Old Goa
Encyclopedia
Old Goa or Velha Goa (Velha means "old" in Portuguese
) is a historical city in North Goa district in the India
n state
of Goa
. The city was constructed by the Bijapur Sultanate in the 15th century, and served as capital of Portuguese India
from the 16th century until its abandonment in the 18th century due to plague. The remains of the city are a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
, Dor Mhoineachi Rotti which was shifted to the Basilica de 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
, SJ.
The village panchayat uses the name Sé-Old Goa, while the post office, Archaeological Survey of India use the name Velha Goa. The place is called as Saibachem Goem (referring to St. Francis Xavier as Saib i.e. Master), Pornem Goem, Adlem Goem or just Goem in Konkani. The name Velha Goa should not be confused with another former Goan capital Goa Velha, lying some villages away in the south. The names Vhoddlem Goem and Thorlem Goem refers to Goa Velha, while Goem besides referring to Velha Goa i.e. Old Goa also refers to the whole state of Goa in some contexts.
kings. Old Goa was the second capital of Bijapur under the rule of Adil Shah
. It was surrounded by a moat and contained the Shah
's palace, and his mosques and temples. The city was captured by the Portuguese, and was under Portuguese
rule from 1510 as the administrative seat of Portuguese India
. The Viceroy's residence was transferred in 1759 to the future capital, Panaji (then Pangim), at the time a village about 9 kilometres to its west.
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 Pangim. It continued to be the de jure
capital of Gôa until 1843, when the capital was then shifted to Pangim (Ponnjê in Konkani, Nova Goa in Portuguese and Panjim in English). 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 located on the old site of Govapuri.
Velha Goa was incorporated into the Republic of India in 1961, together with the rest of Goa.
(the seat of the Archbishop of Goa), the Church of St. Francis of Assisi
, the Church of S. Caetano, and notably, the Basilica of Bom Jesus which contains the relics of Saint Francis Xavier, which is celebrated every year on 3 December with novenas beginning on 24 November.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
) is a historical city in North Goa district in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. The city was constructed by the Bijapur Sultanate in the 15th century, and served as capital of Portuguese India
Portuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
from the 16th century until its abandonment in the 18th century due to plague. The remains of the city are a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Name
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 HeartSacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
, Dor Mhoineachi Rotti which was shifted to the Basilica de 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
Father Moreno de Souza was a Goan Jesuit priest. He was also a famous Konkani Marian poet, Konkani writer, translator and a historian...
, SJ.
The village panchayat uses the name Sé-Old Goa, while the post office, Archaeological Survey of India use the name Velha Goa. The place is called as Saibachem Goem (referring to St. Francis Xavier as Saib i.e. Master), Pornem Goem, Adlem Goem or just Goem in Konkani. The name Velha Goa should not be confused with another former Goan capital Goa Velha, lying some villages away in the south. The names Vhoddlem Goem and Thorlem Goem refers to Goa Velha, while Goem besides referring to Velha Goa i.e. Old Goa also refers to the whole state of Goa in some contexts.
History
The city was founded in the 15th century as a port on the banks of the Mandovi river by the rulers of the Bijapur Sultanate. The city was built to replace Govapuri, which lay a few kilometres to the south and had been used as a port by the Kadamba and VijayanagarVijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
kings. Old Goa was the second capital of Bijapur under the rule of Adil Shah
Adil Shah
Adil or Adel Shah Afshar or Ali Qoli was Shah of Persia from 1747 until 1748.Subsequent to the assassination of Nader Shah in Fathabad , his nephew Ali Qoli declared himself Adil Shah , and shah of Persia...
. It was surrounded by a moat and contained the Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
's palace, and his mosques and temples. The city was captured by the Portuguese, and was under Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
rule from 1510 as the administrative seat of Portuguese India
Portuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
. The Viceroy's residence was transferred in 1759 to the future capital, Panaji (then Pangim), at the time a village about 9 kilometres to its west.
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 Pangim. It continued to be the de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
capital of Gôa until 1843, when the capital was then shifted to Pangim (Ponnjê in Konkani, Nova Goa in Portuguese and Panjim in English). 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
Goa Velha
Goa Velha is a census town in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It should not be confused with the World Heritage Site Velha Goa . St. Andrew's church is its parish church...
(also meaning "Old Goa"), which was the Portuguese name for the town located on the old site of Govapuri.
Velha Goa was incorporated into the Republic of India in 1961, together with the rest of Goa.
Churches of Old Goa
Old Goa contains churches affiliated to various congregations, including the Se CathedralSe Cathedral
The Se Cathedral in Old Goa, India, is the largest church in India, dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. It is the cathedral of the Latin Rite Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, and the seat of the Patriarch of the East Indies...
(the seat of the Archbishop of Goa), the Church of St. Francis of Assisi
Church of St. Francis of Assisi
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi was built in 1661 by the Portuguese in the Portuguese Viceroyalty of India.-The Structure:The following is the information as seen on the plaque beside the Church of St. Francis of Assisi....
, the Church of S. Caetano, and notably, the Basilica of Bom Jesus which contains the relics of Saint Francis Xavier, which is celebrated every year on 3 December with novenas beginning on 24 November.