renowned Buddhist scholar.
• Rev Dr Hubert Olympus Mascarenhas (1905-1973), educationist, was an Indologist of repute who spoke 11 European languages, in addition to Sanskrit and several Indian languages.
• Jose Gerson da Cunha (1844-1900) ,one of India's prominent historian and Orientalist. Besides Konkani and Portuguese, French, English and Sanskrit, he could handle Pehlevi, Italian, Persian and German, Marathi.

Senior police

• Julio Francis Ribeiro, "super-cop". Served as chief of police in Mumbai, and of Punjab, during its troubled period of history. Later ambassador to Romania.
• Caejetan Joseph Vincent Miranda, of Loutolim, was director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, India.
• John Lobo, Director, CBI 1977-79.

Political campaigners

• Dr. Jack de Sequeira, prominent campaigner for the opinion poll that retained Goa as an independent state.
• Abbé Faria, a priest, a key participant in the Conspiracy Of The Pintos; later became a famous hypnotist and revolutionary in France.
• Pio Gama Pinto, supported Africa in colonial times, and rose to become director of the Pan African Press.
• Keith Vaz, Aden-born politician of Goan origin in the House of Commons. Member in the first Cabinet of Tony Blair.
• Telo Mascarenhas, freedom-fighter and also did a Portuguese translation of the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi.
• Terekholvir Alfred Alfonso. Led group of satyagrahis to the Terekhol fort in Goa, during campaign against Portuguese rule.
• Eduardo Faleiro: prominent politician and former central minister.
• Dr. Simon C. Fernandes: freedom-fighter as well as former mayor of Bombay
• Narana Coissoró, member of the Portuguese Parliament.
• António Costa is Socialist Mayor of Lisbon and is of partial Goan descent, his father was the writer Orlando da Costa and his mother the writer Maria Antónia Palla.
• Aquino de Braganca (192?-1986) Goa born Mozambican Freedom Fighter, UN Ambassador and Director of the Centre of African Studies, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, was killed with his colleague President Samora Machel in a plane crash.

Military

• Air Chief Marshal H Mulgaonkar
• Air Marshal Loretto Pereira
• Air Marshal Terence Joseph de Sá (b.1928) of Sangolda
• Major General António Caetano da Silva (b.1930) of Benaulim
• Lt. Gen. F.T. Dias of Velcao
• Lt. Gen. S.L. Menezes of Sangolda
• Lt. Gen Eric Alexander Vaz of Saligao
• Gen Sunit Francis Rodrigues of Curtorim,former Chief of Army Staff and currently Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
• Group Captain Conrad Dalton, VM of Siolim
• Commodore Dias, from Ambora, Salsete Goa, Indian Navy
• Vice Admiral John C. da Silva PVSM,AVSM (Retd) of Navelim
• Capitão Aleixo F R Costa Fernandes of Curtorim, Goa - Portuguese Army

Judges and lawyers

• Fitz R S de Souza, barrister-at-law and PhD from London, was an important figure in African politics. Participated in Kenya's struggle for freedom.
• John Maximian Nazareth (1908-1989) was president of the East African Indian Congress, and also served as puisne judge of the Kenya Supreme Court
• Justice Vassant Krishna Tamba](b.1926) has served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Portugal.
• Justice Dr. Eurico Santana da Silva (b.1933) in Margao, Appointed Judge in Goa in 1957 during the Portuguese regime. After liberation decided to stay in his homeland and joined the Indian judiciary. This highly respected and eminent jurist is remembered for his uprightness and impeccable integrity.
• Justice Gurudas Datta Kamat, Former Judge of the Bombay High Court and former Chief Justice of Gujarat. First Goan to be appointed Chief Justice.
• Justice Dr. Gustavo F.Couto, former judicial commissioner and then Judge of the High Court of Bombay.
• Aleixo António Xavier José Ludovico da Costa (1904-1976), served as judge in Angola and Mozambique.
• Luís da Cunha Gonçalves, (b.1875) wrote as many as 14 volumes on his studies of Civil Law.
• Wolfgang Dourado Attorney General, Zanzibar.
• Justice Nelson A. Britto Bombay High Court Judge - (Goa Bench) from Veroda, Cuncolim Salsette goa.

