Travel

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 About Goa

The scenic capital of Goa, Panaji is located along the river Mandovi. Tiers of white washed red tile - roofed buildings rising up the hillside give it a Mediterranean flavour. Panaji is noted for its fine buildings. Once the Governor's residence, the present Government Secretariat is located along the river and was built at the site of the palace of Adil Shah, the ruler of Bijapur. The Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception dominates the city square and its steps zig zag up the hill. The old Latin quarter of Fontainahas has immense old world charm. Its little lanes and stairways going up the hill are lined with quaint street houses with wrought iron balconies. The little Chapel of San Sebastian blends into these surroundings. The Kala Academy, the focus of all cultural activities in Goa, is a beautifully designed modern complex along the river and close by is the Miramar beach. Margao to the south of Panaji is a major commercial centre. It also has some beautiful old houses and churches. The towns of Vasco Da Gama and the Mormugao port are close by. Mapusa is another town with great charm that comes alive each Friday when a local market springs up.

Towns

Arambol

Location: 32-km, Northwest Of Mapusa, Goa
Also Known As: Harmal
Famous As A: Fishing Settlement
Main Attraction: Beaches And A Freshwater Lake

Modern Arambol is scattered around an area of high ground west of the main coast road, where most of the buses pull in. From here, a bumpy lane runs downhill, past a large school and the village church, to the more traditional end of the village, clustered under a canopy of widely spaced palm trees. The main beach lies 200m farther along the lane. Strewn with dozens of old wooden fishing boats and a line of tourist café bars, the gently curving bay is good for bathing, but much less picturesque than its neighbour around the corner.

The smaller and less frequented of Arambol's two beaches can only be reached on foot by following the stony track over the headland to the north. Beyond an idyllic rocky-bottomed cove, the trail emerges to a broad strip of soft white sand hemmed in on both sides by steep cliffs.

A Freshwater Lake
Behind the surrounding of the second beach lay a small freshwater lake extends along the bottom of the valley into a thick jungle. Hang around the banks of this murky green pond for long enough, and one will probably see a fluorescent yellow human figure or two appear from the bushes at its far end. Fed by boiling hot springs, the lake is lined with sulphurous mud, which, when smeared over the body, dries to form a surreal, butter coloured shell.

Nearby, in the woods immediately behind the lake, other members of the lunatic fringe have taken to living in the branches of an old tree; the scene resembles a cross between Lord of the flies and apocalypse now.

Location: Bardez Taluka, 13-km South Of Panjim, Goa
Pronounced As: Mapsa
Main Attraction: The Friday Local Market

The ramshackle market town of Mapusa is the district headquarters of Bardez Taluka. If one arrives by road from Mumbai and plan to stay in one of the north Goan resorts, one can jump off the bus here and pick up a local service straight to the coast, rather than continue on to Panjim, 13-km south.

The Booming Friday Market
A dusty collection of dilapidated modern buildings scattered around the west facing slope of a low hill, Mapusa is of little more than passing interest in itself, although on Fridays it hosts a lively market (hence the town's name, which derives from the Konkani words for "measure" map. And "fill up", sa).

Calangute and Anjuna may be better stocked with souvenirs, but this bazaar is more authentic. Visitors who have flown straight to Goa, and have yet to experience the rest of India, wander in on Friday mornings to enjoy the pungent aromas of fish, incense, spices and exotics fruit stacked in colourful heaps on the sidewalks.

Local specialties include strings of spicy Goan sausages ('Chourico'), bottles of 'Todi' (fermented palm juice) and large green plantains. One'll also encounter sundry freak shows, from run of the mill snake charmers and kids dressed up as Sadhus to wide-eyed Flagellants, blood oozing out of slashes on their backs.

Location: Salcete Taluka, 33-km From Panjim, Goa
Also Known As: Madgaon
Main Attraction: Lutolim, Chandor

Margao is Goa's second largest town and a bustling commercial centre. Barely frequented by travellers, this central Goan town has an old-worldly charm about it because of its Old Portuguese churches, and fine country houses decked with dark rosewood furniture.

Surrounded by fertile farmland, the town has always been an important agricultural market, and was once a major religious centre, with dozens of wealthy temples and Dharamshalas - however; most of these were destroyed when the Portuguese adsorbed the area into their Novas Conquistas during the 17th century.

Today, Catholic churches still outnumber Hindu shrines, but Margao has retained a distinctly cosmopolitan feel, largely due to a huge influx of migrant labour from neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra .

