Basilica of Bom Jesus and Old Goa

Velha Goa was the capital of Portuguese Asia and, in the sixteenth century, a city said to rival Lisbon, until repeated epidemics emptied it and the administration moved to Panaji, leaving the churches standing in what is now largely open ground. The Basilica of Bom Jesus, consecrated in 1605, holds the body of Francis Xavier in a silver casket above a marble tomb; it is brought down and displayed publicly roughly every ten years, drawing enormous crowds. Around it stand the Se Cathedral, the largest church in Asia by some measures, the Church of St Francis of Assisi, and the tower of St Augustine.

History

Work on the church began in 1594, and Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes consecrated it in May 1605; it holds the body of Saint Francis Xavier and became a pilgrimage centre of Old Goa, the former capital of Portuguese India. A papal decree, Priscam Goae, made it a basilica on 20 March 1946; it belongs to the Churches and Convents of Goa World Heritage Site and is counted among the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World (Wikipedia, Basilica of Bom Jesus).

What's there

• Bom Jesus - the basilica holding Francis Xavier's casket.
• Se Cathedral - the great cathedral with its single surviving tower.
• St Francis of Assisi - painted interiors and an attached museum.
• St Augustine tower - the ruined bell tower of a collapsed church.

When to go

November to February for dry weather; the exposition of the relics occurs about once a decade and brings vast crowds when it does. Sunday mornings are given to services.

What to expect

The body is normally in a raised casket and barely visible; the exposition is rare. Modest dress is required. The site is spread over open ground with limited shade and heavy tour traffic.

Nearby

Panaji and Fontainhas lie west; Divar island is north.

Key facts