Goa
churches
One
of the major tourist
attractions in Goa
are Churches. Goan
churches are famous
for their interesting
architecture usually
a blend of two or
more forms. These
institutions of religion
played a major role
in inclining people
initially towards
Christianity. And
today with a significant
Christian population,
the churches are important
in Goa's religious,
cultural and social
fabric.
Most
of the churches during
the Portuguese rule
were built in Old Goa
and today Old Goa along
with its churches is
a world heritage site.
Though over a period
of time a significant
change has come over
in the architecture
of the churches but
the churches built during
the Portuguese rule
were different. Though
each of them had some
uniqueness to it yet
certain commonness marked
them all. Be it the
baroque style architecture
or the ornated altars.
Though
not all of them but
most of them have stood
fairly well over a period
of time, withering a
little bit in between,
undergoing some repair
every now and then
Basilica
of Bom Jesus
In
Old Goa, this imposing
Basilica was built by
the Jesuits, and consecrated
to the Holy Name of
Jesus on 15 May 1605.
The mortal remains of
St Francis xavier are
housed inside. Until
the church was built,
they were kept at St
Paul's Old Goa.
The
casket holding the body
of the saint was a gift
of the Duke of Tuscany.
The body of the saint
is dressed in rich vestments
with an embroidered
coat of arms. On the
right-hand side is a
golden baton with 194
emeralds and at the
feet is a big gold medal
of King Dom Pedro II.
The
Basilica's three-storey
western front overlooks
a forecourt, which it
shares with the 'Casa
Professa' (Professed
House) of the Jesuits.
The imposing façade
of black granite is
remarkable for its simplicity.
The first thing the
visitor sees as he enters
the church is the life
size statue of St Ignatius
of Loyola, the founder
of the Jesuits, which
occupies the center
of the main altar.Before
the Professed House
was built, this area
was a vast square known
as 'Terreiro dos Galos'
because cockfights were
held here. The professed
House of the Jesuits
was constructed in 1585,
stoutly opposed by the
Municipal Chamber of
the city, the Santa
Casa de Misericordia
and the Franciscans.
It was rebuilt in 1663,
after a fire. The somewhat
forbidding façade
is linked to the Basilica
of Bom Jesus by a beautiful
arcaded courtyard. Today
there are only few Jesuit
fathers who hold retreats
for youngsters who occupy
this building. The most
important feature of
the exterior of this
Basilica is the west
fade, more elaborately
decorated than that
of any other Goan Church.
Chapel
of St Anthony
In
Old Goa, this chapel,
on the hill near the
church of Our Lady of
Rosary, is dedicated
to the patron saint
of Portugal. It was
the royal chapel. The
statue of St Anthony
was given the rank of
captain of the army,
with a salary due to
his rank. This statue
was even taken in solemn
procession to the State
Treasury Office where
the treasurer would
respectfully deposit,
in the hands of the
statue, the salary due
to him. Small in proportions,
the chapel has only
a nave with flanking
passages. The main alter
has a vaulted paneled
ceiling similar to that
of the church of St
Francis of Assisi. Clerestory
windows flood the nave
with sunlight.
Chapel
of St Catherine
In
Old Goa, as a small
freestanding structure,
it was the first place
of worship ever to be
erected in Goa after
the reconquest in 1510.
It was built in thanks
for the victory against
the Muslims and is dedicated
to St Catherine because
her feast day is on
25 November, the date
of the reconquest.
Although
small in size, this
chapel was made a cathedral
on 3 November 1534 and
remained so until the
new cathedral was built.
Its façade is
Renaissance, a style
later amplified for
the present cathedral
built nearby. A place
card on the enlarged
structure implied that
the gateway of Muslim
city's wall was located
here. It was further
rebuilt just before
the Portuguese were
expelled from Goa.
Church
of Our Lady of Immaculate
Conception,Moira
This
church is located in
the center of the village
of Moira, near Mapusa
in Bardez taluka. It
was originally built
in 1636 with many subsequent
renovations. It has
a facade with a central
false dome. The bell
of the church originally
came from the seminary
church of the Jesuit
College of St Solhe
at Monte Santo in Old
Goa. It has a beautiful
interior and this church
is built in the Rococo
period and style.
Church
of Reis Magos
This
was the first church
built by Franciscans
in Bardez. It was built
inside the Reis magos
fort to serve as a garrison
for the military. In
the main altar is a
tableau of three magi
paying respect to infant
Jesus. The church is
located across the Mandovi
bridge in Varem.
Church
of Holy Spirit
This
church was built on
a site wher earlier
a temple stood. It was
razed by Jesuit Friar
Antonio de Quadros and
in its place was built
Church of Holy Spirit
in 1565. However the
church was destroyed
during Muslim invasion
but nonetheless it was
built again and that
too several times. The
interiors of the church
are designed in true
Indo-Baroque style,
its spacious and simply
wonderful which makes
church all the more
dignified. The facade
is flanked by towers
which are surmounted
by cupolas and domes
resembling a lot like
the the Basilica of
Bom Jesus.
