This study provides a picture of the life styles of women both Christian and non-Christian in Goa (a tiny state in the west coast of India) during the Portuguese colonial rule. Customs, traditions and rituals dominated the life of the Goan women. The State and the Church played a significant role in upgrading their position. The Portuguese rule seemed to have made a difference to the status of women. As a result the conditions of women in Goa were far better than their counterparts elsewhere in India.