If one is arriving in Goa on the Konkan Railway from Mumbai or South India , one will almost certainly have to pause in Margao to pickup onwards transport by road. The other reason to come here is to shop at the town's excellent market. Stretching from the south edge of the main square to within a stone's throw of the old railway station, the Bazaar centres on a labyrinthine covered area that's a rich source of authentic souvenirs and a good place to browse.

The Stately Church of The Holy Spirit
While one is here, take a short rickshaw ride north to the Stately Church of the Holy Spirit, in the heart of a dishevelled but picturesque colonial enclave. Presiding over the dusty Largo de Igreja Square, the church, built by the Portuguese in 1675, is one of the finest examples of late-Baroque architecture in Goa, boasting a pristine white façade and an interior dripping with gilt crystal and stucco.

The picturesque farming villages strewn across the verdant countryside around Margao host a scattering of evocative colonial monuments and a handful of Hindu temples that can be visited on day trips from the coast.

Location: Goa
Also Known As: Panaji (The Politically Correct Marathi Name)
Significance: Capital Of Goa

Called Panjim by the Portuguese, Panaji, which means "the land that does not flood" is the state capital of Goa. Unlike many capital cities, Panaji has a distinct unhurried character. It is situated on the southern banks of the Mandovi River, which makes this town all the more charming.

The European Ambience
Typical of a Goan town, Panaji is built around a church facing a prominent square. The town has some beautiful Portuguese Baroque style buildings and enchanting old villas. The riverside, speckled with brightly whitewashed houses with wrought iron balconies, offers a fine view.

There are some fine government buildings along the riverside boulevard, and the Passport Office is especially noteworthy. In the 16th century, the edifice was the palace of Adil Shah (the Sultan of Bijapur). The Portuguese took over the palace and constructed the Viceregal Lodge in 1615. In 1843, the structure became the Secretariat, and today it is the Passport Office.

Trudge around town in the cobbled alleys to see quaint old taverns and cafés with some atmosphere, and practically no tourists. They are a good place to meet the local people.

The Largo Da Igreja Church Square is a fine illustration of the awesome Portuguese Baroque style. The Church of the Immaculate Conception is easily one of the most elegant and picturesque monuments in Goa. Built in 1541 AD, atop a high, symmetrical, crisscrossing stairway, the church is a white edifice topped with a huge bell that stands in between two delicate Baroque style towers.

The Braganza Institute, houses the tiled frieze, which depicts the 'mythical' representation of the colonisation of Goa by the Portuguese. Fountainhas is a lovely old residential area amidst shady cobbled streets connecting red-tile-roofed houses with overhanging balconies, much like a country town in Spain or Portugal.

Take any mid sized Portuguese town add a sprinkling of banana trees and auto-rickshaws, drench annually with torrential tropical rain, and leave to simmer in fierce humid sunshine for at least one hundred and fifty years, and one'll end up with something like Panjim. The Goan capital has a completely different feel from any other Indian city.

History
For centuries, Panjim was little more than a minor landing stage and customs house, protected by a hilltop fort, and surrounded by stagnant swampland. It only became capital in 1843, after the port at Old Goa had silted up, and its rulers and impoverished inhabitants had fled the plague.

Although the last Portuguese Viceroy managed to drain many of the nearby marshes, and erect imposing public buildings on the new site, the town never emulated the grandeur of its predecessor upriver --a result, in part, of the Portuguese nobles' predilection for erecting their mansions in the countryside rather than the city.

Panjim expanded rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, without reaching the unmanageable proportions of other Indian state capitals. After Mumbai or even Bangalore , its uncongested streets seem easygoing and pleasantly parochial. Sights are thin on the ground but the palm-linth squares and atmospheric Latin Quarter with its picturesque neoclassical houses and catholic churches make a pleasant backdrop for aimless wandering.

Although one can completely bypass the town when one arrives in Goa, either by jumping off the train or coach at Margao or Mapusa or by heading straight off on a local bus, it's definitely worth spending time here. If only a couple of hours en route to the ruined former capital at Old Goa.

The area around Panjim attracts far fewer visitors than the coastal resorts, yet its paddy fields and wooded valley harbour several attractions worth a day or two's break from the beach. Old Goa is just a bus ride away, as are the unique temples around Ponda, an hour or so southeast, to where Hindus smuggled their deities during the inquisition.

