- Joanne Lobo
There exists a church, much older than the Taj Mahal.
Where is it? Here’s a clue for you!
“Goenkarank udarponn fokot ek utor nhoi – ti amchi ek porompora.”
Did that strike a bell?
If you thought of Goa, you’re correct! Roughly translated as ‘Hospitality is not just a word for Goans, it’s a tradition’, this sacred establishment too, is welcoming to people across the world. The Bom Jesu Basilica is one of the oldest and the only basilica located in Old Goa, India, the erstwhile capital of Estado da Índia-Portuguese India.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site, built during 1594-1605, is a classic example of Baroque architecture. The key architects Julião Simão and Domingos Fernandes fashioned this Italian-born theatrical style framework. This minor basilica is laden with a fascinating sculpture of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder. The mesmerising marble-rich flooring, embellished with laterite stones, is unfortunately weathering due to sustained exposure since its unplastering, resulting in its continued deterioration during the monsoons. Having outlived the era of Portuguese India and the expulsion of its original benefactors- the Jesuits, this basilica houses the relics of the pre-eminent missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Francis Xavier.
This breathtaking edifice shelters the main altar with carvings and gilding, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, a chest containing the Golden Rose in the Sacristy, 36 paintings of biblical scenes, the saints and relics of saints as well as modern delineations like “The Last Judgement” and “Genesis”. This granite structure encompasses five architectural styles of Roman, Ionic, Doric, Corinthian and Composite.
Next to this basilica lies the Casa Professa- The Professed House, which, according to Jesuit canon, was built to serve as the exercise of the Ministries of the Society of Jesus.
An interesting tale that I came across, spoke of how this basilica came to be. How much of it is true, I do not know. It is said that the Jesuits who wished to build the Basilica and the Professed House, were not permitted to do so under the reign of the Portuguese, despite their ownership of a house on the property. On the eve before the day they were to face eviction, the Jesuits did something that ought to be written down in the books of history.
To everyone’s surprise the house now bore the name ‘Jesus’ on its door. The priests behind this spectacle also hung a bell and rang it the next morning, awakening the locals and summoning them for Mass. It is only due to the priests’ quick wit that this basilica still remains. However, as mentioned before, the untoward gradual disintegration of this unforgettable monument could lead to its early extinction, leaving its fate in our hands. Only you and I, together, can prevent this tragedy to ensure its felicitous ceaselessness. I hope that in the years to come, we will still remember this basilica’s glorious past while vacationing on some sandy beach in Goa
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