First published: 23/11/16.

Clyde 2.0

Churches And Convents Of Goa

Churches and Convents of Goa (Inscribed)

Churches and Convents of Goa by Clyde

I visited this WHS in November 2016. Although this WHS is made up of 7 different churches it is relatively easy to cover them all in half a day.

4 of them, namely the Basilica of Bom Jesus, the Se Cathedral, the adjoining Church and Convent of St Francis of Assisi and the Chapel of St Catherine (hidden behind the Se Cathedral).

From the entrance to the Church and Convent of St Francis you can easily spot the whitewashed Church of St Cajetan in the distance and although we had a driver with us we decided to walk. Just next to the Church of St Cajetan it is worth viewing the Viceroy Arch which marks the Portuguese conquest of the city of Goa.

The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Tower and ruins of the Church of St Augustine are quite far away from here so a tuktuk or taxi is needed. The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary looks more like a fort than a church while what remains of the tower of St Augustine is just half!

The Church of St Augustine was abandoned in 1835 due to the expulsion of the religious orders from Goa. In 1846 the main vault collapsed. The bell from the tower was initially taken to Fort Aguada and later in 1871 it was shifted to the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Panaji (which is very similar to the Church of Bom Jesus do Monte in Tenoes, Portugal).

All in all, I think Old Goa is not one of India's best WHS but it certainly is very different from the other WHS India (and indeed the whole region) has to offer.

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