Basilica of Bom Jesus

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is the most important church in Goa and one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Asia. Completed in 1605, it is dedicated to the Infant Jesus and holds the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier — the Jesuit missionary who brought Christianity to India, Japan, and much of East Asia — in an ornate silver and glass casket raised on an elaborate mausoleum inside the right transept.

The exterior is imposing: the facade combines Doric, Corinthian, and Composite columns with basalt inlay work, and the interior is dark and richly carved. The side chapel and the sacristy are particularly fine. The church was declared a Minor Basilica in 1946 and is protected as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Entry is free; photography inside is restricted.

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A story
St Francis Xavier died off the coast of China in 1552, far from Goa. His body was carried back, and when it arrived in Old Goa years later, it was reported to be entirely uncorrupted. The remains have been displayed periodically since then — the last public exposition was in 2024, drawing millions of pilgrims. Between expositions, the body lies in its silver casket 2.7 metres above the floor, in a tomb that the Grand Duke of Tuscany donated in exchange for the pillow on which the saint died.