Basilica of Bom Jesus Photos, History, and More
While Goa is indeed the party capital of India, the Konkan region is also famous for marvellous Portuguese architecture. One of them is the Catholic basilica called the Basilica of Bom Jesus (also known as Basílica do Bom Jesus or Borea Jezuchi Bajilika). The building houses the remains of St. Francis Xavier or Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera, based on who you ask. In 1986, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also among the world’s Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin.
If you look at the Basilica of Bom Jesus pictures, you can clearly see it as an amalgamation of Portuguese colonial and baroque architecture. It must be noted that the Basilica of Bom Jesus Church is not the same as Bom Jesus Church Nachinola.
Basilica of Bom Jesus History
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. Its length is 183 ft, its width is 55 ft, and its height is 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. In addition to a choir, the church itself has two chapels, a main altar, and a sacristy. A belfry is located at the rear.
As you enter the Bom Jesus Church Goa, you’ll see a wooden statue of St. Francis Xavier on the left and an altar of St. Anthony on the right, beneath the choir. The cenotaph of Dom Jeronimo Mascarenhas is located in the centre of the nave on the northern wall. Slabs bearing the dates of the consecration and the start of construction are inscribed in Latin and Portuguese on the two columns that hold up the choir.
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 of the nave.
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. Although the Basilica’s interior is quite plain, you would be mesmerised by the beauty of the ornate gilded altars. 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. Above the emblem is the Holy Trinity. The altar table carries the figures of Christ and his apostles during the Last Supper, aided with the words “Hi Mhoji Kudd” (transl. This is my Body in Konkani).
The Basilica of Bom Jesus Church artistically 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, finishing it in 10 years. In front of the coffin is a silver statue. 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. Each of the seven panels that divide the casket’s sides has two plates that depict significant events in the saint’s life in relief. It is an exquisite mix of Italian and Indian art. It was recently restored in 2021.
A hallway that leads to the sacristy is adjacent to the Chapel. It has an apse at the end and is an oblong vaulted structure. Above a delicately carved chest of drawers, the portraits of various saints are kept alongside the walls. An iron chest holding a golden rose is located on the altar at the apse.
The Professed House is connected to the Basílica Do Bom Jesus by a one-story building on its southern wing. The two-story laterite building covered in lime plaster predates the Basilica, having been finished in 1585. It was rebuilt after some of its long hallways and roomy apartments were destroyed by fire in 1663. Between 1886 and 1887, an additional story was demolished on top.
New additions to the Basílica do Bom Jesus include flying buttresses on the church’s north side. The original vaulted ceiling has now been replaced with a plain wooden one.
Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery
The Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery features paintings by Goan surrealist painter Dom Martin. The stairs by the sacristy lead to the gallery on the upper level. It overlooks the tomb. It is Asia’s biggest collection of its kind. It includes 36 oil paintings and 14 ink drawings. It was commissioned by the late Fr. George D’Sa.
Oil on Canvas (1975), 48 ins. x 72 ins.
Courtesy – Dom Martin
‘The Last Judgement‘ (6ft x 9ft) and ‘Genesis‘ (4ft x 28ft) are two of the biggest paintings on exhibit at the Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery. All of these artworks were created from 1973 to 1976. Photographs of churches and other monuments by renowned photographer Benoy Behl are displayed at the gallery as well. It also features wooden carvings of the saints.
Image Courtesy – WanderOn
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