This baroque style church, now a ‘World Heritage Monument’ located in the beautiful Goa state of India. While I had been there when I was very young, my friend Lata, the owner of Dot Com Women, visited it recently and gave me this very recent photo of the place. That is Lata and her little daughter Sanika that you see in the picture.

The basilica is devoted to Bom Jesus (or Infant Jesus) and apart from it’s magnificent interiors, is famous for holding the holy mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. The saint, a member of the Society of Jesus worked for the upliftment of people in Goa and shortly thereafter died on a sea voyage near Japan and was subsequently buried there.

One year later, it was decided to shift his remains to Goa. While doing that, it is said that the body was found intact - just like it was when it was buried.

The body is still on display there in a decorative casket and is also made public every ten years when people can actually touch the body. The holy saint’s body is said to have miraculous healing powers.

The church is located in Old Goa, about 10 minutes from Panjim City and is exactly opposite to ‘Se Cathedral’.