Further inland still, the forested lower slopes of the Western Ghats, cut through by the main Panjim- Bangalore highway, shelter the impressive Dudhsagar falls, which one can only reach by four-wheel drive jeep.

Vasco da Gama, 29-km by road southwest of Panjim, sits on the narrow western tip of the Marmagoa (also known as Mormugao) peninsula, overlooking the mouth of the Zuari River. Acquired by the Portuguese in 1543, this strategically important site was formerly among the busiest ports on India's west coast.

It remains a key shipping centre, with container vessels and iron ore barges clogging the choppy river mouth, but holds nothing of interest for visitors, particularly since the completion of the Konkan Railway, when Goa's main railhead shifted from here to Margao. The only conceivable reason one might want to come to Vasco is to catch a bus to Dabolim airport, of Bogmalo beach, 8-km southeast

Location: 8-km West Of Mapusa, North Goa
Main Attraction: Anjuna Flea Market, Chapora Fort
Best Time To Visit: November To March

With its fluorescent painted palm trees and infamous full moon parties, ANJUNA, 8-km west of Mapusa, is Goa at its most "alternative". Designer leather and lycra may have superseded cotton Kaftans, but most people's reasons for coming are the same as they were in the 1970s: dancing and lying on the beach slurping tropical fruit. While browsing in the area have a day trip to the famous flea market.

The Beach
One of the main sources of Anjuna's enduring popularity as a hippy hang out is its superb beach. Fringed by groves of swaying coconut palms, the curve of soft white sand conforms more closely to the archetypal vision of paradise than any other beach on the north coast. Bathing is generally safer than at most of the nearby resorts, too, especially at the more peaceful southern end, where a rocky headland keeps the sea calm and the undertow to a minimum.

North of the market ground, the beach broadens, running in an uninterrupted kilometre long stretch of steeply shelving sand to a low red cliff. The village bus park lies on top of this high ground, near a crop of small cafes, bars and Kashmiri handicraft stalls. Every lunch hour, tour parties from Panjim pull in here for a beer, before heading home again, leaving the ragged army of sun weary westerners to enjoy the sunset.

The Visiting Season
The season in Anjuna starts in early November, when most of the long staying regulars show up, and peters out in late March, when they drift off again. During the Christmas and New Year rush, the village is inundated with a mixed crowd of round the world backpackers, refugees from the British club scene and revellers from all over India, lured by the promise of the big beach parties.

Outside peak season, however, Anjuna has a surprisingly simple unhurried atmosphere- due, in no small part, to the shortage of places to stay. Most visitors who come here on market day or for the raves travel in from other resorts. That said, a couple of large package tour hotels have appeared over the past couple of years, and this is bound to radically alter the mix of visitors here.

Leisure & Nightlife
Thanks to the kill-joy attitude reputation, Anjuna is a rave-venue for big parties that take place over here from time to time, especially around the Christmas-New Year full moon period. Smaller events may also happen whenever some occasion or celebration comes up.

At other times, nightlife centres on the Shore Bar, in the middle of the beach, which has a pounding sound system. The biggest crowds show up accompanied by the latest ambient trance mixes from London. The music gains pace as the evening wears on winding up around 11.00 pm, when there's an exodus over to the Guru Bar, further up the beach, or to the Primrose Café in Vagator, both of which stay open until after midnight.

Musical Amusements
When it eventually gets it act together, The Alcove, over looking Ozran Vagator Beach, will be another worthwhile nightspot. More mainstream musical entertainment is on offer at Temptations, in the Red Cab Inn just below Starco's crossroads, where Indian classical recitals and guitar based cover bands feature with fire dancers on Mondays, starting at 7.00 pm.

Location: 10-km West Of Mapusa, North Goa
Nearby Attraction: Calangute Beach
Best Time To Visit: December To February

Baga, 10-km west of Mapusa, is basically an extension of Calangute; even the locals are unable to decide where ends and the other begin. Lying in the lee of a rocky, wooded headland, the only difference between this far northern end of the beach and its more congested centre is that the scenery here is marginally more varied and picturesque.

A small river flows into the sea at the top of the village, below a broad spur of soft white sand, from where a dirt track strikes across an expanse of paddy fields towards Anjuna. The old red tiled fishers houses behind the dunes have long been swamped by gaudily lit bars, Tandoori terrace restaurants and handicraft shops, but one doesn't feel quite so hemmed in as at Calangute.

