Chorão, also known as Choddnnem (pronounced choddne the letter m is silent) or Chodan, is an island along the Mandovi River near Tiswadi, Goa, India. It is the largest among other 17 islands of Goa. It is located away from the state capital, the city of Panaji and away from the city of Mapusa. Chorão is accessible by the ferry from Ribandar. Chorão village is known for its Luso-Goan churches and houses. It is also known for its bird sanctuary. It is one of 6 major islands between the Mandovi and Zuari, the others being: Ilhas de Goa Divar, Cumbarjua, St Estevam, Vanxim and Several other small mangrove islands and sand banks. Etymology Etymologically, the island's name "Choddnnem" is derived from the Sanskrit word . Chudda means headwear and Monnim (Mani) signifies some thing worn in the shape of a necklace or a jewel of cylindrical shape. The Portuguese noblemen found the island a pleasurable place to live and hence the name Ilha dos Fidalgos (Island of Noblemen). History Pre-Portuguese History of Chorão 'The First Wave' of Indo-Aryan migration to Goa happened between the Christian era 4th–3rd century BC to 3rd–4th century AD. Descendants of these settlers eventually formed 96 Brahmin clans. Ninety-six in Konkani is Shennai, from which comes the surname Shenoy or Shenvi (spelled Sinai in Portuguese). Of the ninety-six Sinai clans, ten families settled in Chorão. The Shenvi Brahmins would henceforth go on to dominate the socio-economic and religious sphere of Goan life. According to Goan historian José Gerson da Cunha, Chorão was a site of an ancient Tirtha (sacred pool) and was known as Mahakshetra (Great country or place). The Shenvi Brahmins were much respected, handsome, well-behaved and skillful. Jesuit missionary and writer Luís Fróis described the residents of Chorão as follows, "These Brahmins are very polite and of keen intelligence. They are fine gentlemen, fair and well proportioned. Possessing many qualities which are not possible to enumerate. The wives of these Brahmins are a reserved type of people, steady in their habits. They are honest, naturally modest in their disposition and are devoted to their husbands whom they serve well. They do not remarry on the death of their husbands and do not use coloured dresses and since the imposition of the law forbidding sati or widow burning they shave their heads even though they may be young. Their sons are very able men, fair,