Must visit places in Old Goa - 'Se Cathedral' & 'Basilica of Bom Jesus'

Different beaches come to our mind when we think about Goa, but Goa has many other interesting things to explore. And Old Goa has some of the beautiful architecture which takes you to a very different world. In this particular post, we are talking about two main churches situated in Old Goa - 'Se Cathedral' & 'Basilica of Bom Jesus'.

 

The very first photograph of this Photo Journey shows entry to the Basilica of Bom Jesus which is located in old part of Goa. The Vasilica of Bom jesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. There are some very interesting facts associated with this place and we recommend to find a guide to walk you through some of the interesting elements of The Basalica. 

It was third day of our Goa Trip, when we though of exploring Southern part of Goa. Old Goa is in southern region. From Panjim, one needs to drive through Goa Institute of Management to reach Se Catheral and Basilica of Bom Jesus. Both of these campuses are nearby and at walking distance. So we parked our car near Se Cathedral. Spent some time around the Cathedral and then walked to the Basilica.

Se Cathedral is also known as The Se Catedral de Santa Catarina. This is the cathedral of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa. Supposedly it's considered as the largest church in India, which is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. Se Cathedral is one of the oldest and most celebrated religious buildings in Goa and is one of the largest churches in Asia as well.

Above photograph shows the view of Cathedral from Basilica of Bom Jesus. Both of these are located across the road in Old Goa. 

 

Above photograph shows interiors of the Basilica of Bom Jesus. This church is located in Old Goa, which was the capital of Goa in the early days of Portuguese rule. 'Bom Jesus' name is used for the infant Jesus. The church is India’s first minor basilica which is considered to be one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India.

Another view of Cathedral from Basilica. Cathedral's tower has a large bell which is popularly known as the 'Golden Bell' on account of its rich tone. There is an altar, which is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria and there are various old paintings on both the sides. On the right hand side, there is a Chapel of the Cross of Miracles. Check out more about this cathedral at - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Se_Cathedral

If I try to summarize overall experience of Old Goa, it was more about Portuguese architecture. Both Se cathedral and Basilica of Bom Jesus are in a huge area and very well maintained. Both of these are very high buildings with some of the cool painting and sculptures. To me the marvelous architecture was beautiful thing to explore in Old Goa.

The architectural style of the Se Cathedral is Portuguese-Manueline. The exterior is Tuscan, whereas the interior is Corinthian. The church is very long & approximately 250 feet. And the breadth is bit more than 180 feet. Architecture was something that I could appreciate the most around this place & old Goa.

This was shot inside the Basilica of Bom Jesus and wikipedia has very intersting details about it's architecture, which we missed exploring during the visit. Actually we had to go to Spice plantation on same day and didn't want to miss because of timings. Check out wiki link to know more about Basilica - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Bom_Jesus