Information about Chapel Of St.Francis Xavier Church
Location:
State: Goa
Capital: Panji
Language: Konkani, Hindi, English, Marathi
Temperature: Max 33˚C, Min 26˚C (summer), Max 26˚C, Min 14˚C (winter)
Best Season: March to June
How to Reach:
By Air :
Dabolim is the main entry point for Goa situated at a distance of around 29 km from Panaji on the coast near Vasco da Gama. Most domestic airlines operate in Goa apart from chartered private airlines operating from UK and Germany. Indian Airlines has direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai daily. Air India also flies to Goa.
By Rail :
It is not difficult to reach Goa by trains, especially after opening of the Konakan Railway that connects Margao and Vasco da Gama to major cities in India. You can take trains from Delhi 1,874 km), Mumbai (490km), and Bangalore (430 km) to reach Goa comfortably. From the railway stations, you can hire taxis and motorcycle taxis to reach the desired destinations.
By Road:
Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka state transport corporations operate from the Kadamba bus stand at Panaji. Frank Shipping operates a boat service between Mumbai and Panaji.
The churches in Goa largely reflect European architectural styles. Majority of the churches in Goa were built during the Portuguese regime. But even today, these churches stand tall with plenty of historical importance. They have always been architecture of immense interest for visitors whether Indian or foreigners. Chapel and Tomb of St. Francis Xavier is a plain chapel with only one altar and is built of laterite plastered with lime mortar, with tiled roof supported by wooden rafters.
Beauty Of Chapel and Tomb of St. Francis Xavier
St. Francis’s body was initially kept on the third floor of Casa Professade Bom Jesus. This is actually the residential wing of the church Bom Jesus. In the year 1624 the body was taken in a procession to the Chapel of St. Francis of Borgia in the Bom Jesus Church. The silver casket was a simple and plain one. However, in 1637 , the body of the saint was transferred to a new silver casket made by the Goan Silversmiths . This casket or the Tomb of St. Francis is one of the best specimens of adaptation and penetration of Italian art in India. The tomb is the blend of Italian and Indian art. Corinthian columns and the volutes with the typically Indian filigreed decoration. The pyramidal form of the upper part of the casket recalls some Indian ivory coffers or an Indian temple. There are thirty two silver plates on all the four sides of the casket depicting different episodes from the life of the Saint
Something About the Chapel and Tomb of St. Francis Xavier
St. Francis Xavier passed away in the year 1552 in China and it took almost a year ,before the body was brought to Goa . It was his final wish that he be buried in Goa. On 15th March 1554, the body was received solemnly in Goa by the Archbishop, the Vice-Roy, the clergy, the nobility and the people according to the fashion of the time. The funeral took place in the College of St. Paul. Only after three days it was possible to keep the body in a sarcophagus in the Church of the College of St. Paul. The Chapel is a plain one with not much of carving and intricacies.