The Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa

-
Illustration of the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa


 "Bom Jesus is to Velha Goa what the Taj Mahal is to Agra."
                                                          - Manohar Malgonkar, Inside Goa

Every tourist in Goa makes a bee line to the beautiful Basilica of Bom Jesus in Velha Goa, the part of Goa that looks familiar and exotic at the same time, depending on who you are. 

To a European, the churches and convents must look familiar, and to an Indian, the coastal country, with its hills,beaches, lush coconut and palm trees must look ordinary, the same land that is attracting Europeans in hordes because it is so exotic! Everything,then, seems to boil down to relativity.

The Bom Jesus Basilica is of religious significance - it preserves the body of St.Francis Xavier, the missionary who changed the course of history and whose travels had far reaching implications in the countries he visited. He was one of the founders of the Society of Jesus ( The Jesuits) along with another important theologian, Ignatius of Loyola. 

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is also iconic for its Baroque architecture.Baroque is a branch of the late Renaissance. The carvings in the facade, the use of architectural principles to lead the eye towards the focal point - all were an offshoot of the later renaissance movement. 

When I went there, I was amazed at how different it looked from most other churches in Old Goa. For one thing, it is a red stone building. But it wasn't always that way. I listened in to a talk by Tahir Noronha about Old Goa, where he spoke of how the basilica was deliberately de-plastered in the 1950s when Antonio De Oliveira Salazar, the Prime Minister of Portugal turned his focus on revitalizing old Goa - his logic - to instill a sense of pride in Portuguese Goa to counter the demands made by newly independent India to quit Goa. 

The idea was to show how the church was unique to Goa by a synthesis of European renaissance and local materials. In a way that makes sense. Stripped of the plaster, the exposed laterite facade blends in with the colors around it. Laterite is the local stone.There were also local craftsmen working on the interiors of the Basilica. The goldsmiths - the sonars fashioned beautiful details on the silver casket in which St.Francis Xavier's remains are kept.  ( With references from Tahir Noronha's talk, The Balcao and Manohar Malgonkar's fantastic book ' Inside Goa') 

So much about architecture is identity. Let's remember that the next time we are holidaying somewhere and chance upon a monument and spare a thought about its role in history. 

Read about the first monument covered in this series - The Se Cathedral 

All posts related to Goa -












Location: Old Goa Rd, Bainguinim, Goa 403402, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur

-
Image
Brihadisvara temple illustration, Thanjavur ( UNESCO World heritage site) In the Kaveri river valley, a powerful kingdom arose, known far and wide for its military prowess, feats of architecture, patronage to art, music and dance.  They spread out into Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Lakshadweep and even far out Bali and Sumatra across the Indian ocean. Their most illustrious emperor - Raja Raja Chola the great. The Cholas owed their glory to the gods and in honor of this, built several fantastic temples all over South India. The most magnificent of them all is in their former capital, Thanjavur - The Brihadeeswara temple, dedicated to Shiva.  Its massive gopuram is the cynosure of all eyes, visible from miles ahead.It is built entirely from granite and is well restored, thanks to a very good job of conservation by the ASI. It is still a place of worship, perhaps that is the reason it managed to survive intact.   The most popular icon in Indian classical dance -
Read more

Pandharpur

-
Image
On a recent trip to Maharashtra, I saw this kaka and kaki at the Pune Railway station. They must have been on their way to Pandharpur. I have seen devotees making their way to Pandharpur in hordes singing beautiful abhangs, taking their entire family with them. The Varkaris generally make this annual pilgrimage by foot.   Elders and little children walk too, and there is scarcely a break in the singing and music. There is something divine, whether you are a believer of god or not, in voices raised to a common tune, in exaltation of something outside the self. I would like to go with them once. In the month of Ashadh Ekadashi, trains in Maharashtra are filled with pilgrims on their way to Pandharpur. Maybe I will join them. Who knows, I may meet this old couple I saw at the Pune railway station.
Read more

Forgotten city of Ela - Revisiting Old Goa - the Se Cathedral

-
Image
Se Cathedral illustration ( Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina  ) , Velha Goa ( Old Goa)  I had listened in to this lovely talk by Tahir Noronha about Old Goa, tracing its history, from the ancient city of Govapuri, which then ceded its glory to another port that developed on the north bank of the Mandovi river - Ela. (You could listen to this on the facebook page - Soul.travelling  - Forgotten City of Ela by Tahir Noronha, Tahir is an architect working with Charles Correa Foundation ) Ela was the first settlement on the site that has now grown into what we know of as 'Goa'. Ruled by local chieftains, the places were not unified. It was not until the Portuguese added bits of these territories to their 'empire' ( Estado da India) that the present Goa came into being. Ela was known to the outside world, much before the rest of India. Owing to the trade coming in from the sea with the Arabs and the Chinese, it was  a highly coveted city - facing attacks from the Baha
Read more

Society for Children's book Writers & Illustrators, India