Location: 16-km From Panjim, North Goa
Nearby Attraction: Baga Beach
Best Time To Visit: December To February

A Topping On Tourist Pie
A mere 45 minute bus ride up the coast from the capital, Calangute is Goa's busiest and most commercialized resort, and the flagship of the state government's bid for a bigger slice of India's package-tourist pie. In the 1970s and early 1980s, this once peaceful fishing Village epitomized Goa's reputation as a haven for hedonistic hippies.

The Town And The Beach
The road from the town to the beach is lined with Kashmiri-run handicraft boutiques and Tibetan stalls selling Himalayan curios and jewellery. The quality of the goods - mainly Rajasthani, Gujarati and Karnatakan textiles - is generally high. Haggle hard and don't be afraid to walk away from a heavy sales pitch - the same stuff crops up every Wednesday at Anjuna's flea market.

The beach itself is nothing special, with steeply shelving sand, but is more than large enough to accommodate the huge numbers of high-season visitors.

To escape the hawkers, head fifteen minutes or so south of the main beachfront area, towards the rows of olf wooden boats moored below the dunes. In this virtually hawker-free zone, one'll only come across teams of villagers hauling in hand nets at high tide or fishermen fixing their tack under bamboo sun shakes.

Eating Out
Calangute's bars and restaurants are mainly grouped around the entrance to the beach and along the Baga road. As with most Goan resorts, the accent is firmly on seafood, though many places tack on a few token vegetarian dishes. Western breakfasts also feature prominently.

Nightlife in Calangute Beach
Thanks to repeated crackdowns by the Goan police on parties and loud music, Calangute's nightlife is surprisingly tame. All but a handful of the bars wind up by 10.00 pm. One notable exception is Tito's at the Baga end of the beach, which stays open until 11.00 pm off-season and into the small hours in late December and January.

Unfortunately, the only other places that consistently stay open through the night are a couple of dull hippy hang-outs in the woods to the south of the beach road; Pete's Bar, a perennial favourite next door to Angela P. Fernandes, is generally the most lively, offering affordable drinks, backgammon sets and relentless reggae. Further afield, Bob's Inn, between Calangute and Candolim, is another popular bar, famed less for its court around a large table in the front bar.

Bikes On Rent
Motorcycle taxis hang around the little sandy square behind GTDC's tourist resort, next to the steps that drop down to the beachfront. Ask around here if one wants to rent a motorcycle. Rates are standard; the nearest filling station is five minutes' walk from the beach, back towards the market on the right-hand side of the main road. Bicycles are also widely available for rent.

A Taste Of Indian Heritage
Finally, don't miss the chance to sample some real Indian culture while you are in Calangute. The Ekrkar Art Gallery, in Gaura Vaddo, at the south end of town, hosts evenings of classical music and dance every Tuesday and complete with incense and evocative candlelight. The recitals, performed by students and teachers from Panjim's Kala Academy, are kept comfortably short for the benefit of Western visitors, and are preceded by a short introductory talk. Tickets are available in advance or at the door.

Location: 6-km From Margao, South Goa
Main Attractions: Shack Cafés & Nigh Clubs
Best Time To Visit: December To February

A hot season retreat for Margao's moneyed middle classes since long before Independence, Colva is the oldest and largest of South Goa's resorts. Its leafy outlying 'Vaddos', or wards are pleasant enough, dotted with colonial style villas and ramshackle fishing huts. The beachfront is a collection of concrete hotels, souvenir stalls and fly blown snack bars strewn around a central roundabout.

Each afternoon, busloads of visitors from out of state mill around here after a paddle on the crowded foreshore, pestered by postcard wallahs and the little urchins whose families camp on the outskirts. If, however, one wants to steer clear of this central market area, and stick to the cleaner, greener outskirts, Colva can be a pleasant and convenient place to stay for a while. Swimming is relatively safe while the sand, at least away from the beachfront, is spotless and scattered with beautiful shells.

Leisure & Eating out
When the season is in full swing, Colva's beachfront sprouts a row of large seafood restaurants on stilts, some of them very ritzy indeed, with tablecloths, candles and smooth music. The prices in these places are top whack, but the portions are correspondingly vast, and standards generally high. Budget travellers' are equally well catered for, with a sprinkling of Shack Cafés at the less frequented ends of the beach, and along the Vasco Road.

Nightlife
Although never an established rave venue, Colva's nightlife is livelier than anywhere else in south Goa, thanks to its ever-growing contingent of young package tourists. The two most happening nightspots are down in the dunes south of the beachfront area: splash boasts a big MTV satellite screen and music to match, and a late bar and disco that liven up around 10.00 pm.

