 Christian Art Museum in Goa was formerly located at the Rachol Seminary near the town of Margao. The museum, however, suffered from one constraint. It was the remoteness of the place and difficulty in accessibility that did not allow a lot of scope for tourism opportunity. Later on this fabulous monument was relocated to the prentices of Santa Monica in Old Goa.
This beautiful example of cultural heritage was originally set up with the financial assistance from Calouste Gulbentian foundation of Portugal and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage at New Delhi. If you want to get a glimpse of some of the best specimen of wonderfully crafted Jesuit art, you must visit the Christian Art Museum. During early days of Portuguese colonization, Christian ideas were spread in Goa. The Portuguese brought with them various articles. You will be able to see many of these exclusive artifacts in the Christian Art Museum.
The museum is all of two storey. The ground floor is 350 sq. m in area and the first floor is 150 sq. m. People who love and appreciate good art and handicraft will not be disappointed. The beautiful Pelican monstrance and other iconography clearly symbolize the fact that holy sacrament is the food for the salvation of man.
There are also various other items of gold and precious stones. There are also silver artifacts like the plaques and caskets. The theme for many of these articles is St. Francis Xavier. There are also a number of ritual objects that are excellent in terms of beauty and skill of the craftsmen. The museum is open everyday from 9:30 am to 5 pm. For children below the age of 12 years, the entry fee is waived. Students can enter after buying a ticket for Rs. 5 while the general price for the ticket is only Rs. 10. The place is just perfect for a visit if you are keen to know about Goa. |
