Old Goa

We went to Old Goa to check out the historic sites there. Old Goa was the capital of the state of Goa until a couple hundred years ago when Panjim was made capital. In Old Goa the main attraction is the numerous old churches that were built five hundred years ago in the time of the Portuguese.

There were three humongous churches within sight of each other, and a few more within a short walk of those main three. It’s incredible to imagine that there was once the congregations to support them. Now they are considered world heritage sites.

I thought it was fitting to be visiting these churches on Good Friday. There was a procession at one of the churches, and we stood quietly watching, but most churches were completely quiet.

Perhaps what was once the largest of the churches stood in ruins on a nearby hill. It was sad to walk through the skeleton of what must once have been a magnificent place of worship. In fact, the grandeur of Old Goa during Portuguese rule is said to have been matched only by that of Lisbon.

Later in the day we joined our friends from Margao in a trip to Sankhri to visit some Baha’is in that area. Mr. Afshin, a well known Baha’i in the area, gave a little talk about the Baha’i Faith and we all enjoyed it. The main theme of his talk was the Baha’i belief that all religions come from the same God, at different times in history, and provide the teachings that humanity needs for that time. He is a very warm speaker and makes everyone feel so comfortable and relaxed.

CM