India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [182]
Basilica of Bom Jesus (Cathedral of the Good Jesus) Opposite the Sé, the Basilica of Bom was built between 1594 and 1605 as a resting place for the remains of the patron saint of Goa, Francis Xavier (one of the original seven founders of the Jesuit order and responsible for most of the 16th-c. conversions). The withered body of the venerated saint lies in a silver casket to the right of the altar, his corpse surprisingly well preserved (although one arm is on display in Rome and a missing toe is believed to have been bitten off in 1634 by an overzealous devotee looking to take home her very own relic, during the first exposition of the body—now a decennial event; the next St. Francis Festival is incidentally in 2017).
Up the hill from the Basilica are the splendid ruins of the once awe-inspiring Church of St. Augustine; below is the Church and Convent of Santa Monica and Chapel of the Weeping Cross, where a miraculous image of the crucified Christ is said to have once regularly bled, spoken, and opened its eyes.
Mon–Sat 6am–6:30pm; Sun 11:30am–6:30pm.
Hindu Christians
In 1623 the pope agreed to tolerate converted Brahmin Catholics, who were then allowed to wear the marks of their Hindu caste. This extraordinary concession played its part in allowing Goa to ultimately adopt a practice of syncretism that embraced Hindus and Christians alike, though it drew its fair share of criticism from the more narrow-minded: The British adventurer Sir Richard Burton once noted that the “good” Hindus converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese were simply “bad” Christians.
WHERE TO STAY
To sample authentic neighborhood life, it’s worthwhile spending a night in the heritage quarter that’s developed in Panjim’s oldest area, Fontainhas—here there’s a resolutely faded Portuguese atmosphere, and if you stay at one of the smaller guesthouses reviewed below, you’ll get a feel for the way people—many of them unaffected by tourism—live in the Goan capital. There’s also the option of forgoing the heritage properties that we prefer and heading for the Goa Marriott Resort (www.goamarriottresort.com), an upmarket waterfront hotel situated on the outskirts of the city. Staying here, however, slightly misses the point of being in Panjim, and there are better resorts north and south of here. The clutch of guesthouses and small family run hotels situated in the heart of the Fontainhas neighborhood, not only have more character, but will immerse you in the spirit of the place far better than the luxurious resortlike places tucked behind the security booms. Also in the city, but a bit of a walk from the historic neighborhoods, is the brand new Vivanta by Taj (www.tajhotels.com), definitely the classiest place in town, even if not exactly brimming with local flavor. It’s more a business hotel than anything else, with sleek contemporary rooms behind a facade from a different 20th-century era; ask for a room with a balcony or porch so you can at least catch a glimpse of the outside world while you’re here.
Panjim People’s Situated in Panjim’s historic Fontainhas district, this is a four-room heritage hotel (formerly a prominent local school) with huge bedrooms (rooms A and B are especially enormous) and modern bathrooms reached via a long, steep stairway; each features an antique rosewood four-poster bed, almirah, planters, chairs, and lace curtains. Open the many windows to let in the light and the breeze and park yourself in front of your balcão—you’ll feel yourself spirited back in time as the neighborhood sounds seep in. This is our first choice among the