Saraswats - Migration to Goa

The Saraswats were a people who lived on the banks of the river Saraswati about 5000 years ago. The take their name from the river, or possibly from the sage Saraswat Muni who lived by the Saraswati.
During the times of the Puranas, brahmins were divided into two groups based on their geographical origin. Verses in the Skanda Purana, Uttaradha, refer to brahmins living to the north of the Vindhyas as Panch Gaudas, and those residing to the south as Pancha Dravida. These two Puranic divisions of brahmins were then further divided into five subdivisions each. From the five subdivisions of the Gaud Brahmins, the ones which lived to the west of the Saraswati River were referred to as the Saraswat Brahmins.
The drying up of the river Saraswati, circa 1900 BC, led to the migration of the Saraswats. In all probability, the Saraswats migrated southwards along the west coast, following trade routes that existed from North India to ports on the western seaboard, and settled in Goa. Even in ancient times, Goa was a major port of trade. The Mahabharata refers to Gomant (Goa) as a trade port. Goa was known to the ancient Greeks as Tyndis, to the Arabs and Persians as Sindabur.
There is no historical evidence that traces the migration of the Saraswats from North India. However, the Skanda Purana states that Parashuram brought ten munis, or bramanans, who were residents of Trihotra in Pancha Gauda and established them at Gomachala (Goa). In fact the Saraswats still categorize their lineages under ten main stocks or Gotras. (Saraswat Families, S.S. Talmaki, P.N.Nadkarnim, 1997)
A Gothra – (Go=Cow, thral=Shed in sanskrit) literally means Cowpen or Cowshed in archaic rigvedic Sanskrit. It is used to indicate lineage stemming from a rishi or satguru and bearing his name. It was originally described as several (joint) families sharing a common cowshed.

At the time of the early Saraswat migrations, Goa was populated by many communities including the Daivadnyas, Bhandaris, Kunbis, Karhadas and the Chitpavans. The Kunbi tribals, exist as a distinct community to this day. They are a sturdy people mostly settled in Salcette, who though converted to Christianity, still retain their ancient folk traditions. Their unique social and non-religious songs and dances can still be seen in Goa.
The first wave of Saraswat migrants landed along the Konkan coast, around 1000 BC. According to one version, “A group of ninety-six families, known today as Gaud Saraswats, settled in what is now the state of Goa. Of these, sixty-six families took up residence in the southern half in today's Salcette (Sasasthi) taluka which derives its name from the Sanskrit word "Sassast" meaning the number 66. The other thirty families settled in the northern area in today's Tiswadi taluka which derives its name from the Sanskrit word for the number 30.”

The second wave of migrants, sometimes referred to as Shenvis and Trivargas, settled in two villages of Salcette named Kushasthali (Cortollim) and Keloshi (Quelessam), and came to be known as Kushasthalikars and Keloshikars.