PTI Press Trust India – December 4, 2010

German traveller takes route taken by hippies in 60s

The road route taken by the hippies from Germany to reach Anjuna in Goa way back in the 60s was revisited by a German traveller last week to mark the four-decade of the community''s arrival in this beach haven. Niels Melves, 50, along with his wife and two children, arrived in Goa by Volkswagen (VW) Bulli, a car-model that was hot-favourite with the hippies in those days.

"Melves travelled for almost a month with his family before touching Goan soil this week," Aurobindo A P G Xavier, President, Indo-German Friendship Society, Goa, told PTI. The German traveller will lead the symbolic motorcade drive from Panaji to Anjuna on December 8 as part of the 3rd German Cultural Week planned in Goa. Hippies from European countries first arrived here sometime in the mid-60s putting Goa on world tourism map.

They would take a tedious road route that went through countries like Iraq, Iran and Pakistan before entering Indian territory and then to Goa. Xavier said that Germans have had trade relations with Goa since 16th century and they used to trade in horses, silk, spices and other goods.

Besides, the Germans were the ones to introduce printing machines in Goa or for that matter in India, he said. Some Germans made Goa as their home after three ships in which they were travelling sunk off Mormugao coast during Second World War in 1944.

They settled here and got married to Goan women, Xavier said. Incidentally, Germans account for the major chunk of tourists coming to Goa from European countries.

Motor rally for hippies in Goa

IBNS India Blooms News Service - December 4,2010

Indo-German Friendship Society (IGFS) Goa will be holding a rally along the North Goa coastal stretch with V W Bulli – one of the forerunners of the modern cargo and passenger van – to mark the arrival of Hippies in Goa.

Addressing a press conference to announce the 3rd Cultural Week beginning from December 8, President Aurobindo Xavier said that the motor cart rally will embark from Panaji to the beach town of Anjuna – where Hippies first settled in mid-60s.

“The first German to start the Hippy culture in Goa was some 65 to 70 years ago. To mark this occasion, a German native is traveling to Goa via land route,” he said.

50-year-old Niels Melves along with his family will be arriving Goa after crossing Iraq, Persia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan in a Volkswagen Bulli car via land route.

“Germans settlers in Goa will join the rally along with many other Goan residents. We have invited German Consulate General in Mumbai to grace the event, but the presence is uncertain as of now,” Xavier said replying to a query on attendees at the rally.

The week-long event will have round table conference on environmental issues in Goa, presentation on Indo-German friendship, guided visit to the factory of the German Company Siemens in Goa and others.

IGFS was launched in Goa in 2006 to strengthen the friendship between Germany and India, especially Goa.

(Reporting by John Edwards)