Captured by : pg 4- go here
Lost in the gorgeous melee of mammoth architectural delights at Old Goa is the St. Catherine’s Chapel, which is known as the first ever Christian ecclesiastical building in the region. While it has fallen off the tourist radar because of its proximity to the much, much larger and grander Basilica of Bom Jesus and the Se Cathedral, the beautiful, cosy chapel has tremendous historical significance.
Official records suggest that the chapel was built by the first Portuguese governor Afonso de Albuquerque in the early 1500s in honour of St. Catherine, after he emerged victorious in his military campaign against Bijapur’s Adil Shah, whose rule included the region of modern-day Goa.What makes the chapel, which was later modified with time, a visual treat are the elegant towers which flank it and mica-shelled mirror.Such was the significance of the chapel for the Portuguese, as one of their earliest milestones of their Asian conquest that a subsequent Portuguese governor ordered that a slab be inscribed alongside with the following…Here on this spot and by door entered the Governor Afonso de Albuquerque reconquered this city from the Moors (Muslims were referred to as moors) on the day dedicated to St. Catherine in the year 1510 in whose honour and memory the Governor Jorge Cabral raised this house in the year 1550." St. Catherine’s chapel Old Goa
Ever thought you could follow the footsteps of Lord Rama on your Goa holiday? Here’s your opportunity. Take a ride to the Cabo de Rama fort located in South Goa’s Canacona area. Legend has it, that this was the Cape where Lord Rama and his wife Sita stayed for a bit during their long exile from the kingdom of Ayodhya.
The fort was captured from a local Hindu ruler by the Portuguese in the late 1700s and has served as the coastal sentinel for South Goa, until the state was liberated by the Indian army in 1961. It also housed a prison in the colonial days.
The fort is at the end of a pleasant ride to Canacona and presents a splendid view of the Arabian sea from the steep cliff where it is located. The vista presents a great photo opportunity against the stunning backdrop of the ocean as well as amidst the thick coconut groves and the rugged landscape of rolling hills and scrubs all around you.
What remains now of the fort, is its protective moat, the tall gate and a church as well as remnants of canons, which were used to defend the fort. There is talk of the government trying to restore the fort to its old glory, but until then the fort’s still a great idea for a fun picnic.
Cabo de Rama Fort
Canacona
