| By : Ajit Hari Sahu | Previous | Next |
| Posted on : 31 Aug, 2005 | Total Views : 304 |
Velha Goa
Velha Goa covers Chapel of St. Catherine, Church of St. Francis of Assisi , Se Cathedral, Basilica of Boom Jesus, Convent of St. Monica, Church of St. Augustine, Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Cajetan...
For most people Goa is paradise. The south-western coast of India has the lushest and most exuberant landscape in the subcontinent. Its undulating terrain is covered with areas of rich red earth, coconut palms, elegant whitewashed houses with sloping tiled roofs, golden beaches, and sparkling waters. Goa's deep waters and calm beaches once provided some of the most accessible harbours on India's western coast. Historic evidence proclaims that this region was prosperous from the time of the Mauryan empire. After the third century BC many kingdoms sought to control its tranquil waters. At the coast of untold barbarous bloodshed, east-west trade brought enormous revenue and power.
In the medieval period the Khaljis and later the Tughluqs captured portions of Goa and the Konkan. In the fourteenth century it became yet another target of rivalry between the Hindu Vijayanagar rulers of the Karanatka area and the Muslim Bahamani kings of Bijapur, Gulbarga, and Bidar. In the fifteenth century what happened in Goa was linked to the history of the Mediterranean world when Potugal, led by its well-known explorers, established a long-lasting overseas empire. Trade in gold and spices, and other natural resources, were exchanged for the much-coveted Arabian horse that furnished the armies of the Indian subcontinent (where the humble Kathiawar pony was the only indigenous breed).
The traditional controllers of these trade routes were the Arabs. The Portuguese, like many other foreign colonizers, played the inevitable game of power politics, supporting one side against the other till they virtually controlled the region and paved the way for Mediterranean merchants to make their appearance on Indian soil.
It was also from the Arabs that the Portuguese inherited their maps and navigational information. In 1497, Vasco da Gama sailed from Portugal along the African coast, across the Indian Ocean and eventually landed at Calicut in Kerala. Along the west coast of India in Calicut, Cochin, and Canannore the Portuguese began to establish their Soverignty, upturning old trade alliances and forging new ones. When Vasco da Gama returned home in 1502 he left behind a fleet of patrol ships under the command of Alfonso de Albuquerque to guard the coast. In 1510 Albuquerque captured Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur and made it the capital of the Portuguese eastern empire. The new rulers were quick in establishing their distinctive culture in the region. Homes, administrative units, and churches were built and, in a unique attempt to assemble a corpus of loyal subjects, the Portuguese were encouraged to marry girls from aristocratic Goan families. The experiment proved successful and the colony remained for 450 years under Portuguese rule, outlasting all other colonial powers in the region.
Plan of Velha Goa-As a memorial and in thanksgiving for the significant victory won on 25 November 1510, St. Catherine's day, Albuquerque laid the nucleus of a Christian center, now referred to as Velha Goa.
Just ten kilometer from Panjim, the modern capital of Goa, lies Velha Goa. A new Christain township was built over the remains of the second capital of Adil Shah (the sultan of Bikapur) beside the Mandovi river. The road from Panjim enters the complex from the west and leads to a central square from which you can visit the historical buildings at a leisurely pace. At the north western tip of the complex is the Chapel of St. Catherine erected by Albuquerque after his defeat of the Bijapur forces in 1510. The original construction has undergone numerous changes and has been rebuilt several times. Beside it is the Convent and Church of St. Francis of Assisi built of local laterite stone and clothed in white plaster to protect the porous stone from the heavy tropical monsoons rains. The convent is entered through a narrow passage which leads into a beautiful enclosed courtyard and internal garden surrounded by cloisters. Part of the convent has been converted into the Archaeological Museum and has an interesting collection: there are statues and idols of the Hindu period, portraits of Vasco da Gama, Alfonso de Albuquerque, and other governors of the province. Paintings, coat of arms, sculptures, armoury, coins, maps and medals capture some of the drama of the events that make up the history of Goa.
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi was built around 1661 and is a classic example of contemporary architectural styles. The Church faces west and has an impressive façade off three storeys. The building is rectangular in shape with a central nave and ancillary chapels on either side. Part of the barrel roof is adorned by wooden panels profusely painted with flower patterns that appear to be the work of Indian artists under Portuguese direction. The high altar, on the eastern side, is richly decorated with gilded wooden pillars, ornamental motifs, and at the center is the crucifix with the kneeling figure of St. Francis below worshiping Jesus. On the altar appear the words poverty, Humility, and Obedience which spell out the three vows taken by monks who join the Franciscan ordered founded by St. Francis of Assisi.
Se Cathedral, Velha Goa-The Se Cathedral is the largest of this group (76.2 meters long, 55.16 meters wide) and was designed to be the most imposing cathedral of the Portuguese empire in the east. Building construction (by the Portuguese government for the Dominican monks) began around 1562 and took nearly a century to complete, with funds coming in from native sources. The cathedral is roughly cruciform in shape with a central nave, side aisles with eight chapels and six side altars along the transept, and the supreme altar at the center. The façade and profile of the cathedral are dramatic, painted white with a series of arches and windows that introduce a shadowy play of light. Two towers were built to frame the cathedral entrance but one fell, struck down by lighting in 1776, and was never rebuilt. The interior of the cathedral is as dramatic as the external proportions. The cool, pure white walls are adorned with elaborate paintings, wooden screens and carvings and the chapels, altars, and ornamental pulpits. The cathedral is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria and the principal after in three storeys has opulent panels depicting her life and martyrdom.
