Goa
Arrival In Goa
The train arrives in Goa at around 07.30 hrs. Breakfast is served on board.
Thereafter, tourists are taken to explore some of the most famous places in
the Goa.
About Goa
Goa is one of the best tourist places in India. Having remaind under the
control of the Portuguese for a long time, Goa's cultural life has been
amply affected by them. Numerous churches dot the landscape of Goa and there
architecture is worth seeing and appreciating. Apart from the churches, what
have made Goa immensely popular with the visitors are its long stretch of
beaches and a number of temples. All these and much more, together
contribute to make Goa the place that it is today.
Morning Sightseeing
» Basilica of Born Jesus Church - This church is
dedicated to the patron saint of Goa, St Francis Xavier, who died while on
his way to China in the year 1552. Keeping his last wish of being buried in
Goa, his followers brought back his body from China after an year. However,
they were pleasantly surprised to find that the body was as fresh as it was
on the day of burial. It is this extraordinary phenomenon that draws a
number of tourists every year to this church. The number of tourists is
maximum at the time of Exposition or public viewing of the body that takes
place after every ten years. Apart from its religious significance, the
church is also worth vsiting due to its architectural finness.
» Se Cathedral - Dedicated to St Catherine, the Se
Cathedral was built in eighty years after facing much difficulty. The
cathedral displays the Cross of Miracles, which in keeping with its name, is
supposed to have miraculous healing powers to cure of human sickness. The
Cross is also believed to grow in size. Apart from this, Se cathedral is
also important because earlier, it was at this place that the remains of St
Francis Xavier was kept.
» St Francis of Assisi - Not far off from Se
cathedral is another important church of Goa - that of St Francis of Assisi.
Dedicated to the St Francis of Assisis, the church is the result of
tremendous efforts put in by the eight Fransican Friars. The church, built
in Tuscan style, reflects an architectural brilliance with both the grand
exterior and interior. There is a large statue of the St Francis and Lord
Jesus on the main altar. The convent at the back of the church houses a
museum which showcases archaeological relics.
» Panjim - After visits to few of the churches of
Goa, its time to explore the capital of Goa on foot. Panjim is situated on
the banks of river Mandovi and has some old Latin houses known as the
Fontanhas. It is time to see the place going on with its usual routine.
Tourists can also do a bit of shopping in Panjim.
» Lunch - Taste some of the exotic Goan dishes at
the beach resort. Thereafter, proceed to spend some free time at the beach.
Goa has so much to offer that no matter how much time tourists spend there,
it seems less to them. Attractions in Goa are aplenty, but tourists need to
pack up and head towards the Madgoan Railway Station.
Back to the Deccan Odyssey
Tourists are brought back to the Deccan Odyssey in the evening at 16.15
hrs. The train departs for Kolhapur at 17.15 hrs. Dinner is served on board.