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               OLD GOA TRAVEL GUIDE

Goa Velha ("Velha" means old in Portuguese) is a census town in North Goa district
in the Indian state of Goa.
The town of Old Goa lies 9 km east of Panaji, along the Mandovi River.

The city was founded in the 15th century as a port for the Vijayanagar and Bahamani
kings. Old Goa was the second capital of Bijapur under the rule of Adil Shah. It was
surrounded by a moat and contained the Shah's palace, and his mosques and
temples. The city of Goa in south-western India was under Portuguese rule from
1510 and became the administrative seat of Portuguese India.

The population was roughly 200,000 by 1543. Malaria and cholera epidemics
ravaged the city in the 17th century and it was largely abandoned, only having a
remaining population of 1,500 in 1775. It was then that the viceroy moved the palace
of Adil Shah to Panaji. In 1835 after religious suppression the city was virtually
deserted.

PLACE TO VISIT

St Francis of Assisi Church and Archeological Museum - West
of the Cathedral (behind it) is the Convent and Church of St Francis of Assisi, one of
the most interesting buildings in the town. Franciscan monks built the original
church in 1517.

Se Cathedral -  is a cathedral dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria, located in
Old Goa, India. It is one of the oldest and most celebrated religious buildings in Goa
and is one of the largest churches in Asia.
The Se Cathedral was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese under
Afonso de Albuquerque over a Muslim army, leading to the capture of the city of Goa
in 1510. Since the day of the victory happened to be on the feast of Saint Catherine,
the cathedral was dedicated to her.

Basilica of Bom Jesus -   with its richly gilded altars is famous throughout
the Catholic world.
'Bom Jesus is the name used for the infant Jesus. The cathedral is India’s first Minor
Basilica, and is considered as one of the best examples of baroque architecture in
India.
It contains the body of St. Francis Xavier; a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
founded by St. Ignatius Loyola. St. Francis Xavier died while on a sea voyage to
China on December 2, 1552.

The following year, while transferring Francis Xavier's remains to Goa, in accordance
with his wishes, it is said that the saint's body was as fresh as the day it was buried.
The relic attracts a huge number of devotees from all over the world, especially
during the public viewing of his body every ten years (last held in 2004). The saint is
said to have miraculous powers of healing, and pilgrims come from all over the
country.

This is one of the richest churches in Goa and is carpeted with marble flooring and
inlaid with precious stones. Apart from the elaborate gilded altars, the interior of the
church is simple. The church also holds paintings of St. Francis Xavier. The Tomb of
St. Francis Xavier (1696) was the gift of the last of the Medicis, Cosimo III, the Grand
Duke of Tuscany.
The tomb was carved by the 17th century Florentine sculptor Giovanni Battista
Foggini. It took ten years to complete. The casket containing his body is made of
silver. The holy relics of the saint are displayed every ten years during the
anniversary of the Saint's death. His feast is the third of December.

Arch of the Viceroys and Gate of Adil Shah - The Arch of the
Viceroys (1597) was built to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s landing in India by his
great-grandson Francisco da Gama, who was viceroy from 1597 to 1600.

Royal Chapel of St Anthony -  to the west of the Tower of St Augustine, is
dedicated to St Anthony, the national saint of Portugal.