Goa plans Hampi model for upkeep of heritage Church complex

Goa plans to take a leaf out of Hampi on conservation and upkeep of the coastal state’s 17th century Unesco-endorsed Old Goa Church complex, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday.

Sawant’s assurance followed a meeting of officials from the Archaeological Survey of India, state government agencies and representatives of the Goa’s Roman Catholic Church at the state secretariat, in order to streamline the processes for the maintenance of the Old Goa Church Complex, one of the most popular tourism sites in the state, as well as the most significant site of worship for Goa’s Catholic community.

“In future, a co-ordination committee under ASI officials, on the lines of Hampi, will be formed to decide on the maintenance of the Church complex. We will obtain the rules and regulations which are in place for maintenance of the Hampi (complex) too,” Sawant said.

Hampi is a popular tourist destination with a historical importance on account of its monuments and temples, most of which lie in ruins. The site, an erstwhile capital of Vijayanagar empire -which existed between 14th and 16th centuries - is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, just like the Old Goa Church complex, which is also a popular tourist site.

Over the last few weeks, the Rector of the Basilica of Bom Jesus Fr. Patricio Fernandes has been lobbying with the state government to hasten the pre-monsoon repair work.

Sawant said, Goa Chief Secretary Parimal Rai had been tasked with formulating a draft of rules and regulations based on the Hampi model to streamline maintenance works at the Old Goa site.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus, which is the key heritage building in the Unesco-endorsed site, also holds the relics of Spanish Saint Francis Xavier, who died in the mid 1500s.