Things To Do In Old Goa | Top Attractions In Old Goa

Being in Panjim, one day I gave into Uttam-Sandy’s wily travel propositions and visited Old Goa for its celebrated churches. It was just a few minutes drive through mangrove lined busy road and the old city lay interspersed by narrow lanes, ancient ruins and squat tile roofed villages. Established in the 15th century by the Bijapur Sultanate on the banks of Mandovi river, Old Goa was built to replace Govapuri, which was used as a port by former ruling dynasties of Kadamba and Vijaynagara.

The Bijapur Sultanate made it their 2nd capital and fortified it with a moat which housed the Shah’s palace, mosque and temples. Strangely nothing significant remains of that powerful chapter of Old Goa’s history and the city shot into fame as the capital of Portuguese India.

The Portuguese traded across continents from this thriving, bustling base and they lavished it with beautiful architecture. Once a city of nearly 200,000 residents several epidemics like plague, cholera etc lead to its abandonment in the 18th century and the remains of this Portuguese legacy is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Goa has a huge Christian population and its churches are both beautiful and religiously significant. The highlight of Old Goa’s religious trail is undoubtedly the Basilica Bom Jesus, which enshrines the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier. A beautiful example of baroque architecture in India, it is one of the oldest churches in the country and attracts a huge number of visitors every year. Despite its towering facade, an inlaid marble floor, ornate gilded altars and St Francis Xavier’s mausoleum make up its otherwise simple interiors. Designed by the 17th century Florentine sculptor Giovanni Foggini, the mausoleum is the most sacred spot of the church and a silver casket inside the mausoleum holds the saint’s body. The holy relics are supposed to have miraculous healing power and are put on display every 10 years.

It was a very hot day when Old Goa happened and I suffered through it in a daze of humidity and Uttam’s loud voice booming out information from the guide book. He loves old architecture and on that trip delivered lengthy details of fine nuances of every building we stepped into. Sandy and I pretended to listen, while we hopped from one church to another and took in the astounding beauty. The Portuguese had indeed lavished their pride upon Old Goa and it showed in the stunning buildings they created. Expansive grounds, ornate towering buildings and exquisite gilded work of Old Goa churches made them feature on every travel itinerary and Basilica Bom Jesus was teeming with excited tourists when we arrived there. Their taxis honked impatiently at the crowded parking space while they trampled all over the green grounds, clustered loudly near the altars and photographed furiously.

The area around the church was a melee of restaurants, souvenir shops, ice cream sellers and touts and I wondered what the sleeping saint thought of such intrusion of his sanctuary’s sanctity. The church’s cavernous interiors however drowned all the din and a hushed feather soft silence ensued there. It was very peaceful and I sat there for some time to silently watch dust specks dance on streaming sun rays. Only a few pigeons fluttered on the ceiling and the flapping of their wings echoed pleasantly throughout the ancient building. The old building was womb like and it felt as if nothing could go wrong there. I could have sat there for hours and it took some effort for me to go out into the external circus again.

The beautiful white Se’ Cathedral stood right opposite Basilica Bom Jesus and to me it looked more of a small castle than a religious institution. Complete with beautifully landscaped gardens, the large “Golden Bell” (so called due to its rich sound quality), old paintings and delicate gilded altars, it was quiet and picture perfect. Se’ Cathedral was built to commemorate Alfonso Albuquerque’s victory over the Muslim army in 1510 (which lead to the Portuguese capture of Old Goa) and it is one of the largest churches in Asia. Dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria, it was also meticulously maintained and in contrast to its somber, grim neighbour, the swan white cathedral looked more approachable. But it did not have the magic of Basilica Bom Jesus and we left it soon to resume our church walk.

I am not a huge museum and church fan and have been guilty of falling asleep even inside the spectacular Cairo Museum, so needless to say, quickly lost interest in Old Goa’s religious trail. The hot sun too did not help the matter much and deterred me from exploring the atmospheric old ghost town in depth. However Uttam’s zeal seemed dangerously boundless and I soon started planning my escape. My last stop was the Church of St Francis of Assisi and its octagonal towers on each side and rossette decorated main entrance charmed me.

We stopped for lunch and I deviously feigned a headache to bid a quick goodbye to my friends. I had had enough of churches for 1 day and longed to return to the mortal beauty of lively Panjim. I took a scooter ride back to Bharat Lodge, where a playful Dolly Girl awaited and while cuddling her on my bed, decided on my evening walking route. The iconic Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, which is a focal point of Panjim was very close to the lodge but being severely religiously overwhelmed I left it for sun set. The lively Sao Tome area stood right next door and I happily started my Panjim walk from there.

Sao Tome is the northern end of Fountainhas and centers around the main Post Office building. The historic post office used to be a Portuguese mint and tobacco trading house, thus rendering the area the name, “Tobacco Square“‘. It was a cheerful bustling place and nothing gave away the grim history of the town pillory which stood right across the road. Justice used to be meted out there, often in form of executions and the last one took place in 1843. The picturesque little Sao Tome Chapel looked tightly squeezed in between the gorgeous old buildings and the entire area was extremely atmospheric. Old cobwebbed shops offering ancient, mostly redundant services and goods, lively Goan taverns and lacework of cobbled alleys created an amazing old world feel and I could never get enough of them.