St. Francis Xavier, Basilica of Bom JesusThe Basilica of Boom Jesus (literally Good Jesus), where the imperishable body of St. Francis Xavier is laid in state, was built in 1560 though rebuilt in the eighteenth century after an accidental fire. The building has one of the nicest facades in Velha Goa, made of red laterite stone from which the protective plaster has been removed. It consists of three storeys, the lowest one with three entrances into the nave and aisles of the church, the middle one with rectangular windows, and the top one with circular port windows. To crown the Basilica are arabesque design culminating on a central hallo carried by a circle of angles inscribed with IHS (one translation is Iaeus Hominum Salvator, Jesus, Survivor of Mankind). The interior of the basilica is plain, with commemorative plaques and statues. On the left is a sensitively carved wooden figure of St. Francis Xavier adoring the crucifix of Jesus. Completely overpowering the silent interiors is the exuberant baroque alter at the center of the eastern side. The alter rises up to the vaulted roof from the sacred table on magnificent twisted gilt columns. Between them is farmed the figure of St. Ignatius Loyola who looks up in adoration at the sun-like halo inscribed with IHS and to the scene above, the line of angles singing in praise of God Almighty, his son Jesus Chirst, and the holy spirit.
On the southern side of the transept is the glorious sarcophagi and tomb room of St. Francis Xavier. Born to a noble family of the castle of Xavier, on 7 April 1506 in Spain, St. Francis became a pupil of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order (That has since earned great respect for it's well-run educational instituions established throughout India). In 1542, St. Francis Xavier was granted permission to work in the East and came to Goa where he spend years tending to the sick and the suffering. He went further east to Malacca, Japan, and in 1552, while returning from there, fell ill and died at the age of forty-six. His body was buried in Sancian, off the coast of China, but when the tomb was opened it was noticed that it had not decomposed in any way.
In 1613, St. Francis Xavier's body was transferred to Goa; after his canonization in 1622 it was kept in state in the Basilica of Bom Jesus. The tomb was a gift of the Grand Duke Cosmos III of Tuscany and was erected in 1698. The rectangular red jasper base is surmounted with marble and bronze plaques narrating the life of service of St. Francis Xavier. The silver reliquary casket is elaborately carved and, after several mutilations, the body of the saint is only exposed to the public once every ten years.
Church, Velha Goa-On the hill west of Bom Jesus is another cluster of monuments. The Church and Convent of St. Monica is one of the oldest and largest convents for nuns in Asia and was completed in 1627. It still serves as the Mater Dei Institute for Nuns. Next to it is the Convent of St. John founded for the order who care for the sick. The Church of St. Augustine, now in ruins, was once the largest edifice in Velha Goa, built in Gothic style, but only a portion of its dramatic 46 meters tower remains. At the age of the holy hill, commanding a wonderful view is the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. The cenotaph to the eight of the main altar belongs to Dona Catarina who was married to Viceroy Gracia De Sa at a ceremony performed by St. Francis Xavier. This votive chalel was built as an act of thanksgiving by Alfonso de Albuquerque who had watched from this veru spot his forces battling triumphantly against the Sultan of Bijapur.
To the north-east of the Se Cathedral are several other monuments, the oldest being the Gate of the Palace of Adil Shah, near the magnificent façade of the Church of St. Cajetan. The ruined gateway is made of beautiful hardy basalt brought all the way from Bassein. As part of the entrance to the palace of Adil Shah, which can only be reconstructed from literary references left by early travelers, one can assume that it must have been an imposing structure of grand dimensions. The main northward road, in front of the Church of St. Cajetan, leads to the Mandovi river and marks the ceremonial gateway to the old township from the waterfront. The arch is built out of laterite and granite, and has suffered many attempts at reconstruction. A figure of Vasco da Gama stands in the central niche announcing the foundation of a great Portuguese province, where one ships from the far corners of the world brought thousands of merchants and luxurious goods to the shores of Goa.
What's in the neighbourhood
Traditional Goan architecture is very Charming and anywhere you go you will see the bright tiled houses, mica windows, and delightful little gardens. Panjim is a lovely town, where the sea meets the Mandovi river. The harbour hilltop view of the river, gardens and the Church of our Lady of the Immaculate Conception are the highlight of this capital city of Goa. From Panjim a number of day trips can be made, besides routine visits to the beaches. Aguada, 18 kilometers from Panjim, has one of the oldest forts in Goa, a beautiful whitewashed turret lighthouse, and wonderful (through crowded) beach. Velha Goa or Old Goa, described above, is approximately 10 kilometers away and well-connected by road and bus links, and conducted tours. Goa Velha or Pilar, about 11 kilometers south-east of Panjim, is another Christian settlement built over the ruins of the ancient city of Gopakkapattana. Pilar Monastery, St. Andrew's Church, and the scenic view of the harbour and Zuari river are all worth a visit. The singular influence of Portuguese art on Hindu architecture can be seen at the famous site of Shri Mahalsa at Mardol (7 kilometers from Ponda, 30 kilometers from Panjim), the Shri Mangesh Temple at Priol (22 kilometers from Panjim), where the temples have slanting tiled roofs like the houses of old, European ornamentation, and tall unusual towers that mark the entrance of the temple.
How to get there
The main airport is at Dabolim, 30 kilometers from Panjim the capital of Goa. There are a number of medium-priced, and four or five star hotels. Rail travel to Panjim is best through Margao (33 kilometers away), which is connected to other major Indian cities. It is a lovely colonical town with architecture typical of the region, gardens, and churches. Bus connections from Manglore, Bombay, and Banglore are regular and efficient. A steamer service was available between Panjim and Bombay (travel time approximately twenty hours) requiring advanced booking and organization.
