More churches then people!

The Basilica Bom de Jesus - the only church in Goa without a white facade

Inside - vast, ornate and old.

From afar as we head to the Se Cathedral.
Did I say it was hot there?
One of the alters.
Old woman at the door of the church in Margao
The front of the Margao church.

This one looked like a wedding cake.
The main church in downtown Panaji.
So many I can't recall where this one was located.
This church was on a hilltop overlooking the city.

The Goa landscape (which is pretty big and encompasses many towns and a few cities) is dotted with many churches, chapels and religious markers. Its hard to travel more then a few kilometers without seeing one or a number of these old structures. Each little town has at least one. The vast majority of the buildings are whitewashed and stand out in the drab and dusty environment. These churches are almost all remnants of the Portuguese rule. Goa still has a large Catholic population and not unlike the Spanish influence on the Philippines, many Goans have Portuguese names like - Souza, Lobos, Brito, Braganza, Menezes, Mendes, Gomes and Silva and Fernandes (not unlike the names in Plymouth, MA!). There are also many Hindu temples and a few Mosques, but most are newer.

The largest concentration of Churches is in Old Goa (http://goacentral.com/Goachurches/churches_of_old_goa.htm). Old Goa was the original capital of Goa until some type of epidemic hit and forced a move closer to the sea. It was abandoned by the Portuguese officially in 1843 when the capital was moved to Panjim or Panaji. Old Goa has what is said to be the largest church in Asia - the Se Cathedral and also the Basillica of Bom de Jesus. Both these structures are large and the alters and carvings inside are lovely. Bom de Jesus holds the remains of St. Francis Xavier, who spent a great deal of time in India. His body, minus a few body parts moved to Italy and other places, is in an ornate mausoleum with a silver casket. His preserved remains can be viewed.

Outside of old Goa are many other beautiful churches. Some on hillsides, some on the seaside and some in seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Our driver and guide Sergio Fernandes was happy to show us many of these beautiful buildings as well as the great vistas where they were located.

So take a look at the pictures as they can tell the story much better then I can.