Exploring Old Goa For the First Time
After the messiest first day at Goa, I woke up the next day without a rigid plan. But to go to Old Goa and look around the places people visit there. This was my first time at Old Goa as in the past I was only there to visit the beaches.
Beautiful Road to Old Goa
It was a 1-hour journey of 30 km from Anjuna. Nothing to stop us this time as my scooter was ready with a full tank. Some part of the road was empty, so I rode at the fastest I could to reach there as soon as possible. First, I was heading towards the Basilica of Bom Jesus and later see what else was there.
Basilica of Bom Jesus – 400 Years Old Church
The parking was almost full outside the Church, but I managed to find a space at the corner. Walking towards the gates you will see many ladies holding candles and flowers for you to offer in the church. So I got a pair for myself too, from the outside of the church I was amazed at the beautiful architecture and how huge this was. And the other interesting facts you would love to know include, that it is a 400-year-old church and that it is also a UNESCO world heritage site.
Many people were there to visit the church to offer their prayers and respect to the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. The remains are stored in a beautiful silver cascade which is exhibited once every 10 years. After entering the place I saw a huge crowd lined up towards the right peacefully walking to see the cascade. And on the other, hand there are benches for at least 1000s of people to offer their prayers at the church. With huge statues on every corner and beautifully designed interiors, this church is the most beautiful one I have ever visited.
There are 2-3 people maintaining the crowd around the whole area, with photography and videos allowed. You are strictly not allowed to take selfies with your back facing the statues and other parts of the church. As you cross the cascade, you will reach this area with the pictures and paintings of the remains inside the Cascade.
Also towards the exit, there is a museum where you are not allowed to take pictures or videos. Which showcases the paintings of St. Francis Xavier and his travels around the world. With a small fee of Rs 5 to enter the museum.
The Beautiful White Building – Archaeological Museum
After coming out of the church I started my walk towards this beautiful white building in front of me. Which I later got to know that it was the Archaeological Museum of Old Goa, you need to take tickets to enter the place. And then no cameras can be accessed except to visit the inside which holds the history of Goa. With the beautiful artefacts of the Portuguese rule in India.
A huge collection of stamps, religious artefacts and many other treasures. This museum has 8 galleries and the most important among them is of the Viceroys and Governors of Goa. You can definitely add this place to your Old Goa one day visit as it won’t take more than 30 mins to walk around the museum.
St. Augustine Tower
The third spot I was heading to was the St. Augustine Tower just 350 metres from the Archaelogical Museum. In just 1 km radius you can visit 3-4 spots easily with your bike parked somewhere. Walk around these to end the day there and keep sometime if you are not staying there to ride back. The St. Augustine Tower is one of the most used structures in the advertisements and travel brochures of Goa. About the Tower, It was built by 12 Augustine Monks in 1602 AD. With just ruins left now, this has become one of the famous tourist spots for people visiting Old Goa.
Due to the new policies of the Portuguese Government, many religious orders were evicted. Which resulted in abandoning of this church in 1835, letting it to the condition it is there now.
Wax Museum Old Goa
The Wax Museum was the last spot I visited in Old Goa. With many wax statues of famous characters in the history of the world. Nothing much fancy about this place, but it’s open for everyone to visit. With a small fee to maintain the place, as there are certain conditions where these statues would start melting.
I won’t say these are the best wax statues you can find, but you can have a visit here as it’s included in that 1 km round of the spots we visited earlier. It is on your way back to the other side of Goa.
And that was it my visit to Old Goa which I think was covered in 5-6 hours. And I too had some time to visit some more places in the evening, which I will share with you guys in the next one. Do let me know in the comments if I missed something which I should go to when I am there next time.