Goa Church Guide
The chapel was made to mark the victory of Alphnso, the portuguese traveler who conquered Goa. Built in typical Portuguee style, the church is an absolute delight to eyes. Our Lady of Mount is said to be saviour of the people of Goa
Location : The Chapel of Our Lady of Mount is located in Old Goa.
Best time to visit : Goa can be visited whole year round, the peak season being December to February.
An Introduction
Built on top of a hill, the Chapel of Our Lady of Mount, lies about 2-km on the main road towards Ponda, in Old Goa. The Chapel was constructed by Alphinsi de Albuquerque in 1510. The chapel was made to mark the victory of Alphnso over Goa. Built in typical Portuguee style, the church is an absolute delight to eyes. The three altars in the chapel are dedicated to Our Lady of Mount, St. Anthony and St. Andrew. The chapel is built of laterite and is plastered with lime mortar. During 16th century, King Adil Shah attacked Portuguese and made an artillery station on the hilltop near the chapel, that inflicted heavy damages on the Portuguese forces.
Architecture of the Chapel
The Chapel is vaulted and has the dimensions of a reasonable church, with three altars , the middle one being consecrated to Our Lady of Mount. A building with two floors is attached to it, with some cells and apartments fot the residence of the Chaplain. Constructed to house a few hundred devotees, the chapel is a rectangular hall oriented in the East-west direction ; the east end with the main sanctuary and the west end with a mezzanine to house the choir and is approached by a spiral staircase in the northern wall. The Vestry and The Sarcristy are located adjacent to the main sanctuary. The chapel is constructed over a laterite hill that forms a strong base for its foundation. It has load bearing masonry walls of laterite with a mixture of mud and laterite aggregates sandwiched between the two leaves of single block thick laterite masonry , laid in lime mortar.
Getting there
Reaching Old Goa is easy, as one can get buses, taxis and motorcycles from Panajim. The Chapel is 2 Km from Old Goa, so one can hire taxi or auto-rickshaw to reach to the place. Local transportation also include Motorcycles on hire.
Accommodations
Goa has a vast option for stay. There are many luxury, star rated and budget hotels available all ovber Goa. Old Goa is also no exception. One can also opt for stay in Panaji, 10 Km from Old Goa. Government of India and Goa also have hotels and guest houses in Goa.
