Enchanting Churches of Goa

On the 25th of November 1510, Goa was conquered by the Portuguese while it was under the rule of the Bijapur Sultan, Ismail Adil Shah (1510 – 1534). The day of the battle is significant as it happened to be the commemorative day of the Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria. While battle raged between

Many years ago, a church was built on the boundary  that separated Sangolda from the neighbouring village  of Guirim. Differences in caste had already caused a rift  between the two and this only made things worse. It was  to be the place of worship for both communities.  The village folk gathered at the church one

The Holy Spirit Church Margao is the fifth edition, the previous three versions destroyed in arson and the fourth having been reconstructed by the local ganvkari (comunidade) in 1675. The façade, which is four storeys high, is adorned with a festooned niche which depicts the Pentecostal scene of the Holy Spirit descending upon the disciples. The high

The Church of Divine Providence (also called as St. Cajetan’s Church) was built between 1556 – 1661. The Italian architects Carlo Ferrarini and Francesco Maria Milazzo modelled its architecture on the lines of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. A majestic dome sits on the church with a message inscribed in the cornice of the dome

Opposite the Basilica of Bom Jesus on a hill en route the church of Our Lady of Rosary stands the convent and church of St. Monica. In the nave of this church hangs the ‘Miraculous Crucifix’. It was reported that on the 8th of February 1638, the image of Jesus on the cross opened its

Next to St. Monica’s convent once stood the church of Our Lady of Grace, which was built in 1602 by the Augustinian friars. In the year 1835 this church was deserted due to the suppression of the religious orders in Goa. Due to neglect and disrepair, the vault of the church collapsed on the 8th

Perhaps the most talked about ‘must do’ while in Goa, is the Basilica of Bom Jesus located in Old Goa. Known to house the relics of St Francis Xavier, the monument attracts thousands of tourists every year. Architecture: It is the finest example of Baroque architecture in India. The Jesuits built the Basilica of Bom

The Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, Panaji is perhaps the most photographed church, having such a lofty location in the heart of the capital city. Somewhere in 1541, the first chapel outside Old Goa was constructed at the site where the church stands. This chapel was dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Conceicao, which was converted onto

St. Catherine is a small chapel but its importance can be gauged by reading an inscribed slab there: ‘Here in this place was the doorway through which Governor Afonse de Albuquerque entered and took this city from the Mohammedans on the day of St. Catherine in the year 1510 in whose honour and memory the

One of the five models after which all the churches and chapels followed suit, Santana Church perhaps is the most fascinating church of all. It was dedicated to St Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary after she was supposed to have appeared to the locals in the form of an old lady wearing a

Imagine, if you can, a magnificent beam of natural sunlight shining through the window of a church, perfectly illuminating the Christ on the cross. What kind of astronomical brilliance would facilitate this divine experience? Sarvesh Sinai Borkar unravels the mystery… The Portuguese architecture of Goan churches, whether with their front façade directed at the rising

If you’re in the vicinity of Zuari, chances are that you’ll probably look at the hill top and find this glorious little Three Kings Church. Mystery, intrigue and some vague folklore surround the Three Kings Church, which also happens to be the location for the Bollywood film ‘Bhoothnath’, an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s short story,

On the 25th of November 1510, Goa was conquered by the Portuguese while it was under the rule of the Bijapur Sultan, Ismail-Adil Shah (1510 – 1534). The day of the battle is significant as it happened to be the commemorative day of the Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

The Se was built to replace the tiny chapel and hence designed on mammoth proportions. It measures 35.36 metres on the façade, is 76.2 metres long and 55.16 metres wide. Being so large, it took six kings and almost a century to be completed (1562-1651). Architecture: The church has two isles, along which are eight