The construction of Basílica Do Bom Jesus started on 24 November 1594. The archbishop, Dom Fr. Aleixo de Menezes, consecrated the church in May 1605. In 1946, it received the status of a basilica.
Bom Jesus Church Goa Art and Architecture
The exterior facade of the Basilica of Bom Jesus church is composed of black granite in a beautiful fusion of composite, Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian styles. It's dimensions are 183 ft x 55 ft x 61 ft.
The church was designed as a cruciform. Earlier, the roof was tiled. Its main entrance is flanked by two smaller ones, each of which has a pediment supported by Corinthian columns.
A heavily carved wooden pulpit with a canopy on top protrudes on the southern wall opposite the cenotaph. Jesus, the four evangelists, and the four church doctors are depicted on three sides of the pulpit.
Seven figures are shown at the bottom of the pulpit, seemingly supporting it. Two ornate altars in the transept, one honouring St. Michael and the other Our Lady of Hope flank the main altar at the end.
The Basilica of Bom Jesus has marble flooring with semi-precious and precious stones embedded in it. The church's interior (83ft x 51ft x 61ft) was constructed in the Mosaico-Corinthian style.
The main altar carries the statue of the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), St. Ignatius of Loyola. It is 30 ft wide and 44 ft high. The basalt used to carve the pillars and details was transported from Bassein.
The statue’s gaze is transfixed at the name of Jesus (IHS) on the gilded Jesuit emblem, surrounded by glowing rays. The altar table carries the figures of Christ and his apostles during the Last Supper.
The Basilica of Bom Jesus Church depicts St. Francis Xavier's life. His body is kept in a silver casket atop a mausoleum. Giovanni Battista Foggini, a Florentine sculptor created the mausoleum in the 17th century.
The sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier's body are housed in a chapel with gilded twisted columns and wood floral decorations on the southern side of the transept.