Visiting the Saints of Velha Goa

While the beaches might still be blindingly hot, Old Goa or Velha Goa as it is called is ideal for long walks on quaint streets dotted with Portuguese architecture and the churches that Goa is most known for.

Basilica of Bom Jesus

Most people associate a Goa getaway around Christmas and New Year. But the Diwali week also would be ideal. For one, the season in Goa is just beginning which means that it won’t be ridiculously crowded. It is also the perfect time if you want to do a more traditional family vacation.

While the beaches might still be blindingly hot, Old Goa or Velha Goa as it is called is ideal for long walks on quaint streets dotted with Portuguese architecture and the churches that Goa is most known for. For any history buff, Velha Goa is that ideal destination – steeped in dramatic incidents and structures that played a big part in giving Goa its distinctive character.

History indicates that the Bijapur rulers founded Goa in the 15th century as a port, yet you barely see their influence. What you do see is the touch of the Portuguese, who ruled it from the 15th to 18th century. There’s an undeniable Portuguese stamp in Old Goa, giving it an old world charm and a heritage flavour. The former colonial capital of Goa has even been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In historical documents though, Velha Goa is etched is known as Goa Dourada or Golden Goa.

St. Francis of Assissi

It’s not without reason that Velha Goa is hailed as the Lisbon of the East. Old Goa is in North Goa with its winning combination of lofty churches, sacred monasteries, significant monuments and traditional Portuguese buildings, the place is a photographer’s delight. Snapshots of historic monuments, compelling façades and opulent churches have been framed for eternity.

The nostalgia of the place is bewitching. While tourists need to spend at least a day, the serious photographer and history buff can spend several days soaking in the nostalgic aura of the chapels, churches and convents. It can keep students engrossed as it doubles up as an educational tour. Though Goa conjures up images of nightlife and coastal food, a visit to Old Goa rings a bell of sanctity. It is religion unbound.

Located 9 km to east of Panaji, Old Goa is a popular tourist haunt because of landmark structures like Basilica of Bom Jesus, Convent of St Monica and Mausoleum of Francis Xavier, among others. However, other highlights include the Church of St Francis of Assisi, Chapel of St Catherine, Professed House of the Jesuits, Church of St Cajetan, Chapel of St Anthony, Church of St Peter and Ruins of the Church of St Augustine, among others.

The Archeological Survey of India maintains many of the buildings and the church services are maintained by the Archdiocese of Goa. Together, the structures and churches play a significant role as they have been woven into the social fabric of the place. However, the accent remains on tourism. You can drive along or walk around the place, which is well maintained. One can navigate around the churches with tourist maps or fall back on English-speaking tourist guides.

Basilica of Bom Jesus:
This is the first church in India to get elevated to the status of a Minor Basilica in 1946. The church has been designed along the lines of Gesu, the Jesuit headquarters in Rome. The church was built in 1695. It is characterized by Baroque architecture and scores for its pillars and fine detailing, carved from basalt sourced from Bassein, another Portuguese enclave north of Goa.

The walls of the church echo sanctity and a legacy, which is unique to it. The church contains the relics of St Francis Xavier, Patron saint of Goa, Apostle of the Indies. Most Goans revere the saint as Goencho Saib and the exposition of his body happens once in 10 years. The day is December 3, which marks the occasion of the Feast of St Francis Xavier. The next exposition is in 2014.

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary:
As the oldest surviving Church in Goa, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary is steeped in history. If trivia has it, the Portuguese leader Alfonso de Albuquerque built the church atop the Monte Santo or the Holy Hill to commemorate his victory over the Bijapur Sultan as early as 1510.

Se Cathedral

Se Cathedral:
A simple combination of mud-stones-straw marked the original structure of Se Cathedral, identified as the largest church in India and reportedly in Asia. It is the prestigious seat of the archdiocese of Goa. Dedicated to St Catherine, the original church was built in 1510 and was modified. A second church was constructed in 1515. In 1538, it acquired the status of Cathedral with the establishment of the Diocese of Goa. However, the structure was demolished later and the present Cathedral whose construction began in 1562, took over three fourths of a century to be completed. The half-Tuscan and half-Doric style church has an an imposing high vaulted ceiling.

Church and Convent of St Monica, Old Goa
Considered the first nunnery of the East, the rules of the monastery were modeled on the lines of St Augustine.
Interestingly, the convent was large enough to accommodate around a hundred nuns, who were known as daughters of St Monica. The convent was also thrown open to widows who were willing to devote themselves to the service of Goa.

It is a three-storied building, which boasted of a well laid out garden. The nunnery had an orchard and kitchen garden which was responsible for daily produce to a large extent. Besides that, there were aromatic plants and multi-hued flowers that added to the visual appeal.

Nevertheless, it ceased to be a nunnery after its last inhabitant died in 1885. It was reinstated to the status of a church in 1968. Today as the Theological Center of the Matar Dei institute, it draws nuns who enter its portals to seek higher education.

Photos credit: Goa Tourism