Old Goa
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Old Goa (पुराना गोवा) is a historical city situated on the southern banks of the Mandovi River in the Ilhas (present-day Tiswadi) sub-district of North Goa in the Indian state of Goa. The remains of the city are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Contents
Location
Old Goa is approximately 10 km east of the state capital Panaji (Portuguese: Nova Goa, lit. 'New Goa').
Variants
Etymology
The name Old Goa was first used in the 1960s in the address of the Konkani monthly magazine, dedicated to spread the devotion of the Sacred Heart, Dor Mhoineachi Rotti, which was shifted to the Basilica of Bom Jesus in 1964. Postal letters were returned to the sender, as the name "Old Goa" was unknown then, according to then- and long-time editor of the monthly, the great Goan historian late Padre Moreno de Souza, SJ.
The village panchayat uses the name Sé-Old Goa, while the post office and the Archaeological Survey of India use the name Velha Goa.
The place is known as Saibachem Goem (referring to St. Francis Xavier as saib, i.e., master), Pornnem Goem, Adlem Goem or just Goem in Konkani.
Velha Goa should not be confused with another former Goan capital, Goa Velha, lying some villages away in the south. The names Vhoddlem Goem and Thorlem Goem[1] refer to Goa Velha, while Goem, besides referring to Velha Goa—i.e., Old Goa—also refers to the whole state of Goa in some contexts (Old Goa).
History
The city was established by the Bijapur Sultanate in the 15th century and served as capital of Portuguese India from the 16th century until its abandonment in the 18th century due to a plague. Under the Portuguese, it is said to have once been a city of nearly 200,000 wherefrom, before the plague, the Portuguese traded across continents.
The city was founded in the 15th century as a port on the banks of the Mandovi river by the rulers of the Bijapur Sultanate. It was built to replace Govapuri, which lay a few kilometres to the south and had been used as a port by the Kadamba and Vijayanagar kings. Old Goa was the second capital after Bijapur of the rule of Adil Shahi Dynasty. It was surrounded by a moat and contained the shah's palace, mosques, and temples. The city was captured by the Portuguese and was under Portuguese rule from 1510 as the administrative seat of Portuguese India.
The viceroy's residence was transferred in 1759 to the future capital, Panjim (a village about 9 kilometres to its west). Few remnants, if any, of the pre-Portuguese period remain at Old Goa.
During the mid-16th century, the Portuguese colony of Goa, especially Velha Goa, was the center of Christianisation in the East.[2] The city was evangelized by all religious orders, since all of them had their headquarters there.[3] The population was roughly 200,000 by 1543. Malaria and cholera epidemics ravaged the city in the 17th century and it was largely abandoned, only having a remaining population of 1,500 in 1775. It was then that the viceroy moved to Panjim. It continued to be the de jure capital of Goa until 1843, when the capital was shifted to Panjim (Ponnjê in Konkani, Nova Goa in Portuguese and Panaji in Hindi). The abandoned city came to be known as "Velha Goa" (in Portuguese, 'Old Goa'), to distinguish it from the new capital Nova Goa (Panjim) and probably also Goa Velha (also meaning "Old Goa"), which was the Portuguese name for the town on the old site of Govapuri.
Velha Goa was incorporated into the Republic of India after its annexation in 1961, with the rest of Goa. It retains its religious significance in modern-day Goa, notably in its relations with Roman Catholicism. The Archbishop of Goa and Daman holds title as the Patriarch of the East Indies. Unlike the patriarchs and the major archbishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Patriarch of the East Indies only enjoys honorary title and is fully subject to the Pope. He has a place in the Latin Church similar to the Patriarchs of Venice and Lisbon. This title was conferred upon the Archbishop of Goa as part of a settlement between the Holy See and the Portuguese government concerning the link between religious and political aspects of its territories.
Churches of Old Goa
Old Goa contains churches including the Se Cathedral (the seat of the Archbishop of Goa), the Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assisi, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount, the Church of St. Caetano and, notably, the Basilica of Bom Jesus which contains the relics of Saint Francis Xavier, who is celebrated every year on 3 December with novenas beginning on 24 November.
Historic sites in Old Goa
Goa has two World Heritage Sites: the Bom Jesus Basilica[4] and churches and convents of Old Goa. The basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, regarded by many Catholics as the patron saint of Goa (the patron of the Archdiocese of Goa is actually Saint Joseph Vaz). These are both Portuguese-era monuments and reflect a strong European character. The relics are taken down for veneration and for public viewing, per the prerogative of the Church in Goa, not every ten or twelve years as popularly thought and propagated. The last exposition was held in 2014.[5]
Basilica of Bom Jesus: The Basilica of Bom Jesus (Portuguese: Basílica do Bom Jesus; Konkani: Borea Jezuchi Bajilika) is a Roman Catholic basilica located in Goa, India, and is part of the Churches and convents of Goa UNESCO World Heritage Site. The basilica is located in Old Goa, former capital of Portuguese India, and holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier.[6]
'Bom Jesus' (literally, 'Good (or Holy) Jesus') is the name used for the Ecce Homo in the countries of Portuguese colonization. The Jesuit church is India's first minor basilica, and is considered to be one of the best examples of baroque architecture and Portuguese Colonial architecture in India. It is one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World.
Getting To Old Goa
Buses depart every fifteen minutes to Old Goa from the Panaji Kadamba bus stand (30 min). Buses to Ponda also pass through Old Goa. Goa Tourism arranges a guided tour of the old city. Private companies sell tickets through the travel agents across from the Panaji bus stand. There is a Goa Tourism counter (225-620) at the Panaji bus stand which provides information on bus departures (Mon to Fri 9:30 am to 6 pm and Sat 9:30 am to 1 pm). Round trip by auto-rickshaw costs about Rs 150; by taxi, Rs 300.
External links
पुराना गोवा परिचय
पुराना गोवा को गोवा वेल्हा (पुर्तगाली भाषा में "वेल्हा" यानि पुराना) भी कहते हैं। यह भारत के राज्य गोवा के उत्तर गोवा जिले का एक शहर है जो पणजी शहर से 10 किमी पूर्व में मांडवी नदी पर स्थित है। बीजापुर सल्तनत द्वारा 15 वीं सदी में यह शहर एक बंदरगाह के रूप में बसाया गया था जो 16वीं सदी से पुर्तगाली शासकों की राजधानी रहा। 17 वीं सदी में मलेरिया और हैजा महामारी के कारण यह शहर तबाह हो गया तब इसे छोड़ दिया गया था। 1843 में राजधानी को पणजी स्थानांतरित कर दिया। इस पुरानी बस्ती को वेल्हा गोवा अर्थात पुराना गोवा कहा गया।
See also
References
- ↑ Dor Mhoineachi Rotti. July, 2001. Padri Moreno de Souza, SJ
- ↑ de Mendonça, Délio (2002). Conversions and citizenry: Goa under Portugal 1510–1610. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-7022-960-5. Retrieved 5 December 2011. p.67
- ↑ Meersman, Achilles (1971). The ancient Franciscan provinces in India, 1500–1835. Christian Literature Society Press. p. 107
- ↑ "Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa | Goa Jesuits". goajesuits.in.
- ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30160195
- ↑ "Church slams govt over Iffi dates, threat to Old Goa". The Times of India. 12 November 2011.