Technocrats, senior officials and designers

• John Francis Ludger Gracias (1888-1969), among the first Goans to migrate to Kenya, played a major role in the establishment of the Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours. Awarded with an MBE by King Edward VIII, one of the few honours bestowed by King Edward in his short reign.
• Bismark Dias, brilliant civil engineer, remembered for designing the town of Vasco da Gama, with its tree-lined boulevards and gardens. In the US, he has done work on devices used in colour TV receivers, and also ultrasound imaging devices.
• Charles Correa, prominent architect.
• Suman Moolgaokar, called the father of India's automobile industry.
• Joseph J. D'Mello, Chairman, Pakistan Railways.
• Manuel Menezes, Chairman, Indian Railways.

Senior diplomats

• Avadhuth Kakodkar, ambassador to Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Venezuela and Finland.
• Placido D'Souza, ambassador to West Indies, Panama, Zaire, New York, Port of Spain, Hong Kong and Nairobi.
• Peter Lynn Sinai, diplomat of Goan origin, topped the competitive exams in 1956.
• Vaman Sardesai, ambassador to Angola.
• Antonio David Sousa, Chancellor, Portuguese Consulate in Goa since 1997. Is also a Miner by profession.
• Abraham of Goa (ca. 1575-1595), accompanied an Indian ambassador to the court of King Phillip of Portugal; assisted in negotiations, treaties, and promotion of peaceful relations between the rulers of Bijapur and the Portuguese. Of Spanish Jewish origins.

Professors and Educationists

• Prof Armando Menezes, prominent educationist who influenced a generation and more of students at Dharwad and elsewhere.
• Dr Victor F B de Mello, rose to professorships at the three principal universities in São Paulo.
• Dr Ulhas S Parab, first educationist to accomplish Ph.D. in faculty of Commerce and Management from Goa after liberation of Goa, who has been instrumental in motivating younger generation of Goa for higher studies.
• Dr. Damodar SarDesai, well-published Professor Emeritus at UCLA who also served as the President of the (Formerly Royal) Asiatic Society of Bombay from 1989-1999.

Artists

• John Baptist De Silva, award winner - another popular world-renowed artist hailing from the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania.
• Francis Newton Souza, (1924-2003), world-renowned artist.
• Ramchandra Pandurang Kamat of Madkai, hailed as a genius among the sculptors of his time.
• Angelo da Fonseca, noted for presenting Christian themes in Indian style.
• Mario de Miranda, famous for his cartoons in The Illustrated Weekly of India, and a Padma Vibushan Awardee
• Laxmann Poirecipient of Padmashree,octogenerian Goan painter.
• Professor Simon Fernandes, - Part Goan. Part south Indian. One of the greatest copy writers of our time. Last years of his life he served as Professor of Advertising. Worked on several regional brands in a rather creative and rewarding lifetime. One of the biggest inspirations to the world of Indian Advertising.
• Subodh Kerkar,artist
• Varsha Usgaonkar,Film Actress

Scientists

• Garcia de Orta, physician, druggist, and botanist (1523-1580). Wrote and published first major book on Indian drugs and remedies. He was a Portuguese/Spanish Jew who lived some time in Goa.
• Dr Norman Lewis, one of India's pioneer of the food-irradiation programme.
• Emidio Afonso, just out of his teens, he reconstructed with the simplest available material a simplified version of Sir J C Bose's crescograph, an instrument for measuring the sensitivity of plants.
• Dr Froilano de Mello (1877-1955), a Goan who discovered protozoa, parasites, microbes and viruses many of which bear the Latin name given by him followed by the name "de Mello" as the discoverer. Research scientist of high caliber, a successful professor. Did remarkable work for improving the health of the malaria-endemic city of Old Goa by mapping the entire area so as to discover the source of malaria. Fought valiant battles against TB and leprosy and hailed as one of the foremost leprologists.
• Anil Kakodkar, eminent nuclear scientist and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission
• Raghunath Mashelkar, eminent scientist and head of the prestigious Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

Religious leaders

• Valerian Gracias, Cardinal in Bombay (Mumbai/Goa)
• Joseph Cordeiro, Cardinal in Pakistan (Karachi/Goa)
• Ivan Dias, Cardinal Prefect, Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Rome (Mumbai/Goa)
• Francisco Blasco Collaço, Archbishop and Apostolic Nuncio
• Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai
• Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão, current Archbishop of Goa e Damao
• Raul Nicolau Gonçalves, Archbishop Emeritus of Goa e Damao
• Anthony de Mello, Jesuit priest and author
• Evarist Pinto, Archbishop of Karachi, Pakistan
• José Vaz, Bishop born 1651
• Sr. Lucy Britto, From Veroda, Cuncolim, First Indian Woman to work for the Secretariat of State, The Vatican.
• Fr. Chico Monteiro