A sandy plod just south of here, posier Ziggy's boast Goa's only air conditioned dance floor, a thumping Indian Ragga and Techno sound system, and a sociable terrace littered with wicker easy chairs. If one prefers to get plastered somewhere affordable and less pretentious, try Johnny Cool's midway between the beach and Colva crossroads. Men Mar, on the Vasco Road, also serves beers, snacks and Lassis until around 10.30 pm.

Location: North Goa
Nearby Attractions: Aguda Fort & Calangute Beach
Best Time To Visit: December To February

Four or five years ago, Candolim, at the far southern end of Calangute beach, was a surprisingly sedate resort, appealing to an odd mixture of middle-class Bombayites, and Burgundy-clad Sannyasins taking a break from the Rajneesh Ashram at Pune . Times, however, have changed.

Now, large-scale package holiday complexes jostle for space behind the dunes and the increasingly crowded beach has sprouted ranks of sun beds. On the plus side, Candolim has plenty of pleasant places to stay, many of them tucked away down quiet sandy lanes and better value than comparable guesthouses in nearby Calangute, making this a good first stop if one has just arrived in Goa and are planning to head further north after finding one's feet.

The Aguada Fort
Immediately south of Candolim, a long peninsula extends into the sea, bringing the seven-kilometre white sandy beach to an abrupt end. Aguada Fort, which crowns the rocky flattened top of the headland, is the best-preserved Portuguese bastion in Goa. Built in 1612 to protect the northern shores of the Mandovi estuary from Dutch and Maratha raiders, it is home to several natural springs, the first source of drinking water available to ships arriving in Goa after the long sea voyage from Lisbon.

Leisure & Eating out
Candolim's numerous beach cafes are a cut above your average seafood shacks, with pot plants, state-of-the-art sound systems and prices to match. Basically, the farther from the Taj Complex one ventures, the more realistic the prices become. The main road is also dotted with restaurants serving the usual selection of fresh fish dishes, with a handful of continental options thrown in.

Location: 7-km From Panaji, North Goa
Nearby Attractions: Marmagao Harbour
Water Sports: Water Scootering
Popularly Known As:The Lover's Paradise

At the place where two of Goa's famous rivers meet the Arabian Sea is the secluded bay of Dona Paula with a fine view of the Marmagao Harbour. 7-km from Panjim, nestled on the south side of the rocky, hammer-shaped headland that divides the Zuari and Mandovi estuaries, this former fishing village is nowadays a commercialized resort. This is an idyllic spot to relax and sunbathe. Water scootering facilities are also available over here.

The official residence of the Governor of Goa, Known as Cabo Raj Bhavan is situated on the westernmost tip of Dona Paula. Along the road leading to this place lies the ruins of the small military cemetery the British built at their brief occupation of the Cabo, to deter the French from invading Goa.

A Love Story
Named after Dona Paula de Menezes, this place is called the Lovers Paradise due to a myth that has been attached to this place. According one legend the Viceroy's daughter after facing objections from her family about her love affair with a poor fisherman jumped of the cliff.

Another legend says that punished for captivating Francisco de Tavora, the Count of Alvor with her charm the Viceroy's daughter was pushed off a cliff to drown in the waters below. Her irrepressible spirit still continues to haunt every visitor with legends of her lovers. She is even supposed to have been seen emerging from moonlit waves wearing only a pearl necklace.

Water Sports
Tranquil and blue, Dona Paula unravel the ultimate in aquatic sport and fun.Dona Paula Sports Club, Dona Paula offers some of the best water sports facilities to the sports enthusiasts including Water-scooter rides, Motor-boat rides, etc

Location: 3-km From Panjim, North Goa
Also Known As: Gasper Dias
Nearby Attraction: Aguada Fort
Best Time To Visit: November To March

On the way to Dona Paula, 1-km ahead of the confluence of the Arabian Sea and Mandvi River, under the palm shade, is "Gasper Dias" or Miramar Beach and is just 3-km away from the capital city of Panjim.

In Portuguese language 'Miramar' stand for viewing the sea. Situated on a good location for evening walks, the coast is spread upto 2-km, having a fine silvery sand bed. From here one has an excellent view of the Aguada fort just across the Mandovi River.

