| To reach
the Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Panjim, one has
to climb 100 steps arranged in a majestic fashion, for the Church
sits majestically atop a hillock dominating the heart of the city
and offering a bird’s eye view of the main square.
Though it existed as a chapel before 1541, the whole structure
was rebuilt from its foundation in 1619 and the artistic staircase
was added to it in 1870. The huge bell on the belfry once belonged
to the Monastery of St. Augustine, Old Goa, and is second in size
only to the Golden Bell of the Sé Cathedral at Old Goa.
It has an inscription and weighs about 2,250 kilograms.
On the 8th of December, the feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception
is celebrated at the Church in great pomp and religious fervor.
The church is artfully lit at night and a lively fair occupies
the entire church square.
|
 |
