If you know about Goa then you would definitely have heard about its sandy beaches with their Panoramic views. But there are other things in this small Indian state that attracts tourists worldwide and makes it one of the hot travel destinations within India. Now what are these?

From the time Portuguese arrived on the shores of Goa Christianity is one of the leading religions followed. Though Goa was liberated from Portuguese colonial rule in 1961 but European architectural relics can be still be found in the form of the Churches found in Goa.

Churches in Old Goa are the most revered of the churches present in Goa. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and draws crowds for its magnificent buildings and many churches signifying the glory days of Goa. All the churches are maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

So now let us take a take a sneak peek the various churches based in Old Goa:

Chapel of St. Francis Xavier: This is the most famous church in Old Goa and is dedicated to the memory of St. Francis Xavier. The corpse of this revered saint is also placed within the church. The building was constructed in the early part of the 16th century. After the old structure got degraded a new building having better architecture was built in 1884.

Church of the Carmelites: Built in 1621 this church now stands in its ruins. After the Carmelites were expelled from Goa for not taking the oath of Allegiance to the king this church fell into disuse.

Se Cathedral: It is the largest cathedral in Asia and took eighty years to get completed. Dedicated to St. Catherine it is the seat of the archdiosse of Goa.

The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary: Alphinsi de Albuquerque ordered the construction of this church on the site where Alphonso won a remarkable victory over the Sultan of Bijapur.

There are many other churches but these are the best of the best! So ‘Go Goa’ not just for the beaches but for the Churches bearing the Portuguese architectural wonder.