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Goa, Goa Tour

Old Goa
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Information about Old Goa
Old Goa or Goa Velha is 8 km from Panaji and may be regarded as the spiritual heart of the territory. It lies on the southern banks of the Mandovi river on the crest of a low lying hill. It owes its origin as Portuguese capital to Alfonso de Alburquerque, and some of its early development to St. Francis Xavier who was here in the mid 16th century. However, before the Portuguese arrived it was the second capital of the Bijaipur kingdom. Now, all the mosques and fortifications of the period have

Old Goa, Old Goa Tour

disappeared, and only a fragment of the Sultan’s palace walls, half-a-dozen imposing churches and cathedrals (among the largest in Asia) remains. Old Goa get crowded during weekends and during the 10 days leading up to the Feast of St. Francis Xavier on 3 December.

History of Old Goa or Goa Velha
When Richard Burton, the explorer, arrived in Goa on sick leave from his Indian army unit in 1850 he described Old Goa as being a place of ‘utter desolation’ and the people ‘as sepulchral looking as the spectacle around them’. The vegetation was dense and he had difficulty reaching the ruins. He compared the churches unfavourably with those in Italian villages, but was impressed by their size. Burton may well have started the trend of going to Goa for rest and relaxation. The Old Goa was once able to stand up to Lisbon. But back in the 1500s and with a population exceeding that of Lisbon and London, that’s exactly what Old Goa was able to do. However the good times didn’t last long and both the Inquisition and major epidemic did their best to lower this decadent and immoral dollop of Portugal. Finally, in 1843, the capital was shifted to Panaji.


The City of Old Goa

Old Goa was protected by a fortified wall. In the west lay the barracks, mint, foundry and arsenal, hospital and prison. On the banks for the river were the shipyards of Ribeira des Gales and adjacent to these was the administrative and commercial centre. To the east was the market and fortress of Adil Shah, while the true centre of the town was filled with magnificent churches. It is to these that most visitors come.

Churches in Old Goa

All of the churches of Old Goa used the local red laterite as the basic building material. Basalt and fine white limestone where imported from Bassein, N of Bombay, for decorative details. The literate exteriors were coated with a lime plaster to protect them from the weather and this lime-wash had to be renewed after each monsoon. When maintenance was allowed to lapse, the buildings literally crumbled away. The Archaeological Survey of India is responsible for the upkeep of the churches.


Tourist Attractions in Old Goa

The main tourist attractions in Old Goa are the churches. Some famous churches in the Old Goa are Se Cathedral, Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary Manueline, Church Of St. Augustine, Church and Convent Of St. Monica, Basilica of Bom (the Good) Jesus, Convent & Church Of St Francis Of Assisi, Church Of St. Cajetan, Arch of the Viceroys, Gate of the Fortress of the Adil Shah. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary belongs to the earliest period of church building and is described as Manueline. The Church Of St. Augustine is now in ruins, except the enormous 46 m tower that served as a belfry and formed part of the façade. The Convent of St. Monica is the biggest church in East Asia. The world famous church or Basilica of Bom Jesus contains the tomb and mortal remains of body of St. Francis Xavier, a former pupil of the soldier turned saint, Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Order of Jesuits.
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How to reach Old Goa
By Air

The nearest airport is in Dabolim, about 29 kms south of Panaji, on the coast near Vasco da Gama. Indian Airlines connects Goa with Bombay, Bangalore, Cochin, Trivandrum and Delhi.

By Train

The nearest railway station is Karmali, 12 kms. to the east near Old Goa.

By Road

Old Goa is well connected by various cities and beaches in Goa including the Panaji, Calangute beach, Mapusa beach, Margao.


 
 
 
 
 

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