Se.
Cathedral
Largest
church in Asia, Se Cathedral
is dedicated to St.
Catherine as it was
on St. Catherine's day,
November 25, that Alfonso
de Albuquerque, Portuguese
Naval General conquered
Goa. Along came the
first missionaries,
the Dominicans sent
by the Portuguese. The
original church erected
was that of mud, stones
and straw. Subsequent
modifications were made
and a second church
came up in 1515. Later
the status of church
was elevated to a cathedral
and the structure demolished
to make way for the
subsequent building.
Viceroy Dom Francisco
Coutinho, Count of Redondo
(1561-1564) was instructed
by the Portuguese government
to build "a grandiose
church worthy of the
wealth, power and fame
of the Portuguese who
dominated the seas from
the Atlantic to the
pacific". The church
was designed by engineers
Julio Simao and Ambrosio
Arguero and it took
almost three-fourth
of a century (1562-1619)
to complete. No church
in Portugal today can
beat Se Cathedral in
terms of its size. This
west facing church is
made in shape of a cross.
Construction of body
of Cathedral was completed
by 1619 and then the
Blessed Sacrament was
placed on the altar
on the feast day of
the Guardian Angel amidst
great solemnities.
Portuguese
Gothic in style, the
exterior of the building
is Tuscan while the
interior is Corinthian.
The 98 ft high facade
was flanked by two Manueline
style square towers
on the northern and
southern side. However,
the northern tower collapsed
in 1776. The remaining
tower has a 'Golden
bell' referred so because
of its rich sound. Earlier,
relics of St. Francis
Xavier were shown to
public here. The largest
church in Asia also
has the prestige of
being the seat of Archdiocese
of Goa. The church is
one of the most sacred
buildings for the Christians
and has been declared
a heritage site by UNESCO.
Located
opposite the Basilica
de Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral
is open seven days week
7:30 am to 6:30 pm except
during mass.
Church
& Convent of St
Francis of Assisi
Just
like Se Cathedral, facing
west stands Church and
Convent of St. Francis
of Assisi built in 1521.
The church joins Se
Cathedral at the convent.
The church and convent
were built by Franciscan
friars, the first group
that came to Goa in
1517. Back then it was
a chapel. Later, it
was modified into a
church in 1521 and consecrated
to the Holy Spirit on
2nd August, 1602. The
church was rebuilt in
1661, but the black
stone gate finely carved
was retained. The convent
reconstructed in 1529
was initially a group
of cells built by Friars
in the garden for residence
purpose.
The
Government of Portugal
closed the convent in
1835. Later in 1964,
a museum was set up
in the convent and today,
it houses a number of
artifacts, paintings
and sculptors. The double
storeyed structure,
230 feet long and 108
ft wide was the residence
of Archbishop till 1695,
when they moved to Panelim.
The
church built of laterite
is lime plastered. The
doorway is Manueline
style and the facade
is flanked by octagonal
towers on either side.
A recess in the wall
holds the statue of
Our lady of Miracles
(transported from Jaffna
in Sri Lanka). On the
pedestal bearing the
sign of Fransiscans
stands a wooden statue
of St. Francis. The
church is open for the
public from 7:30 am
to 6:30 pm except on
Sundays and the museum
is open 9 am to 12:30
pm and 3 pm to 6:30
pm.
Church
of Our Lady of Rosary
Old
Goa, 8 kilometres from
Panaji is the spiritual
back bone of the state.
The area is dotted with
architectural masterpieces
in the form of churches
and convents of the
golden age. Old Goa
has actually been declared
as a world heritage
site by UNESCO. These
churches were built
here after fifteenth
century when it had
become Portuguese Colony.
Many of these churches
were built as thanksgiving
to victory in annexing
Goa. One such church
was the Church of Our
Lady of Rosary. This
church marked the first
victory of Portuguese
in Goa.
Built
in 1544, Church of Our
Lady of Rosary is one
of the oldest built
churches in Goa. Situated
atop the western side
of the Monte Santo (Holy
Hill), the church overlooks
Mandovi river and Divar
Island. The road going
slightly uphill south
of the Basilica de Bom
Jesus will take you
to the church of Our
Lady of Rosary. A plaque
placed in the church
gives its brief history.
Afonso de Albuquerque
(the first Portuguese
Admiral who came to
Goa), vowed to make
this church as thanksgiving
at Holy hill, as he
saw standing from there
his troops defeating
Adil Shah, Sultan of
Bijaipur in 1510. However,
the church was not built
during his life time.
Starting in 1544, the
church took six years
to complete. It's status
was raised to that of
a church in1543. Francisians
were given the authority
of this church then.
It was here that St.
Francis Xavier taught
Catechism (basic principles
of Christianity in question-and-answer
form) in the evenings.
