Skip to main content

Old Goa

How old is Goa?  Where is Goa?  What is Goa?

To the uninformed all legit questions.  I too had a partial understanding of the place but this time we visited and shaped our appreciation some.

Goa is an Indian state on the western coast.

From being a Sultan managed operation to being a Portuguese colony from the 16th to 18th century, it has history and charm in some old parts to a beat to death and has been with its crowded beaches for party goers. In the past decade a gambler crowd is being lured by its casino boats on the Mandovi river just outside Panaji.

The part we liked the most was the historic and well preserved one.  That of old Goa.  This is a time capsule some 500 years in the making.  Indian Archaeological Survey has taken some effort to maintain and educate visitors with placards and museums in this few acre area 10 km east of Panaji.

Below are some ornate churches we saw including the Basilica Bom Jesus where the 500 year old body of a patron saint lies in a casket for worshipers to witness.  This minor basilica is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Italian knockoffs was the rage back then too - except not shoes - but places of worship with one trying to mimic the dome and design of the most famous of churches - the St. Peters.

Basilica Bom Jesus (good Jesus)

Church of St.Cajetan - knockoff of St. Peters in Vatican
Dome of St. Cajetan

Viceroy gate leading to the Mandovi river bank


Church of St Francis, Velha Goa (aka old Goa)




Se Cathedral in foreground and Church of St Francis in background

Ornate interior

Church of Our Lady of Miracles, Old Goa

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On the go(zay masta) in Japan again

Cool cat the Japanese are Tokyo at dusk  My second visit to this land of the rising sun after almost a decade. Back then clearly I was wet behind the ears product manager and likely didn’t pay attention to all (efficient) things Japanese. But today I did and of course continue to be impressed. It is as much the obvious stuff like on time travel that is both clean and comfortable and all that which makes it possible. The impressive landmark and landscapes that these humans have put together despite their cramped (or because of it) surroundings and precarious geological conditions could amaze a novice architect among us. But it’s also the little things that someone had to think about which have a phenomenal impact on day to day lives that make the Japanese stand apart. Below are few random examples- 1. Providing a very fine machined wooden toothpick in every packet of wooden chopsticks. The said chapsticks are simply set on the To Go counter of any food vendor/ convenience store wher...
Post a Comment
Read more

Of Jims and Johns

Here is another essay on the subject of first names. As in birth names. Or names provided to an offspring at birth. While the developed world tends to shy away from the exotic like Refrigerator or Coca Cola for their new production there is a plethora of Jims and Johns and Bobs or Robs. Speaking of which I do not think there is a categoric decision point at the time of birth if a child will be hereafter called as Bob. I mean have not yet met a toddler called Bob or Rob for that matter. At some point though the parental instinct to mouth out multiple syllables runs out and they switch from calling the crawler Robert to simply Robbie to Rob. Now speaking of - it is strange that the name sounds like something you would not want Rob to do - i.e. Rob anyone. Then why call someone that? After all Rob Peter to Pay Paul is not exactly a maxim to live a young life? Is it? Perhaps Peter or Paul might want to have a say in it? Then there is this matter of going to the John. Why degrad...
2 comments
Read more

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...
2 comments
Read more