Walking around parts of Old Goa is like walking through history. Every few hundred metres there is a haunting legacy from the past which springs up like a pleasant apparition. Ancient churches, laterite towers, temples and of course the Viceroy's Arch on the banks of the Mandovi river, which flows by the ancient city.
Once, centuries ago, when the city of Old Goa (Panaji was not even in existence then) was the grande dame of the Indian subcontinent, and known as the city of lights and of prosperity, it was this arch which served as its overarching gateway.
You had to pass under it, after your boat or dhow pulled up on the banks of the Mandovi river and you walked into the city of Old Goa.
The Viceroy's Arch was built by explorer Vasco da Gama's grandson Francisco, who had been appointed the Viceroy in the year 1597. If you observe closely, the arch has been ornamented with the emblem of a deer, which was a part of the coat of arms of Vasco da Gama. Just above it is the statue of the great explorer himself, whose will and determination found a new oceanic route to Goa, a history-altering discovery in the world of marine exploration.
