About Goa

The Portuguese army took over the area from the Muslims in 1510 and made it their base for trade between Asia and Portugal. Christian missionaries travelled to southeast Asia to preach their religion. One of them, Francis Xavier, even reached Japan. After he died on the high seas, his body was embalmed, and is now kept in the Basilica do Bom Jesus, in Goa. The body of this saint is brought out for public veneration once every 10 years. At that time, people not just from India, but from all over the world come to Goa.

This city called \'Golden Goa\' fell prey to bubonic plague, around the time the new capital was being formed at Panaji. The city of Goa was subsequently abandoned. Now, the old European city on the banks of the Mandovi River is being preserved by protecting the churches and monasteries, as they are. The former city of Goa, now called \"Old Goa\", attracts a large number of tourists, as does Panjim and many resort villages.

At the time Goa was under Christian rule, temples were built in the hinterland. Those recently constructed temples around Ponda, are in a style of temple architecture, so unique, that it cannot be seen anywhere else in India. The architects and artisans of the time, were building Christian churches and they excelled at this art. When they built Hindu temples, they incorporated this art into the temples, which gave rise to a unique blend of styles, the Indo-Christian style of architecture. The campaniles (bell towers) in front of the Latin cross-shaped temples are actually lamp towers and can be seen only in Goa and nowhere else in India.