Basilica of Bom Jesus Church

Address: Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa, Goa 403402, India

Website: https://www.goatourism.gov.in/

Admission: Free entry to the church (museum/treasury may have separate charges)

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is a 16th- to 17th-century Jesuit church in Old Goa, India, consecrated in the early 1600s and included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Churches and Convents of Goa. It is one of the oldest and most important Christian sites in India.

The basilica houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier in a silver casket, displayed on special occasions and attracting pilgrims from India and abroad. The interior and baroque altar pieces reflect Portuguese colonial ecclesiastical architecture.

Constructed during the Portuguese period in Goa, the building has been maintained as an active church and pilgrimage destination and is preserved as part of the historic centre of Old Goa. It remains an important site for Catholic devotional practice on the subcontinent.

The basilica stands in Old Goa on the banks of the Mandovi estuary, close to other colonial-era churches and convents.

• Heritage status: Consecrated in the early 17th century, the basilica is a UNESCO World Heritage site within Old Goa’s churches and convents listing.
• Relics: The relics of St. Francis Xavier are kept in a silver casket and are periodically displayed to the public during special events and jubilees.

What to See#

• Tomb of St. Francis Xavier: The silver casket on the main altar contains the relics of St. Francis Xavier and forms the focal point of veneration and periodic public displays.
• Colonial ensemble: The church interior and façade are part of the Portuguese-era ecclesiastical ensemble in Old Goa and are preserved as part of the UNESCO Churches and Convents of Goa listing.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is in Old Goa (Velha Goa), close to the Sé Cathedral and other historic churches. From Panaji (Panjim) follow NH66/SH1 to Old Goa (about a 10 km drive); regular local buses and taxis run from Panaji and from Vasco da Gama. Once in Old Goa the churches are a short walk from the main parking and bus stops.

• Aim for a weekday morning to avoid the busiest tourist times in Old Goa and to get unobstructed views of the baroque interior and altar area.
• Combine your visit with the adjacent Museum of Christian Art and the nearby Se Cathedral-the museum is often quieter and provides context and artifacts that many visitors miss.
• Avoid attending during major masses and feast days if your priority is sightseeing rather than a religious service; those times bring large local crowds and restrict movement inside the church.