Goa - Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa

Monday, March 2, 2015

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is located in Old Goa.  

It houses the remains of St. Francis Xavier. His body was bought down for exposition last year.  The body is brought down every 10 years  and it attracts tourists from around the world. 

As we had gone in July,  the body of St.  Francis Xavier was placed on a podium about two storeys tall.  From the ground one is able to see only the hand and portions of the head and feet from the side.  That too with a camera with a good optical zoom. The church is more than 400 years old. 

St. Francis Xavier was a close friend of St. Ignatius of Loyola and they together formed the  Society of Jesus.  (the Jesuits) I am a product of the St. Xavier's College and our patron saint being St.  Francis Xavier. Feast Day being 3rd December. 

Body of St. Francis Xavier

The church also houses the articles used by him. 

I would request to be decently dressed when entering the church premises.  

Bridge over the River Damanganga

Friday, May 11, 2012

The river flowed gently into the sea. I could see small fishing kayaks parked in the middle of the water on one side. On the other side, I could see coloured fishing trawlers parked on either side of the banks of Damanganga. One side was Moti Daman; the other was Nani Daman. No prizes for guessing that I was standing on a bridge.

Bridge over the River Damanganga

There are two bridges that connect Moti (Gujarati for big) Daman to Nani (Gujarati for small) Daman. One is meant for heavy traffic and the other for pedestrians and cyclists. I was on the one meant for pedestrians. It takes around 15 minutes to cross the bridge.

As I walked on the bridge, there was a heavy rush of the wind, which hit me even at 1:00 in the afternoon when the sun was directly overhead and beating down upon me with full force. Thanks to this breeze, I could barely feel the heat.

Fort of Moti Daman

The bridge, which was designed like the Howrah Bridge, offered a sight of the green waters of the Damanganga. Standing on the bridge, I could see the fortification of both Moti Daman and Nani Daman. The construction of the fort was the same. Both were built around 400 years ago.

From here I could see the entrance of Nani Daman Fort and the Church of Our Lady of the Sea in Nani Daman and both the lighthouses in Moti Daman.

Fort of Nani Daman

After spending some time here, enjoying the view of the sea, I headed off to see Moti Daman.