Writers, Editors, Journalists

• Dinesh D'Souza is the author of numerous New York Times best selling books and a conservative writer and speaker.
• Maria Aurora Couto is a well known writer, academic and literary critic with books including Graham Greene: On the Frontier, Politics and Religion in the Novels, and Goa: A Daughter's Story.
• Orlando da Costa (1929-2006) was a Communist Portuguese poet and writer of Goan descent, born in the capital of the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique, Maputo.
• Frank Moraes, editor of many prominent newspapers in post-Independence India, including The Indian Express.
• Dom Moraes (b.1938) has won the American Press Club Citation for Excellence in Reporting, for some 20 articles he wrote for the "New York Times Sunday Magazine". Also a poet. Died earlier this decade.
• Manoharai Sardessai, Konkani Novelist
• Reginald Fernandes, Konkani Novelist and well known violin player. wrote over 100 much read and appreciated novels.
• George Menezes, humour writer and management expert.
• Frank Simoes, a passionate Goan Advertising person, Author of "Glad season in Goa"
• Lambert Mascarenhas, author of the classic Novel "Sorrowing Lies My Land" (1955) which was reprinted thrice, the novel has been translated into Marathi, Telugu and Konkani. Lambert was the editor of Goan Tribune, the fortnightly dedicated to the cause of Goa’s freedom from the Portuguese rule. He is also the founder editor of "Goa Today" and former editor of "The Navhind Times" and was awarded the State Cultural award.
• Jose Pereira (b.1931), a writer, orator, historian, musicologist, theologian and a naturalist of a high order.
• Fr Antonio Pereira (1919-2004) has scores of books and publications to his credit, mainly in Konkani.
• Mons. Sebastiao Rodolfo Dalgado (1855-1922) of Assagao , linguist. Knew Malayalam, Sinhala, Bengali, Kannada,Marathi, Sanskrit. In 1892, he produced a Konkani-Portuguese dictionary and later a grammar.
• Krishnadas Shama, sixteenth century Quelossim genius, left behind several stories in pure Konkani.
• Teotonio R. de Souza, b. 1947, Historian, Founder-Director of Xavier Centre of Historical Research, Goa (1979-1994), Fellow of the Portuguese Academy of History, author of Medieval Goa (1979), Goa to Me (1994), and several other publications on Goan History and Culture listed at http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=6016226459122589 Co-founder of Goa Research Net with Frederick Noronha in 1997, and its Moderator till date.
• Victor Rangel Ribeiro, author of the novel Tivolem (winner of the Milkweed Fiction Award)which was published first by Milkweed in the USA and then by Penguin India. Also authored a collection of short stories, Loving Ayesha, published by Rupa.
• Margaret Mascarenhas, author of the diasporic novel Skin published by Penguin India, Mercure de France, Editora Replicacao.
• Damodar Mauzo, prolific Konkani novelist and winner of the Sahitya-Akademi award for the novel Karmelin.
• Sonia Faleiro,journalist and author of the novel The Girl, published by Penguin India.
• Eunice de Souza,retired as Head of the English Dept, St Xavier's College, Bombay in 2007. She is a poet, novella-ist, and editor of several anthologies.
• Silviano C. Barbosa, author of the first Canadian/Goan novel, "The Sixth Night".

Governors

• Bernardo Peres da Silva of Neurá. Appointed Prefect of Estado da Índia Portuguesa in 1835, the only Goan to hold a post equivalent to a Governor-General.
• Anthony Lancelot Dias, ICS (b.1910) was praised for negotiating India's foodgrains with "great ability and success". He was appointed Lt. Governor of Tripura in 1970 and later Governor of West Bengal.

Business leaders

• Victor J Menezes (b.1949) of Bardez, was one of the Vice Presidents of Citicorp, USA.
• Peter Joseph Joaquim Pinto (b.1915) of Sangolda has been appointed alternate executive director for India on the boards of the IMF and World Bank.
• Prabhakar R Narvekar appointed one of the three deputy managing directors of the IMF.

See also

• List of Konkani poets
• List of people by India state

External links

• Goans All Over the World are Doing Great Things
• Goans on the International Sporting Stage
• Great Men of Goa