He use to ring a bell
and people would come
there. The people of
Goa have special reverence
for the church due to
this special connection
with St. Francis Xavier.
Every year, on November
there is the feast day
of the church. The day
is marked with fetes,
music bands, dances,
mimicry and fashion
shows.
Simple
in its design, the church
is an excellent example
of Manueline style architecture
of the early Portuguese.
With windows near the
roof and rounded towers,
the church looks more
like a fortress. The
church built of laterite
and plastered with line
mortar has a two storeyed
portico. The facade
and the portico have
rounded towers on either
sides with cross on
the top. Gothic influence
is visible in the rib
of the portico. The
roof is tiled, supported
by wooden rafters. The
church is open seven
days from 9 am to 5:30
pm.
Church
and Convent of St. Monica,
Old Goa
The
Church and the Convent
of St. Monica is situated
contiguous to the Chapel
of St. Anthony and facing
north on Monte Santo.
The Convent was sanctioned
in 1598 and its foundation
was laid by the Archbishop
Dom Frei Alexio de Menezes
who was also the then
Governor of Portuguese
India on July 2nd 1606.
Its work was completed
in 1627. The rules of
the monastery compiled
by the Archbishop, were
modeled on those of
St. Augustine, and was
approved by Pope Paul
V, vide his Papal brief
dated 27th November,
1613 and received the
sanction of the king
of Portugal who, by
royal decree dated the
26th March 1636, accepted
its patronage. The convent
was subsequently called
the Royal Monastery
of Santa Monica. It
was the first nunnery
of the East.
The
convent was large enough
to accommodate some
hundred nuns, known
as daughters of St.
Monica, as well as the
widows willing to devote
themselves to the service
of Goa. The nunnery
was also used to give
shelter to ladies during
the absence of their
husbands, when on service
in other parts of the
Empire. This convent
was open to all nuns,
European, Eurasian and
also to those of local
extraction.
The
vast three-storied building,
which was circled at
the back and sides by
a huge enclosure, was
provided with everything
necessary for the comforts
and convenience of the
inmates. The gardens
of the convent covered
a vast area and were
full of aromatic plants
and beautiful flowers,
with which the nuns
used to adorn the altars.
In the adjoining orchards
grew some of the best
fruits of India, and
the kitchen garden produced
all kinds of vegetables
which were used for
their daily requirements.
Twelve walls provided
the best water for the
irrigation of their
cultivated plot and
a water tank embellished
that haven of peace.
The
church was attached
to the convent to the
south. Its external
architecture is a combination
of the Tuscan, Corinthian
and composite style,
Its interior belongs
to the Doric and composite
style. Its greatest
length is 175 feet and
breadth 36 feet. The
façade of the
church presents on the
top a statue of Santa
Monica and the symbol
of the Holy Ghost. Three
solid buttresses support
the façade and
through their arches
runs the road that lead
to the priority of the
Rosary. The nave is
divided into two parts.
The first makes up the
principal part of the
church with two side
altars, the one on the
right dedicated to Divine
Jesus and the one on
the left to Virgins
Africanas. The main
altar contains the image
of Santa Monica, mother
of St. Augustine, to
whom the convent and
the church is dedicated.
In
the tribune, which surmounts
to the altar, rises
the famous “Miraculous
Cross”, 108”
high. On February 8th
1636, this image opened
its eyes and was seen
moving, while from its
wounds, blood appeared
to flow. This miracle
occurred again on the
12th of that month in
the presence of the
viceroy and other officials.
On August 24, 1636,
a statement was written
at the Archbishop’s
palace mentioning these
events and after investigations
was concluded as miraculous.
The image has since
been held in great veneration.
It
closed as a nunnery
after its last sister
died in 1885. It was
reinstated to church
status in 1968. It currently
houses the Theological
Center of the Matar
Dei institute. This
is a center of higher
education for nuns and
draws a varied international
group. It was inaugurated
on June 5th 1964.
Church
of St. Peter (Igreja
de St. Pedro) at Old
Goa
On
the way from Panaji
to Old Goa, one sees
a dome across the parish
church of St. Peter.
It is very old, and
appears to have been
erected about the year
1542 or 1543 at the
expense of the public
treasury by the Portuguese
architects, as is learnt
from an official document.
Many believe it to have
been erected on the
orders of the Archbishop
Dom Fr. Alexio de Menezes,
but this is erroneous
as the Archbishop commenced
to govern the diocese
only in 1595. The church
now wears an antique
appearance and has nothing
remarkable about it.
It is small in size
and on one of its altars
is seen an image of
St. Peter, the Prince
of the Apostles, to
whom it is dedicated.
On the floor are seen
a few inscriptions almost
effaced; that at the
entrance bears the name
of Joao Rodríguez
Machado. In the background
of the main altar can
still be seen, the old
wooden frame grafted
with thin marine shells,
through which a bluish
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