Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception

Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception

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This church is the first one to be built in Goa in 1541. It is situated just above the Adil Khan Palace and atop a hill which is called Bairro Altos de Pilotos as huge beacons used to be lit to guide ships into the estuary ahead of the light house. The Municipal Garden is in front of the church and to its left if you go a few steps down a lane you will the Jama Masjid. A little ahead of that is the Mahalaxmi temple. To its right down a road is the Secretariat Building. Hence this is truly liberal as there is a church a mosque as well a temple all in the same vicinity. The Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is one of the most elegant and beautiful monuments in Goa. The Viceroy developed the land in 1843 and after a few years the "Praca de Flores" which means the "Square of Flowers" was constructed in front of the Church. Later on as the number of people visiting the church increased, its area was expanded as well. The Church Square is an excellent example of the remarkable Portuguese Baroque style. The Church is a white edifice which is topped with a huge bell that is situated between two delicate Boroque style towers. This bell which initially belonged to the Augustinian Church of Our Lady in old Goa was shifted here in 1871. The interiors of the Church are plain and ordinary. What you can look out for is the main altar dedicated to Mary Immaculate. There are two more altars, where the one on the left has Jesus Crucified and to the right is Our Lady of the Rosary. On both the sides there are two marble statues, one of St. Peter and the other of St. Paul. On the right of the main altar in the south transept there is a Chapel of St. Francis Xavier. There is also a high, symmetrical, crisscrossing stairway which is an interesting piece of architecture. As the exteriors of the Church are quite beautiful it has featured in a number of Bollywood fil