Daman – The Tranquil Town

Daman and Diu is a former union territory in northwestern India. It was a separate union territory until 26 January 2020 before it was merged with Dadra and Nagar Haveli union territory to form a single UT due to its small landmass. With an area of 112 km2 (43 sq mi), it was the smallest administrative subdivision of India on the mainland. The territory comprised two districts, Damaon and Dio island, geographically separated by the Gulf of Cambay. The state of Gujarat and the Arabian Sea bordered the territory. A Portuguese colony since the 1500s, the territories were taken by India with the Annexation of Goa in 1961. Daman and Diu were administered as part of the union territory of Goa, Damaon& Diu between 1961 and 1987, after the Goa Opinion Poll they became a separate union territory. In 2019, legislation was passed to merge the union territory of Daman and Diu with its neighbouring union territory, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, to form the new union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu with effect from 26 January 2020.

History

For over 450 years, the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu on the Arabian Sea coast were part of Portuguese India, along with Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Goa, Daman and Diu were incorporated into the Republic of India on 19 December 1961, by military conquest. Portugal did not recognise the Indian annexation of these territories until the Carnation Revolution of 1974. The territory has also been ruled by Kolis.

The territory of Goa, Daman and Diu was administered as a single union territory until 30 May 1987, when Goa was granted statehood, leaving Daman and Diu as a separate union territory. Each enclave constituted one of the union territory’s two districts. Daman and Diu are approximately 650 kilometres away from each other by road.

On 3 November 2019, Daman Collector Rakesh Minhas issued a Section 144 order banning peaceful assembly of four or more persons, slogan-shouting and the use of loudspeakers across the entire district and ordered the conversion of Government High School, Bhimpore and the Government Sarvottam High School, Moti Daman into ‘temporary jails’. This was in response to a land ownership dispute between the local indigenous fishing community and the local administration that had confiscated their land and bulldozed their homes. The ensuing 2019 Daman Indigenous Land Clearing Protests resulted with the detention of 70 protesters in the ‘temporary jails’ and another 8 arrests. Few of the adivasi fisherfolk were rehoused whilst most languished traumatised and homeless on the streets near the rubble of their razed homes.

In December 2019, the Parliament of India passed legislation to merge Daman and Diu with the nearby union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to create a new union territory to be known as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Places To Stay: Hotel Royal Shelter, Hotel Pioneer, Hotel RG Landmark, Hotel Grandeur, Hotel Grandeur

Things To Do: Bask In At Popular Beaches, Dine At Popular Restaurants, Take A Spiritual Tour, Enjoy At Mirasol Water Park, Enjoy The Water Sports

Places To Visit: Jampore Beach, Moti Daman Fort, Dominican Monastery, Devka Amusement Park, House Of Bockage

Location: Southern coast of Gujarat

How To Reach: The best way to reach Daman is by boarding a train till Vapi which is around 12 kilometers from Gujarat. Then hire an auto rickshaw till the toll gate of Daman and then further take another auto to reach the desired destination in this city.

Famous For: Scenic beauty, modern vibes, bustling streets, ancient stone wall