Location: Old Goa, Panjim,
Also known As: St. Catherine's' Cathedral
Architectural Style: Portuguese-Gothic Style

This is the largest church among the group of churches in Old Goa. Built on a raised plinth of laterite, covered over with lime plaster, the church has, besides the main altar, eight chapels alongside the aisles and six altars in the transept.

There is a long nave, two aisles and a transept. A bell tower is located to the southern side of the façade. The nave is barrel - vaulted while the crossing is rib-vaulted. Massive pillars support the vault in the nave and the choir, while the chapels on either side are separated by internal defenses. The building is oblong on plan but has a cruciform layout in the interior.

Architecturally, Portuguese-Gothic in style, the exterior of the building is Tuscan and the interior Corinthian. There was a tower on the northern side of the façade, corresponding to the one on the southern side, which collapsed in 1776. The bell in the existing tower is often referred to as the 'Golden Bell""' on account of its rich sound immortalized in a Portuguese poem.

Entrance
The main entrance in the façade has Corinthian columns on plinths supporting a pediment containing an inscription in Latin recording that, in 1562, in the reign of King Dom Sebastiao, this Cathedral was ordered to be erected, the Archbishops and the primates being administrators and that the succeeding kings continued the same at the cost of the Royal Treasury. Inserted into the two columns supporting the choir are two marble basins having the statues of St. Francis Xavier while to the right is a chamber containing the baptismal font made in 1532, perhaps brought from the old Cathedral. A large painting of St. Christopher is hung beneath the choir.

The Four Chapels
As one enters, to the left are four chapels dedicated to Our Lady of Virtues, St. Sebastian, the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of Life. To the right, again are four chapels dedicated to St. Anthony, St. Bernard, the Cross of Miracles and the Holy Ghost. Of these, the chapels of the Blessed Sacrament and the Cross of Miracles are provided with perforated wooden screens, having a high degree of filigree carving which has transformed wood into most delicate insinuations of foliage.

The Altars
In the nave are two wooden pulpits projecting from two columns on the right. In the transept are six altars, three on either side of the main altar. The altars on the right side are those of St. Anna, Our Lady of Doloures and St. Peter, while those on the left are those of Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Three Necessities and Our Lady of Hope.

Paintings- An Insight Into The Lives Of The Saints
The arches accommodating four of these altars are decorated with paintings depicting scenes from the lives of the saints. The main altar is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The richly gilded panel shows the martyrdom of the saint. On either side of the nave is a niche in which are kept the wooden statues of St. Paul and St. Peter.

In the nave, near the altar, to the right is a projecting gallery on which is kept an 18th century organ. In the nave near the altar are seats for the canon and a throne for the archbishop. There is also a richly carved ebony stand, which was originally in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi.

To the right is a door that leads to the sacristy, which is a barrel - vaulted structure with gilded altar showing a church modelled after St. Peter's Church in Rome. There are also paintings depicting scenes from the life of St. Catherine, besides chests of drawers containing various robes worn on ceremonial occasions.

Reconstruction Of The Church
This church remained under construction for nearly three-fourths of a century beginning from 1562. The main body of the church was completed in 1619 and the altars in 1652. The Cathedral was built by the Portuguese Government for the Dominicans from out of the sale proceeds of the property that escheated to the Government.

Location: Holy Hill, Old Goa, Panjim, Goa
Built In: 1544-49

Not far to the west of the Basilica of the Bom Jesus is the Holy Hill at the extremity of which is the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. To the west of the Basilica of the Bom Jesus is the Holy Hill at the extremity of which is the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. Built of laterite and plastered with lime mortar, it has a two-storeyed portico. The portico as well as the façade of the church has rounded towers on either side with the cross on top. The roof of the church is tiled, supported by wooden rafters.

The Chapels And Altars
There are two chapels and three altars. The main altar is dedicated to our Lady of the Rosary. The church, with windows near the roof and with rounded towers giving an impression of a fortress church, is Manuline in style though Gothic influence can be seen in the rib-vault at the portico.

Cenotaph Of Dona Catarina
To the right of the main altar is a marble cenotaph commemorating Dona Catarina whose marriage with Viceroy Garcia De Sa was performed by St. Francis Xavier. The cenotaph slightly projecting from the wall is artistically decorated with carved miniature pillars and inscriptions in Portuguese and has a triangular pediment crowned by a shell moulding. The foliage and other decorations emanating from a vase closely resemble those on the tombs of Gujarat, thus suggesting influence of a regional art-style.

