Goa has it all, sun, sand, and sea. It is nature’s gift to mankind. A unique blend of Latin & Oriental, incredibly rich in monuments and historical sites, dazzling variety of exotic flora and fauna. Lush green hinterland, rivers that offer water adventure sports that will thrill you beyond expectation. Goa has a timeless charm… its uniqueness lies in the fact that, whilst creating a delicate synthesis of various cultures, it has retained its inherent soul. The Portuguese named it ‘The pearl of the orient’. Goa owes its dominant Christian influences to almost four centuries of Portuguese rule. The Portuguese influences produced a blend of East and West, which is exotic and distinct. Christmas and Carnival are celebrated as enthusiastically as Diwali or Durga Puja.

REACHING THERE
In terms of connectivity, the destination is well defined by all means of transport be it air, rail or road.
Air- Goa has an airport at Dabalim, named God Airport. It is situated near the part city of Vasco da Gama, 30 kms from the capital Panaji. Direct flights by Indian Airlines and private airlines with Bangalore, Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai etc. Jet Airways has four flights daily between Delhi & Mumbai. Sahara Airlines also flies direct to Mumbai & Delhi.

Rail- The main railway station in Goa is Madgaon (Margoa) Vasco is the oldest railway station of Goa. With the opening of Kankan Railway, rail journey to Goa has become very convenient and quick with direct services from Delhi, Ahmadabad, Mumbai, Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram. Major sation in Goa are Pednem, Thivim (Near Mapusa), Karmali (Near Old Goa) Madgaon and Canacona.
Road- Goa is well connected by National Highways and State Highways. The capital of Goa is connect by Inter-State buses to Bangalore 598 kms, Kochi 833 kms, Daman 787 kms, Pune 458 kms, Ratnagiri 268 kms, Shirdi 664 kms, Mumbai 594 kms, Mangalore 371 kms, Mahabaleswar 425 kms, Jog Falls 274 kms.

WHAT TO SEE AND EXCURSIONS
The beach capital of India, Goa has more to offer beyond the beautiful nature. Amongst the other must visit landmarks in Goa its many churches. The entire Indian state of Goa is dotted with churches that reveal the rich religious heritage of Goa. The churches of Goa are monuments in stone.
The “Church of Old Goa” has received recognition by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is a popular tourist attraction.  

Here are a few popular churches which are MUST VISIT sites in Goa.
Basilica of Born Jesus- Dedicated to infant (Born) Jesus, the Basilica of Born Jesus is famous throughout the Raman Catholic world. The Church houses the Holy sacrament and the remains of St. Francis Xavier. The construction of the Church began in 1594 and was completed in 1605. Its richly gilded main alter has the figure of infant Jesus. Up above, there is a big statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the order of Jesuit. The holy Trinity- the father, the son and the Holy Ghost are depicted on a medallion.
Se Cathedral- This is the largest church in Goa, India and reportedly all Asia. The original building was constructed of mud and stones and strow and was erected in 1510 and was dedicated to St. Catherine for it was on St. Catherine’s day – Nov 25th that Alfonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa. The Portuguese viceroy, Don Francisco Coutinho, the Count of Redondo (1561- 1564) commissioned its construction. The construction begun in 1562 and completed in 1652. He wanted it to be “a grandiose church worthy of the wealth, power and frame of the Portuguese who dominated the seas from the Atlantic to the pacific. “ Se Cathedral has 14 altars, an 80m long aisle and 5 bells- one of them is the famous “golden bell”.

The Church of Mae de Deus- Situated 13 kms. From Panaji amidst picturesque surroundings, in the village of Saligao, this beautiful church is the finest piece of gothic style. The shrine of the miraculous statue of Mae de Deus (Mother of God) was bought here.

Church of St. Andrew- At the northern end of Goa Velha, is the Church of St. Andrew, wherein, a fortnight before Easter, 30 statues of the saints the stolen. Later these are paraded around the roads of the village.

Convent and Church of St. Cajetan, Mapusa- It was built by Indian friars of the order of Theatines in 1640. The friars were missionaries appointed by the Pope Urban VII to preach Christianity to the Kingdom of Golconda. The church is dedicated to our Lady of Divine Providence but is popularly called St. Cajetan. The founder of the Order of Theatines. The Church of St. Cajetan has been modeled after the Basilica of St. Peter’s Roma. Its length is 121 feet and breadth 81 feet. It is built of laterite stone and is lime plastered. The external architecture is Corinthian and the interior mosaic- Corinthian.

For more details please contact:
India Tourism
Govt. of India,
Transport Bhawan,
Parliament street ,
New delhi 110 001
Email : contactus@incredibleindia.org