Category: Tourism

Basilica of Bom Jesus (Good or infant Jesus) is a Roman Catholic church located in old Goa(Former capital of Portuguese India), Goa. The Basilica of Bom Jesus church is famous for its baroque and Portuguese colonial-style architecture.

THIS JESUIT CHURCH IS THE FIRST MINOR BASILICA OF INDIA. IT IS ALSO REGARDED AS ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF PORTUGUESE ORIGIN IN THE WORLD.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus also preserves the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier.

Basilica of Bom Jesus History:
St. Francis Xavier has been buried in the church. He died on Sancian island or Shangchuan island when he was going to China. His body was taken to Portuguese Malacca but after two years in 1662, it was brought to Goa. It is said that the saint’s body was still fresh when it was brought to Goa.

People also believe that the body of a saint contains miraculous healing powers. Its construction was initiated in the year 1594 and continued on till the year 1605. After completion of the basilica in 1605 then archbishop Alexio De Menzes declared it sacred.
Architecture

Both the interiors and exteriors of the church are adorned with architectural and decorative details. The church floor is built with a pure marble base adorned by semi-precious stones.
The church’s Altar is adorned lavishly and is covered with gold. The church’s interior is strikingly charming yet simple with its Corinthian mosaic architectural build style.

The lavish use of ornamentation with a stucco or plaster marble finish gives the church a fine touch. The Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa is a stunning place to add to your bucket list along with fine sandy beaches that you will likely visit on your trip to Goa.

Things to see during your visit:
Mausoleum of Saint Francis Xavier
It is a mausoleum of Saint Francis Xavier in the church. A silver casket is on the top mausoleum in which the body of Saint Francis Xavier is kept. Giovanni Battista Foggini was the designer and architect of the mausoleum. It took ten years to complete it. It is constructed on the base of jasper which is red and purple colored and has been adorned with marble.

The Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery:
Bom Jesus Basilica art gallery is one of the largest art galleries in Asia consisting of around 36 paintings. It is constructed in front of a tomb and contains books written by Dom Martin who was a painter in Goa.

Professed House:
It is a two-story building and has lime plaster on the outer walls. Jesuits built the house in the 16th century whose façade was built by black granite. The construction of the house began in 1585 and completed in 1589. The house and the church are linked through a colonnaded arcade.

Chapel:
There is a chapel with twisted columns and floral decorations. The remains of Saint Francis Xavier are kept here. People can see the paintings and carvings in the interior of the chapel which tells about the life of Saint.

Public view sessions:
There is a public view session held in church every ten years where people from around the globe gather to see the vestiges of the saint. It was last held in 2014 and the next session will be in 2024.

Feast of St. Francis Xavier:
Every year on the 3rd of December, the feast of Saint Xavier is celebrated. On this day many pilgrims come to visit the church. A pilgrimage is made to the church nine days before or on the day of the feast is a must. Non-Christians also come to visit the church during this period of time.

Basilica of Bom Jesus Timings:
9:00 am – 6:30 pm on weekdays and 10:00 am – 6:30 pm on Sunday.

Entry fee:
The great Basilica of Bom Jesus Goa has no entry fee.

Best Time to Visit:
The best time to visit the Basilica Of Bom Jesus is during winter from November to March when the weather is mild and pleasant. If you don’t want to be overcrowded then you may not visit the church on Sunday.

How to reach Basilica of Bom Jesus Goa:

By Rail:
Old Goad does not have its own railway station but the nearest are Thivim, Madgaon, and Vasco da Gama. Madgaon is 28 km away from Goa while Vasco da Gama is 46 km away. The distance between Thivim and Goa is 60km. All the stations and especially Madgaon is well-connected to many parts of India.

By Air:
The airport nearest to Goa is located in Dabolim which lies 29 kilometers away from Goa. It is called the Goa International Airport or the Dabolim Airport. There are domestic flights connecting Goa to Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Kolkata. There are also international flights available that connect the city of Goa to the Gulf and Arab countries including Oman.

By Road:
Through road transport. Tourists can catch buses from Pune, Belgaum, Kolhapur, Mangalore, etc. and reach the Kadamba bus stand at Panjim. Tourists can also book taxis and come to Goa.

