With only few hours on hand before heading to the airport, I took this opportunity to explore Old Goa. In fact, there is so much more to Goa than it’s beaches. Goa used to be a Portugese colony so it’s no surprise that there are lots of churches all around town. India achieved its independence from the British in 1947, but Goa still remained part of the Portugese until 1975 when they officially announced Goa to be part of India’s sovereignty.
My first stop was the Fort Aguada which is still intact and known for it’s superb military architecture and the beautiful lighthouse. The vast open complex which overlooks the Arabia Sea is not only scenic but was build strategically to fight against the Dutch it’s competitors in sea trade and other enemies.
We drove from Fort Aguada to Old Goa, and along the way, we saw salt mines and beautiful bungalows.
After an hour drive, we got to the Basilica of Bom Jesus, it’s construction started in 1594 and was completed in 1605. This Jesuit church is India’s first minor basilica and the best example of baroque architecture. Also, is the final resting place of St. Francis Xavier. The main altar holds the large statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola. St. Ignatius and I, hold a special bond. I graduated from the Jesuit Loyola University and my last job was with USF, a Jesuit university. The courtyard reminded me of St. Antony’s Basilica in Padua, Italy.
Across the street is the Se Cathedral of Santa Catarina. The church was built to commemorate the victory of Portugese over the Muslim army in 1510. Since the day of the victory happened to be on the feast of Saint Catherine, the cathedral was dedicated to her. The architecture style of the Se Cathedral is Portuguese-Manueline. The exterior is Tuscan, whereas the interior is Corinthian.
I’m so glad that I decided to peak into the history and get a glimpse about how life would have been in the Portugese rules India.
It was time for me to head to the airport. I was amazed about how long the security lines were and the process was so slow. It took me nearly an hour to get to my gate. It was only when I was seated in the flight, I got a call from my Mom, and she informed about the India-Pakistan problems at the Line of Control in Kashmir with one of the Indian Army officer been captured by Pakistan. The long security lines now made sense. In fact, lot of flights were canceled but we were lucky to depart on time.
I hope there is peace between India and Pakistan for all the innocent people that are caught in the midst of this nightmare but the chances are slim until extremists and terrorist groups which have found safe haven in Pakistan are eradicated. The ego, power and greed of humanity might be our biggest downfall, as we have seen again and again from our past. I wonder, will we ever learn from our past mistakes?
