Old Goa, also known as Velha Goa, is a historic city located on the southern bank of the Mandovi River in the Ilhas district (Tiswadi taluka) of the Indian state of Goa. Once the capital of Portuguese India and one of the largest and most prosperous cities in Asia during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, it is today a relatively small settlement known primarily for its surviving churches and convents, several of which are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
| Other names | Velha Goa, Goa Velha (locally distinguished) |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| State | Goa |
| District | North Goa |
| Taluka | Tiswadi (Ilhas) |
| River | Mandovi |
| Nearest city | Panaji (approximately 9 km west) |
| UNESCO listing | Churches and Convents of Goa, inscribed 1986 |
Overview
Old Goa lies about 9 kilometres east of Panaji, the present capital of Goa. Founded by the Bijapur Sultanate in the fifteenth century as a port city on the Mandovi, it was conquered by the Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510 and subsequently developed into the administrative, ecclesiastical and commercial centre of the Estado da Índia, the Portuguese empire in Asia.
Background and etymology
The name "Goa" was extended from the city to the surrounding region. To distinguish the old Portuguese capital from later capitals, the original site is referred to as Velha Goa ("Old Goa"). It is not to be confused with Goa Velha, a separate village further south associated with the earlier Kadamba-era capital of Govapuri.
History
Pre-Portuguese period
The site was developed as a port by the Bijapur Sultanate in the fifteenth century, succeeding the older Kadamba and Vijayanagara-period centres in the region. It served as a key embarkation point for trade with the Middle East and for pilgrims travelling to Mecca.
Portuguese conquest and rise
Afonso de Albuquerque captured the city from Yusuf Adil Shah of Bijapur in 1510. From the mid-sixteenth century, Old Goa functioned as the seat of the Viceroy of Portuguese India and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical hierarchy in the East. The Archdiocese of Goa was elevated in 1557, and its archbishop bore the title Primate of the East. The Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier was based in the city, and his remains, brought back after his death in 1552, are enshrined in the Basilica of Bom Jesus.
Decline
From the late sixteenth century onwards, Old Goa suffered repeated outbreaks of cholera, malaria and other epidemics, attributed to the silting of the Mandovi and unsanitary conditions. The population declined sharply through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In 1759 the viceroy moved his residence to Panelim and later to Panaji (Pangim), and in 1843 Panaji was formally declared the capital of Portuguese India. Many residents abandoned Old Goa, and several public buildings were demolished or fell into ruin.
After 1961
Following the end of Portuguese rule with Operation Vijay in December 1961, Old Goa became part of the Indian Union as part of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, and from 1987 of the State of Goa. Conservation of the surviving monuments is undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Monuments
The surviving ensemble of churches and convents represents one of the most significant collections of Portuguese-era ecclesiastical architecture in Asia. Major monuments include:
- Basilica of Bom Jesus – completed in 1605; houses the relics of Saint Francis Xavier.
- Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina – the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Goa, one of the largest churches in Asia.
- Church of St Francis of Assisi and the adjoining convent, which houses the Archaeological Museum.
- Church of St Cajetan – modelled on the original design of St Peter's Basilica in Rome.
- Chapel of St Catherine, built shortly after the Portuguese conquest.
- Church and Convent of Santa Monica and the Tower of St Augustine, the surviving fragment of the ruined Augustinian complex.
- Viceroy's Arch on the riverfront, marking the ceremonial entrance to the old city.
UNESCO World Heritage status
The "Churches and Convents of Goa" were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986, recognised for their influence on the development of architecture, sculpture and painting in Asian Catholic regions and for their illustration of the work of Catholic missionary orders in the East.
Geography and administration
Old Goa is part of Tiswadi taluka in North Goa district. It lies on flat, low-lying ground on the southern bank of the Mandovi, connected to Panaji by National Highway 4A (Panaji–Belagavi). The locality falls under the village panchayat of Sé Old Goa.
Significance
Old Goa is significant as the historical capital of Portuguese Asia, a major centre of Catholic missionary activity in the early modern period, and the burial place of Saint Francis Xavier. The decennial public exposition of his relics at the Basilica of Bom Jesus draws large numbers of pilgrims from India and abroad. The site is also one of the principal heritage tourism destinations of Goa.
Related topics
- Goa
- Panaji
- Portuguese India
- Basilica of Bom Jesus
- Sé Cathedral, Goa
- Francis Xavier
- Afonso de Albuquerque
- Archdiocese of Goa and Daman
- Tiswadi
- Operation Vijay (1961)
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India
References
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, "Churches and Convents of Goa" (inscription 234, 1986).
- Archaeological Survey of India, Goa Circle – monument listings for Old Goa.
- Government of Goa, Directorate of Archives and Archaeology – publications on the history of Velha Goa.