Probably the foremost famous church in Goa and one among the foremost revered by Christians globally, the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa is famed for housing the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier. This complex, alongside other churches of Old Goa, features on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Its exterior facade, built using black granite, is noted for Baroque architecture combined with Doric, Corinthian and composite influences.
The church’s interior is richly adorned with wood carvings and paintings that depict scenes from the lives of St Xavier. A silver casket, which contains the sacred relics of the saint, is split into seven panels each of which contains two plates that are representative of the incidents of the saint’s life.
The Basilica of Bom Jesus is that the only church within the state to not have plastered exterior. On November 24, 1594, the inspiration stone of the church was laid and it had been consecrated on May 15, 1605 by the Archbishop of Goa, Fr Alexia de Menezes. It had been raised to the status of basilica in 1946.