Old Goa (
Konkani: ; pt, Velha Goa, translation='Old Goa') is a
historical site
A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...
and
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
situated on the southern banks of the
River Mandovi, within the
Tiswadi ''taluka'' (''Ilhas'') of
North Goa district, in the Indian
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Goa.
The city was established by the
Bijapur Sultanate
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's T ...
in the 15th century AD. After the
Portuguese conquest of Goa
The Portuguese conquest of Goa occurred when the governor Afonso de Albuquerque captured the city in 1510 from the Adil Shahis. Goa became the capital of the Portuguese State of India which included possessions such as Fort Manuel, the territ ...
, it served as capital of
Portuguese Indian possessions, such as Mumbai/ Bombay (''
Bom Bahia'') territory and the state of Kochi/ Cochin (''
Cochim''), until its abandonment in the 18th century AD due to a
plague. Under Portuguese rule, it is said to have been a city of nearly 200,000 people, from whence the
spice trade was carried out across the
Portuguese East Indies. The deserted city has been declared a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. Old Goa is approximately east of the current state capital of
Panjim ( pt, Nova Goa, translation='New Goa').
Etymology
The name "Old Goa" was first used in the 1960s in the address of the
Konkani monthly magazine, dedicated to spread the devotion of the
Sacred Heart, ''
Dor Mhoineachi Rotti,'' which was shifted to the
Basilica of Bom Jesus in 1964. Postal letters were returned to the sender, as the name "Old Goa" was unknown then, according to then- and long-time editor of the monthly, the great Goan historian late Padre
Moreno de Souza
Moreno de Souza ( Konkani: ''Padre Moren'') (3 November 1923 – 14 October 2007) was a Goan Jesuit priest and Konkani Marian poet, Konkani writer, translator and a historian. He was one of the translators of the '' Povitr Pustok' ...
, SJ.
The village panchayat uses the name Sé-Old Goa, while the post office and the Archaeological Survey of India use the name Velha Goa.
The place is known as ''Saibachem Gõy'' (referring to St
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
as ''saib'', i.e., master), ''Pornnem Gõy'', ''Adlem Gõy'' or just ''Gõy'' in Konkani.
"Velha Goa" should not be confused with another former Goan capital,
Goa Velha, lying some villages away in the south. The names ''Vhoddlem Gõy'' and ''Thorlem Gõy'' refer to Goa Velha, while ''Gõy'', besides referring to "Velha Goa"—i.e., Old Goa—also refers to the whole state of
Goa in some contexts (Old Goa).
History
The city was founded in the 15th century as a port on the banks of the
Mandovi
The Mahadayi/Mandovi River (''Mandovi'', pronounced ), also known as Mahadayi or Mhadei river, is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa. Mandovi joins w ...
river by the rulers of the
Bijapur Sultanate
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's T ...
. It was built to replace Govapuri, which lay a few kilometres to the south and had been used as a port by the
Kadamba and
Vijayanagar
The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Maharas ...
kings. Old Goa was the second capital after
Bijapur of the rule of
Adil Shahi Dynasty. It was surrounded by a moat and contained the
shah
Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...
's palace,
mosques, and
temples. The city was
captured by the Portuguese and was under
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
rule from 1510 as the administrative seat of
Portuguese India.
The viceroy's residence was transferred in 1759 to the future capital,
Panjim (a village about 9 kilometres to its west). Few remnants, if any, of the pre-Portuguese period remain at Old Goa.
During the mid-16th century, the Portuguese colony of Goa, especially Velha Goa, was the center of
Christianisation
Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...
in the East. The city was evangelized by all religious orders, since all of them had their headquarters there.
The population was roughly 200,000 by 1543. Malaria and cholera epidemics ravaged the city in the 17th century and it was largely abandoned, only having a remaining population of 1,500 in 1775. It was then that the viceroy moved to Panjim. It continued to be the ''de jure'' capital of Goa until 1843, when the capital was shifted to Panjim (Ponnjê in Konkani, Nova Goa in Portuguese and Panaji in Hindi). The abandoned city came to be known as "Velha Goa" (in Portuguese, 'Old Goa'), to distinguish it from the new capital Nova Goa (
Panjim) and probably also
Goa Velha (also meaning "Old Goa"), which was the Portuguese name for the town on the old site of Govapuri.
Velha Goa was incorporated into the Republic of India after its
annexation in 1961, with the rest of Goa. It retains its religious significance in modern-day Goa, notably in its relations with Roman Catholicism. The Archbishop of Goa and Daman holds title as the
Patriarch of the East Indies. Unlike the
patriarch
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...
s and the
major archbishop
In the Eastern Catholic Churches, major archbishop (sometimes also styled as major archeparch) is a title for the chief hierarch of an autonomous ('' sui juris'') particular Church that has not been "endowed with the patriarchal title". Major ar ...
s of the
Eastern Catholic Churches
The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of t ...
, the Patriarch of the East Indies only enjoys honorary title and is fully subject to the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
. He has a place in the
Latin Church
, native_name_lang = la
, image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran
, caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...
similar to the
Patriarchs of Venice and
Lisbon. This title was conferred upon the Archbishop of Goa as part of a settlement between the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
and the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
government concerning the link between religious and political aspects of its territories.
Churches of Old Goa
Old Goa contains churches including the
Se Cathedral
The Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina, known as Se Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and the seat of the Patriarch of the East Indies. It is part of the World Heritage Site, Churches and con ...
(the seat of the
Archbishop of Goa), the
Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assisi, the
Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount, the Church of St. Caetano and, notably, the
Basilica of Bom Jesus which contains the relics of
Saint Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
, who is celebrated every year on 3 December with novenas beginning on 24 November.
Gallery
File:St. Francis Church at Velha Goa.jpg, Church of St. Francis of Assisi
File:Old Goa Church 01.jpg, Basilica of Bom Jesus
File:Capela de Santa Catarina, Velha Goa, 2.jpg, Chapel of Saint Cathrine
File:St Cajetan Goa.jpg, Church of Saint Cajetao in Old Goa
File:Old Goa, Se Cathedral 2.jpg, Se Cathedral
The Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina, known as Se Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and the seat of the Patriarch of the East Indies. It is part of the World Heritage Site, Churches and con ...
File:St-Anne-church-talaulim.jpg, Saint Anne's Church
File:Old Goa, Ruins of Church of St. Augustine.jpg, Church of Saint Augustine (now in ruins)
File:Old Goa,Church of Lady of Rosary.jpg, Church of Lady of Rosary
File:A Capela da Nossa Senhora de Monte.JPG, Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount
File:Igreja de São João de Deus, Velha Goa.jpg, Church of Saint John of God
File:Capela Real de São António, Velha Goa.jpg, Royal Chapel of St. Anthony
File:Old Goa church view.jpg, alt=Old goa church view
Location
See also
*
Church of St. Anne, Talaulim
*
Fort Bassein
*
Goa
*
Damaon
Daman is one of the three districts of the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on the western coast of India, surrounded by Valsad district of Gujarat state on the north, east and south and the Arabian Sea to the ...
*
Velhas Conquistas
*
Portuguese India
*
Cumbarjua
Cumbarjua, is an island and town within the Mandovi River in Goa. It is situated to the east of Goa's capital Panjim at a distance of 20 kilometres. It is one of 6 major islands between the Mandovi and Zuari, he others being:
* Ilhas de Goa,
...
Notes
References
*
*.
External links
History of Old Goa(archived)
Old Goa– India tourism
{{Authority control
Colonial Goa
History of Goa
Cities and towns in North Goa district
World Heritage Sites in India