This votive chapel was built in fulfilment of a vow taken by Afonso de Albuquerque while reviewing the battle between his forces and those of the Bijapur sultan from the same spot, on which the church stands. The vow, however, could be fulfilled only after his death, since this church was built in 1544-49.

Location: Old Goa, Panjim, Goa
Completion Of Professed House: 1585
Rebuilt In: 1783
Architectural Style Of The Church: Renaissance & Baroque Style

The Professed House
Immediately to the south of the main road is the Professed House, a two-storeyed laterite building covered with lime plaster. Despite the opposition, which the Jesuits faced, the building was completed in 1585. A part of the building was accidentally burnt down in 1663 and was rebuilt in 1783.

The Church Of Bom Jesus
The Church of Bom Jesus is also of laterite; its exterior, excepting the façade, was lime plastered, which was subsequently removed. The roof was originally tiled. The church is cruciform on plan. The flying buttresses on the northern side of the church are recent additions. A single-storeyed structure adjoining the church on its southern wing connects it with the professed house.

The three-storeyed façade facing west, shows Ionic, Doric and Corinthian Orders, and a main entrance flanked by two smaller ones, each having Corinthian columns supporting a pediment. Within the church are two chapels, a main altar and a sacristy besides a choir at the entrance. A belfry is at the back.

A Blend OF Renaissance & Baroque Styles
A projecting gallery, which was intended for the use of dignitaries on solemn occasions, runs along the two longer sides. Excepting the richly gilded altars, the interior of the church is remarkable for its simplicity. While the façade has the classical orders of the Renaissance, the altars are in Baroque style.

The church is called "Bom Jesus" meaning 'good Jesus' or 'infant Jesus' to whom it is dedicated. The façade has on it, at the top, the letters, "HIS" which are the first three letters of Jesus in Greek. The two columns supporting the choir bear slabs inscribed in Portuguese and Latin recording that the construction of this Church of Jesus was commenced on 24 November 1594 and Fr. Alexia de Menezes, the Archbishop of Goa and Primate of India consecrated it on 15 May 1605, when it was completed.

Within The Church's Domicile
As one enters, beneath the choir, to the right is an altar of St. Anthony and to the left is an exceedingly well-carved wooden statue of St. Francis Xavier. In the middle of the nave on the northern wall is the cenotaph of the benefactor of this church, Dom Jeronimo Mascarenhas, the Captain of Cochin, who died in 1593, bequeathing the resources out of which this church was built.

Opposite the cenotaph, projecting on the southern wall is a profusely carved wooden pulpit with a canopy on top. The pulpit has on its three sides the figures of Jesus, the four evangelists and four doctors of the church. The bottom of the pulpit depicts seven figures as though supporting it.

The Main Altar
The main altar at the end of the nave is flanked by two decorated altars in the transept, one dedicated to Our Lady of Hope and the other to St. Michael. The richly gilded main altar has the figure of infant Jesus and above it is a large statue of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the order of Jesuits, gazing with fervour at a medallion on which is inscribed "HIS". Above the medallion, the Holy trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are depicted. In the transept on the northern side is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Chapel
On the southern side in the transept is a chapel with gilded twisted columns and floral decorations of wood, where the sacred relics of the body of St. Francis Xavier are kept. The interior of this chapel is richly adorned with wooden carvings and paintings, depicting the scenes from the life of the Saint.

Depicting The Life Of St. Xavier Through Paintings
On the southern wall are paintings in Italian School arranged in three rows. In the bottom row are two paintings showing St. Francis Xavier being received by certain Portuguese noblemen and his interview with the King of Bango in Japan. In the middle row are three paintings respectively showing Xavier praying with fervour for cessation of plague that broke out in Manas Island, kissing the repulsive ulcer wound of a patient in a hospital at Venice and the Pope Paul III pronouncing his apostolic benediction on the eve of his departure to India.

In the top row are, three paintings of Xavier as a servant of a knight, his sad demise at Sancian, an island off the coast of China and the saint in ecstasy. There are also other paintings on the remaining three sides of the chapel, fixed in decorated wooden frames depicting the scenes from his life and the miracles performed by him. A painting, in oil on canvas, of ST. Francis Xavier is mounted on the top of the wooden door at the back of the chapel.

The Ornate Grandeur
The rectangular base of the tomb is of jasper of reddish and purple colours decorated with carvings in white marble. Above the basement is another rectangular mass of slightly lesser dimensions having a plaque in bronze on each of its four sides depicting the scenes from the life of the saint, and two cherubs holding scrolls.