The historical and royal Leh palace is located in the city of Leh, Ladakh situated in the Indian Himalayas. It is a former royal palace that overlooks the town of Leh. Present in the beautiful Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. Leh Palace is also known as “Lachen Palkhar”. If palaces could have a soul, Leh palace’s soul would be rich in its heritage and history.

Leh palace has seen inevitable changes in Leh’s resurrection from the days of it being a cut-off region near Tibet to eventually becoming one of the highly famed tourist places around the globe. This palace is now in a tumbledown condition and is being maintained by the “Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)”.

This majestic building also holds a museum that is over 450 years old. Overall one can say that this location provides a breathtaking and picturesque view of the snow-clad mountains of Ladakh. Leh Palace is among one of the greatest and most historic of all the Leh tourist places in Ladakh.

Leh Palace History:
While the written records date the existence of Leh Palace Ladakh all the way back to the 16th century, there are many historical facts that were left unwritten. The construction of this Leh palace started in 1553 by Emperor Tsewang Namgyal, founder of the Namgyal Dynasty of Ladakh. The nine-storied building was finally completed in the 17th century by the nephew of Tsewang Namgyal, Sengge Namgyal. He is also known by the name of “Lion King”.

The darkest time in the history of the palace was when the whole Royal Family had to desert this palace and shift to another stock palace in the mid 19th century as the Dogra Dynasty forces invaded Ladakh and overtook the control of the whole city. The palace’s soul has also faced some of the most devastating wars. This is evident from the damage caused by cannonballs.

Architecture:
Leh Royal Palace is one of the marvels of architecture around the world. It is a nine-story building, built mostly out of the soil, rocks, and wood, and also capable of withstanding intense seismic shocks over the city. Designed in line with the Potala Palace in Lhasa Palace, Tibet, the Leh Palace is one of the tallest buildings of that era. The jutted out wooden balconies and the huge walls are the unique features of the medieval Tibetan architectural style.

The entrance of the palace is decorated with wood-carved figurines. Although the palace is located in ruins, some small rooms, few spacious compartments, and corridors still exist. The bigger rooms and corridors of the palace have been transformed into exhibition halls. Back in the 16th century, it was an arduous task to carry all of the construction material to the top of this steep and craggy hill. After discerning this monument we can imagine the amount of hard work that has been done by the workers. The animals involved in the construction task had also done a commendable job.

A “Victory Tower” stands above the great royal palace Leh Ladakh. This tower was erected to pay tribute to the dauntless Ladakhi Soldiers who fought valiantly against the invading Balti Kashmiri Soldiers in the 16th century. This royal palace witnessed the victory of the Ladakhi Brave hearts.

Timings and Entry fee:
Due to its historic nature and astounding construction, the Government of India, in a step to preserve this monument and its historic culture and heritage, has set up an office of the Archaeological Conservation Organisation. According to this organization, this monumental Leh Palace is open for the folks between 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The entry charges for the Leh city Palace are very minimal. Indian Citizens are charged Rs. 15/- per head and a foreign national is charged Rs. 100/-.

Best Time to Visit:
Although Leh palace is open for visitors around the year, this majestic royal palace will be more enchanting if one decides to visit this palace during summers from April to August. The weather remains pleasant and the sun rays beautifully scatter over the monument illuminating the palace, making it an “abode of heaven”.

How to Reach Leh Palace:

By Rail:
The nearest railway junctions from Leh Palace are Chandigarh Junction and Pathankot Junction. But opting for railways is not a convenient option as it would take 2-3 days to reach the city of Leh by road from these stations.

By Air:
Srinagar, Jammu, and Delhi are the nearest Airports from Leh. After landing in one of these cities, you would have to carry out your further journey by roadways.

By Road:
One can take their own personal vehicles to reach this city. Moreover, regular bus services are organized by the J&K State Road Transport Corporation, plying from Srinagar to Leh. Private taxis are also available for rent. Himachal Pradesh Tourism (HRTC) also operates ordinary and deluxe buses from Manali to Leh on a daily basis.

Adventure lovers from across the globe often go for self-driving and hire jeep, SUV, motorbike, or even a cycle to reach Leh via various available challenging routes.