Goa - 17th Century Chapel of Todo O Bem in Verem

Monday, February 23, 2015

While returning from Fort Aguada, we missed our turn and so traveled by this road. The Betim Verem Road. The signboard you see in the below photo is located kist before th Verem junction.

Sign board on the Betim Verem Road

When I suddenly spotted this board, Chapel Built in XVII Centuary. I got curious and so we decided to take a de tour and check out the Chapel. But before that I asked the locals for the name of the road, to which they replied that it was the Betim Verem Road. 

Chapel of Todo O Bem

We asked a couple of locals about the whereabouts of it and they asked us to go straight on the lane and it would lead us to the Chapel.

The Chapel is named,  Chapel of Todo O Bem. Which means All that is Good. 

Chapel Door

Now we reached the Chapel, but it was closed. How do I get in. I saw these two kids playing football. I asked them, they told me that the key is with Gonsalves Uncle. 

Now Gonsalves Uncle stays outside the Chapel premises.

Another view of the Chapel

Knock Knock, the door was opened by the maid, I inquired if they had the key to the Chapel. She asked us to wait. 

Gonsalves Uncle, asked us if we were with the press, to which I informed that we are travel bloggers and blog of historic places on earth. He informed that he would show us the place but we would have to give a small donation just for the up-keeping of the place. To which we readily agreed.

Inscription

The Chapel as a small garden around it. The Chapel was single storey structure painted white with the borders in blue. It had statues of two saints above the wooden door and a silver bell atop it. Not sure who the saints were but they looked like St. Anthony.

Uncle asked us to wait at the main entrance, he then walked to the side entrance, got in and opened the main door for us.

Chapel from the inside

The sculptured arc that housed the door was very old. It had a inscription atop it too. Now this is surely 17th century stuff.

The Chapel looked like a Church from the inside. Main Altar, Pulpit, pews, mezzanine floor and Sacristy too. 

Spiral staircase

Uncle, told us that services are held here on zonal feast days. He informed us that the mezzanine floor is for the choir. A spiral staircase led to the mezzanine floor. I started climbing it and it gave out rickety sounds. I immediately receded. 

Uncle also told us that the Chapel was renovated in 1998.  Now the alms received as donation helps in the up-keeping of the chapel.