Twenty-five years after the departure of the Portuguese in 1961, these lofty and magnificent monuments were accorded the status of World Heritage Site. Tourist and locals flock to this place not only out of religious reverence but also appreciate the fine skills of artisans and sculptors. The Basilica of Bom Jesus, is perhaps the holiest Catholic site in South and East Asia. Here, in a silver casket designed by the Italian Jesuit Marcello Mastrilli and executed by Goan goldsmiths, rest the relics of the body of St. Francis Xavier, on display once every 10 years.
The other churches at Old Goa include the imposing Se Cathedral, which took nearly a century to build. Then there is the church of Our Lady of Rosary was built in 1544-49, which with cylindrical turrets on each corner of its facade, gives it the appearance of a fortress church. The gateway to Old Goa through which Portuguese general Afonso de Albuquerque entered is marked by the Chapel of St. Catherine. Opposite the Basilica of Bom Jesus on a hill, stands the convent and church of St. Monica. Next to it is the mighty church of St. Augustine built in 1602, of what only a crumbling, yet daunting tower still remains.
In the vicinity of St. Cajetan's Church, one can still see the ruins of the gate of Adil Shah's Palace. Adil Shah of Bijapur was a former ruler of Goa, before the advent of the Portuguese. It was a magnificent storeyed structure with lofty staircases held in awe by the traveller of the pre-Portuguese era.
