Sacred Goa: Private Heritage Walk and Church Tour

A different, wonderful, unique India

Goa is a state in India overlooking the Indian Ocean and was, until 1961, a Portuguese colony. This corner stood out from the rest of the country and even today we can see the great difference from the British domination. The thing that immediately struck me while traveling around the state of Goa was the very southern European imprint given by the Portuguese. Here, more than in any other part of the country, there are numerous Catholic churches and even the homes have a style that is very reminiscent of southern Europe, our Mediterranean. Goa, or rather Old Goa, is the India you don't expect to find in India. Goa Velha, the old Goa in Portuguese is the ancient Portuguese capital before Panaji, with those streets full of spices and full of colonial charm, also known as Goa Dourada, the Golden Goa because of its palaces, markets and especially the churches. Goan culture is a fascinating blend of Indian traditions and Portuguese influences, which are reflected in its architecture, music and cuisine. Walking the streets of old neighborhoods like Panaji is like taking a trip back in time, with colonial churches and colorful houses telling stories of a rich past. The Portuguese were in fact very skilled in recreating an architectural set that made people feel less nostalgic for their mother country. And this is how you walk among walls covered in Azulejos, balconies with wooden balustrades, the typical Portuguese tile roofs, the facades painted in white lime with flowers on the windowsills that draw graphic patterns, all enriched by the women in saris who they immediately bring you back to the bright colors of the tropics. The Indians who live here still have Portuguese names and surnames and the language of the ancient homeland is still spoken among the elderly, as the Goan guide tells us, whose grandfather still mixes Portuguese with Hindi today. The two main buildings of Old Goa that alone represent and characterize the Portuguese influence are the Cathedral and the Basilica of Born Jesus, a UNESCO world heritage site. To be honest here, almost all the major religious buildings have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.