Mapusa (Konkani: mhapxem [map]; [mapsa]) also spelt at Mapuca, Mhapsa or Mapsa is a town in North Goa, India. It is situated 13km north of the capital Panaji. The town is the headquarters of Bardez Taluka. It is located on the main highway NH-17, linking Mumbai to Trivandrum. Under Portuguese rule, the town's name was spelt Mapu. Even before the Aryans, or Marathas, or Sultans or the Portuguese invaded Goa, this was an agrarian community with a well established Gaunkari or Community Farming System, where villages formed associations, worked on community land and shared profits. Market day was a major event, with goods brought in from every district to one central area. Mapusa has thus remained a prominent market center for many centuries. Mapusa is located at 1536N 7349E / 15.60N 73.82E / 15.60; 73.82. It has an average elevation of 15metres (49feet). Mapusa has a tropical climate with temperatures ranging from a high of 37C in summer with high levels...
