G20 delegates visit historic Goa church, dine at Portuguese-era mansion

A group of G20 delegates on Thursday visited the historic Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, a UNESCO World Heritage site that also holds the holy relics of St Francis Xavier.

The delegates also visited Museum of Christian Art and a Portuguese-era mansion built in 1590 where a grand luncheon was hosted for them, a day after the crucial G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting concluded here.

UK's Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries, Sir John Whittingdale, Canada's Ambassador in India, Cameron MacKay, and senior officials from tourism ministries of various other G20 member and guest countries, were given a guided tour of this historic precinct of Goa. The first stop was Basilica of Bom Jesus, known for its Baroque architecture. Its construction began in 1594 and upon completion it was consecrated in 1605.

Endowed with high ceiling, made of wood, the old church has a exquisite altar, and on its southern side, the holy relics of St Francis Xavier are kept in a ceremonial casket atop an ornamental pedestal.

The delegates were welcomed with a traditional Indian scarf and colourful folk music at the old church which comes under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India.

''We had a very constructive decision yesterday about the challenges facing the tourism sector, but today it is a wonderful opportunity to see some of the heritage beauty of Goa, so I am really delighted,'' Whittingdale told PTI soon after visiting the church.

He was given a guided tour of the historic church by Fr. Patricio Fernandes, who also shared how the mortal remains of the holy saint were moved from different places in the world, to finally rest in Goa.

''And, to be shown around the Basilica of Bom Jesus, and to hear about the history of the relics of St Francis Xavier, all that is hugely memorable, a great privilege to be able to see,'' the UK minister said.

Delegates from Australia, Germany, Mauritius, Indonesia, the US, Oman, among others, also took part in the excursion that began in the morning.

The second heritage site on the itinerary was Museum of Christian Art, located in the World Heritage site of Old Goa, on the Holy Hill, towards the West end of Santa Monica Nunnery, established in the 17th century, according to information shared in a G20 brochure by the Tourism Ministry of India.

The delegates then visited the historic Mangeshi Temple in Ponda, where they also attended an ''aarti''.

The temple originally stood on the banks of river Zuari, and the temple deity was shifted in 1560 AD, the brochure says.

The last stop was Figueiredo Mansion, a building from the Portuguese era whose oldest part was constructed in 1590. It has been beautifully preserved and converted into a 'living home museum', replete with period furniture, antique ceramic plates on walls, and old camera and typewriters.

A sumptuous lunch was served to ministerial delegates on a long table with exquisite cutlery and tableware amid the strains of live music played by a group of trio in matching Goan dress.

Dieter Janecek, head of the German delegation, said, ''The experience so far has been amazing, and great food too.'' Canadian envoy MacKay described the experience during the G20 events in Goa as ''terrific''.

''Tourism sector in India has a lot of room to grow, these incredible historic sites to see, people have been so warm, food has been outstanding, and later I will be seeing some of Goa's famous beaches, so I couldn't be just happier to be here in Goa, and so happy to be hosted by the government of Goa and the government of India,'' he told PTI at Figueiredo Mansion.

The mansion is still occupied by the descendants of the family which built it in 16th century.

Pedro Figueiredo said he is the 13th generation now, living in the old house.

''We also have homestays here, and about 20 per cent of our guests are Portuguese tourists, including those who have ancestral links with India,'' he told PTI.

The fourth and final G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting was held from June 19-20 followed by the Tourism Ministerial Meeting on June 21.

A Goa Roadmap and Action Plan, and a ministerial outcome document later came out at the end of the G20 meeting here.

''#G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting successfully concludes at Goa. Strong support for the 5 key inter related priorities for sustainable, resilient and inclusive tourism,'' the Union Tourism Ministry tweeted on Wednesday.

Tourism ministers and delegates from various G20 members and guest countries attended the ministerial meeting.

About 130 delegates from countries such as the US, the UK, Spain, South Africa, Russia, Mauritius, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Nigeria, Oman, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and top international organisations took part in the event in Goa.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)