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Basilica of Bom Jesus Church – Quick Guide Basilica of Bom Jesus Church – Overview Basilica of Bom Jesus is a church situated in Old Goa. The church has been listed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bom Jesus means Holy Jesus or infant Jesus.The outer walls of the church were plastered by using lime plaster but was later stripped off. The church has the tomb of Saint Francis Xavier who died while he was on his way to China. Goa Goa is a state in India and comes under a coastal region named Konkan. Many tourists from India and abroad come to visit the place due to its beaches, churches and other monuments. The history of Goa dates back to the Mauryan rule. After Mauryas, Goa was ruled by many dynasties and last of them were Portuguese. Visiting Hours The church can be visited from 9:00am to 6:30pm from Monday to Saturday while on Sundays the timing is 10:30am to 6:30pm. The church also opens on the public holidays. It takes around one hour to visit the whole church. Tickets There is no entry fee to visit the church. Tourists can come here any time during visiting hours and visit the church. Best time to visit As Goa is situated on the sea shore so tourists can visit Goa and the church any time. The best time to visit Goa is between October and January but the months of monsoon from June to September make Goa more beautiful. Where to Stay? There are more than 1400 hotels in Goa where tourists can get their accommodation. The hotels range from inexpensive budget hotels to expensive five-star hotels. Tourists can also stay in resorts and guest houses which provide a comfortable stay. Good service is offered in all kinds of hotels. Some of the hotels in Goa are as follows − Five-Star Hotels Hotel Park Prime located at Panjim Chances Resort & Casino located at Dona Paula Bogmallo Beach resort located at Bogmalo Dona Sylvia Beach Resort located at Cavelossim Novotel Goa Shrem Hotel located at Bardez Four-Star Hotels Pinto Rosario Square Resort & Spa located at Bardez Estrela Do Mar Beach Resort located at Calangute De Alturas Resort located at Candolim Sukhmantra Resort and Spa located at Candolim Aromiaa Villas located at Arpora Three-Star Hotels Palacio De Goa located at Panjim Tangerine Resort located at Calangute Joia Do Mar Resort located at Calangute Paradise Village Beach Resort located at Calangute Annapurna Vishram Dham located at Baga Budget or Two-Star Hotels Treebo XEC Residency located at Margao The Rivasa Resort located at Calangute Hotel Sai Baga located at Baga Atlanta Beach resort located at Calangute Rahi Coral Beach resort located at Calangute Cheap or One-Star Hotels Hotel Blessings located at Panjim Sangolda Greenz located at Bardez Goan Café n Resort located at Morjim Divar Island Retreat located at Divar Colva Residency located at Colva Basilica of Bom Jesus Church – History Basilica of Bom Jesus is a big and one of the oldest church in India which was constructed during the Portuguese rule in Goa. Bom Jesus means good Jesus or infant Jesus and the church is dedicated to him. The construction of the church was started in 1594 and ended in 1605. The church was declared as sacred in1605 by Alexio de Menezes. Saint Francis Xavier Saint Francis has been buried in the church. He died in Sancian island or Shangchuan island when he was going to China. His body was taken to Portuguese Malacca but after two years it was brought to Goa. It is said that the saint’s body was fresh when it was brought to Goa. People of all communities can come here to visit the church as it is believed that saint has miraculous power of healing. People are given a chance to see the body of the saint after every 10 years. Feast of Saint Francis Xavier Every year on 3rd December, feast of Saint Xavier is celebrated in which many pilgrims come to visit the church. A pilgrimage is made to the church nine days before the feast or on the day of the feast is a must. Non-Christians also come to visit the church during this period. Alexio de Menezes Alexio de Menezes was the archbishop of Goa who declared the church as sacred in 1605 after its construction. Alexio lived from 1559 to 1617. He was also the archbishop of Braga in Portugal and also the viceroy of Portugal during the rule of Philippine dynasty in Portugal. He became the archbishop of Goa in 1595 and of Braga in 1612. After his death in 1617, he was buried in Populo Church. Basilica of Bom Jesus Church – Architecture The church was constructed with laterite stone that was brought from Bassein which is 300km away from Goa. Since the laterite stone gets stronger with time, a Portuguese conservationist removed the lime plaster that was done on the outer walls of the church. Currently it seems that the walls are deteriorating. Mausoleum of Saint Francis Xavier Mausoleum of Saint Francis Xavier is here. There is a silver casket on top of it in which body of the saint is kept. Giovanni Battista Foggini was the architect and designer of the mausoleum and it took around ten years to complete its construction. The mausoleum was constructed on a base of Jasper which is red and purple coloured and has been adorned with marble. Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery was constructed in front of the tomb and it has the books written by Dom Martin who was a painter in Goa. It is one of the largest art galleries in Asia having 36 paintings. Professed House There is a professed house nearby the church which is a two-storey building and has lime plaster on the outer walls. The church and the house are linked through a colonnaded arcade. Jesuits built the house in 16th century whose façade was