The four bronze plaques on the four sides show respectively, Xavier preaching to the people of Moluccas, holding aloft the Crucifix and baptizing the natives, swimming away to safety escaping from the wild natives of the island of Morro and dying in the island of Sancian off the coast of China. A beautiful silver statue is kept in front of the casket. The silver casket, which serves as a reliquary containing the sacred relics of the body of St. Francis Xavier, is exquisitely carved, and was once studded with precious stones. The casket is divided on each side into seven panels, each of which has two plates representing in relief important incidents in the life of the saint.

The Duke of Tuscany, Cosmas III, gifted the tomb. A famous sculptor from Florence, Giovanni Batista Foggini, completed the tomb in ten years, and was brought to Goa where it was assembled in 1698.

The Altar
Adjoining the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier is a corridor that leads to the sacristy, entered through an exquisitely carved wooden door. It is an oblong vaulted structure with an apse at the end. Alongside the walls are kept the portraits of various saints above delicately carved chest of drawers. In the altar at the apse in an iron chest containing a golden rose blessed by the Pope Pius XII and gifted to this city in 1953. At the foot of the altar is the grave of the founder of the vestry, Balthazar da Veiga who died in 1659. A painting giving a fair idea as to the state of the body of St. Xavier about a hundred years ago is displayed near the altar.

Other Attractions

Location: 1-km Southeast Of Chaudi, Canacona District, South Goa
Coverage Area: 86-sq-km
Established In: 1969
Main Attractions: Gazelles, Sloth Bears, Porcupines, Panthers & Hyenas

The Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, 10-km southeast of Chaudi, was established in 1969 to protect a remote and vulnerable area of forest lining the Goa- Karnataka border. Encompassing 86-sq-kms of mixed deciduous woodland, the reserve is certain to inspire tree lovers, but less likely to yield many wildlife sightings: its Tigers and Leopards were hunted out long ago, while the Gazelles, Sloth Bears, Porcupines, Panthers and Hyenas that allegedly lurk in the woods rarely appear.

Visitors however, stand a good chance of spotting at least two species of Monkey, a couple of Wild Boar and the Odd Gaur. The sanctuary is best visited between October and March months. Cotigao is a peaceful and scenic park that makes a pleasant day trip from Palolem, 12-km northwest. The wardens at the reserve's small Interpretative Centre will show one how to get to a 25m-high treetop watchtower, overlooking a waterhole that attracts a handful of animals around dawn and dusk.

Location: On Karanataka - Goa Boderside
Significance: The Highest Falls In India
Best Time To Visit: October To Mid-December

On the border of Karnataka and Goa, the Dudhsagar Falls drop to a spectacular 600m. Believed to be amongst the highest falls in the country, these magnificent falls are located in a blissful tropical jungle with crisscrossing streams.

After pouring across the Deccan plateau, the headwaters of the Mandovi River form a foaming torrent that fans into three streams, then cascades down a near-vertical cliff face into a deep green pool.

Jewel of Konkan
The Konkani name for the falls, which literally translated means "sea of milk", derives from clouds of foam kicked up at the bottom when the water levels are at their highest. Overlooking a steep, crescent-shaped head of a valley carpeted with pristine tropical forest, Dudhsagar is set amid breath taking scenery that is only accessible on foot or by jeep. The old Vasco Castle Rock Railway actually passes over the falls on an old stone viaduct, but has been closed for the past three years while track conversion work is carried out.

Water Sports
The falls drop down to form a few pools, which are absolutely delightful for a swim. Take care to ensure that the pool one is going into is relatively calm. The sure-footed adventurers could try and climb up to the head of the falls through bushes, boulders and water. It's a tough climb, which takes at least a couple of hours, but the mind-blowing view from the top is well worth the effort.

Location: 22-km From Panaji, Goa
Significance: The Water Has Medicinal Properties

Situated 22-km from Panaji on Verna plateau just off the Panaji -Margao highway, the spring emerges from hard compact rocks and people bathe in its water with strong belief that it has medicinal properties.

Location: 35-km From Bicholem, Goa
Main Attraction: Scenic Surroundings & Boating

Just east of Old Goa, the lily-covered Carambolin Lake has an enormous amount of waterfowl, many Egrets and Heron, Bronze-Winged, Pheasant-Tailed Jacana and thousands of exotic species such as Comb Duck and Cotton Pygmy-Goose.