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Centuries ago, Portuguese settlers and colonists built the Convent of Santa Monica in Velha Goa. Today, the convent is home to the Museum of Christian Art, where you find beautiful pieces of art and history that date back to the 17th century. Most of the artwork you find here is actually created by Indian artisans and artists, using traditionally Hindu techniques that were passed from one generation to another. The pieces use elements like precious metals and stones, carved ivory and more. The building itself is steeped in history, and it is one of the few establishments of its kind in the continent today. The museum is close to Margao and Panaji, and is well worth spending the afternoon in or a rainy day. There are beautifully and intricately embroidered vestments worn by priests, and ‘mass kits’ that were carried by priests while visiting villages. ALSO READ: Breathtaking Museums in Goa for a Dose of History
The museum consists of some incredible paintings, like the one of St. Ursula that once was part of the Se Cathedral in Goa. There is also a work portraying Jesus, the Good Shepherd, carved from ivory in the 17th century, along with a bust of St. Margaret of Antioch that has a cavity in the chest that supposedly held a relic of the legendary saint. The museum itself is relatively young, founded in 1994 and the first of its kind in the continent back then. It was first formed at the Rachol seminary, but moved to the convent later on. The exhibits here cover works of art from the 17th to 20th centuries, with unique flourishes formed over the course of Portuguese colonization. And when you are here, do not forget to visit the Cross of Miracles or Church of the Weeping Cross. The cross inside the chapel is said to have wept tears of blood back in the 17th century.
BEST TIME TO VISIT GOA
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