Fountainhas extended further south from there and rambled around the base of hilly Altinho. Created on reclaimed land in the late 18th century by “the Mossmikar”, a Goan expatriate (known for making huge fortune in the Portuguese colony of Mozambique), the natural hill springs of Altinho gave the ward the name Fontainhas. My favourite restaurant’s Arushi’s Bungalow, also known as Down the River was just a hop skip away from Sao Tome and I have spent many laid back evenings on its riverfront balcony with live music and great food.

That day it was still late noon, too early to head to Arushi’s Bungalow, so I wandered around Fountainhas amidst explosion of Mediterranean colours, hanging balconies and stacks of parked scooters. Wisteria, hibiscus and frangipani bloomed riotously and street vendors sold goods from push carts under the shade of mango trees. Lanes wound into each other in a pleasantly confusing way and some houses opened into surprising little squares. Most of the old buildings in Fountainhas housed charming hotels, boutiques or cafes and were beautifully maintained but some seemed completely abandoned and wore a haunted look. Nature had reclaimed them and broken windows and rusted ornate gates showed glimpses of overgrown gardens and tree walls. It was a peculiar mix of loving restoration and heartless dilapidation, which in spite of being a bit sad was extremely photogenic.

Hot sun and humidity made strolling difficult and I took frequent creamy avocado shake breaks at cool juice shops. Nearly all houses in Fountainhas have some kind of business establishments and most roads head towards the iconic Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church. The white church loomed in the Panjim skyline, beautiful and virginal and despite my plan, I finally walked up to it. Built in 1541 Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church is one of the oldest shrines in Goa and an important city landmark. A 4 tiered zig zagging stone stairway lead up to it and the church’s magnificent belfry housed a whopping 2,250 kg bell. The views from the top benches were amazing and immaculately planned vista of busy grid like Goa spread from there. I walked up the top and took some time off inside its cool dark interiors before heading up Corte de Oiteiro.

A passage leading down to the foot of the church towards Fountainhas, Corte de Oiteiro in Portuguese literally means “a cut of the hill”. Built into the hillock of Conceicao in late 1800s, the passageway was advised by the health authorities to improve the air circulation in Fontainhas, the residents of which were suffering from constant bouts of illness during that time. I always liked walking up to the crest of Corte de Oiteiro because it opened up to the 140-stepped stairway with balustrades and six landings, winding all the way to the High Court Building at Altinho. Although a uphill drive to Altinho is more sensible, the trailing stairway always made me feel very nostalgic and reminded of the Hong Kong Escalators.

It is perhaps the only stepped street in India and each landing was a tangle of huge banyan trees. Altinho also has many beautiful old buildings and in comparison to Fountainhas, these are grander and reek of wealth and power. Government offices, expensive cafes and boutiques line Altinho and I have watched many offbeat movies at the beautiful Alfresco Cafe. The cafe is in a gorgeous 200 hundred years old Portuguese building, which also houses the exciting Sunaparanta-Goa Center for Arts. Open air amphitheater, lively art salons and beautiful exhibitions first drew me to Cafe Alfresco and later it became a part of my must do things in Goa. While the colour splashed Fountainhas bubbles with fun,life and struggles of common man, the upstate Altinho offer quieter, more sedate walks and beautiful hill top sunset views.

My Altinho down hill walks always lead me to the river where the lonely porcelain statue of the mermaid gleamed. Goa rushed breathlessly in 2 directions from there and the floating casinos docked discreetly. Such long walks guaranteed a healthy appetite and I would always turn to Fishland restaurant for humongous dinners. Overlooking the main promenade Fishland is a tiny hole in the wall eatery which offers great value for money seafood dishes and set meals/thalis. A set of wobbly wooden stairs lead to its minuscule dining area upstairs and I have feasted on endless fish meals there.

Rotis (Indian flat bread), rice, vegetables, mussels curry, fried kingfish fillet, salad and pink kokum water make up their great meals and after a few visits, my favourite waiter used to discreetly add some extra mussels to my plate. Their Goan style roasted squid and massive barbecued seafood spread are pretty good too and even a glutton like me needed Uttam and Sandy’s help to finish the platter. All kinds of crunchy batter fried seafood like king fish fillet, whole pomfrets, prawns, bombay duck, bagda and chips come with a phenomenal quantity of kokum drink and their food is typically Goan. Hearty, fiery and wholesome, it is an absolute soul food for a spice lover.

It rained on my last day in Panjim and news of the impending super cyclone Phailan spread like wild fire. Although it was heading fast towards the east coast of the country, the entire Indian sky bore its threat. I snuggled in my room with Dolly Girl, read, slept and watched the rain splatter on the red tiled roofs of Fountainhas. South Goa awaited me the next day and I fervently wished for some sun and surf.

RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE.