Goa religious places are world-famous and for the sightseeing of religious places of Goa, people from across the world come to visit Goa. Goa has the second largest community of Christians in India. In fact not just Christianity, you will find an equal proportion of Hindus and Muslims in this state. With the invasion of Portuguese came introduction of highly revered shrines, like Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, Basillica of Bom Jesus, and Se Cathedral. There are several other Goan religious places, apart from Goa Churches, including temples, of tourist interest.

  Churches of Goa, India

Goa is rich in varied types of tourist attraction. To be very frank to serve to every taste it has everything. However, the ones which have really made it stand out of entire lot are beaches and churches. If you are mainly on beach vacations then Baga, Colva and Benaulim among others are ideal to look for. There is a vast list of churches to be incorporated if you want to explore the grace of numerous churches in Goa and the story and significance attached to them.

Regarded as important institutions the churches in Goa are the ones which are carrying forward Portuguese legacy. The churches of Goa are the rich examples of Portuguese style of architecture. Churches were constructed in place of temples which were demolished during 1812. During that period lands were seized from the temples and were given to the churches.

Being the typical representation of European architectural styles Churches of Goa don't bear only religious or historical value but have heavy architectural worth too. In Goa many churches hold great social values in them and the sole reason behind this is that they contribute immensely towards education in Goa.

Most of the churches in Goa are included in the part of the Archdiocese of Goa and there are some churches which are announced the protected sites of the state.

If you are planning to lie around the glory of the churches in Goa on Goa vacations then find below the list of churches:

  Temples of Goa, India

The temples in Goa are alike to the most Hindu temples in India and are based around a deity which is the centre of worship. However because of historical reasons the architecture of the temples in Goa is a little different.

All Hindu temples have a basic design and are organized around the central shrine or the 'Garbagriha' (the 'sanctum sanctorum') that houses the main deity. From the main shrine a 'Shikara' (tower) arises and is traditionally pyramidal shaped. Around the entrance to the Garbagriha there are usually two or more smaller shrines enshrining other deities known as 'Parivar Devatas'.

  Famous temples of Goa are:-

  Mahalaxmi Temple, Goa, India

Mahalaxmi Temple is located in Bandora Village of Goa. The temple is devoted to goddess Mahalaxmi who is the Goddess of power and strength. A beautifully constructed Chowk is the major attraction of the Temple. The temple was constructed as early as 1413 A.D. Tourists from all across the country comes to visit the temple. During Navratri, the temple is more crowded as the festival is celebrated in the temple with great pomp and show.

  Mangeshi Temple, Goa, India

Mangeshi temple is dedicated to Lord Mangueshi who is the incarnation of Lord Shiva. This temple located in Goa is an amalgamation of modern and traditional Hindu pieces of architecture. The legend behind the temple is that Lord Brahma himself sacred the Linga that is worshiped here. Every week on Monday the idol of the presiding deity is taken out in a demonstration.

  Shantadurga Temple, Goa, India

The temple is at a distance of 33 Km from Panjim. Goddess Shantdurga is the idol of this temple. The temple being a typical Goan temple is surrounded by coconut trees, flower gardens as well as paddy fields and is amazing to view.

  Safa Shahouri Masjid, Goa, India

Among the 27 masjids situated in Ponda taluka this masjid is the most renowned masjid. Ibrahim Adilshan of Bijapur had laid foundation of this masjid. You can spot a masonry tank consisting of small rooms in the proximity of this mosque. Initially around the mosque existed beautiful gardens but during Portuguese rule, they got removed.

  The Mahalsa Temple, Goa, India

Mahalsa Temple belonging to the 17th century is located at Mardol in Goa. Lord Vishnu in his Mohini form is the idol who is worshipped at this temple. When the ‘devtas’ and daemons were at loggerheads with each other the kind of incarnation was adopted by Lord Vishnu. On entering the temple, one comes across the Sabha Mandap. Inside the temple you will find amazing wooden carvings. This form of Lord Vishnu is regarded by the people as Narayani.

  Mahadeva Temple, Goa, India

Mahadev temple is located in Kurdi and lies in the vicinity of River Salaulim. In order to prevent the temple from submerging into the dam water the temple was rebuilt at this place. The construction of the temple is done in basalt and laterite stone. In the temple a garbhagriha consisting of three doorways exists. Lord Shiva is the residing deity of this temple and therefore, the shiv linga of Lord Shiva is worshipped here. The temple has Yadava style of architecture with finely carved walls.

  Brahma Temple, Goa, India

This temple is located at a distance of 7 Km distance from Valpoi. In India, there are limited temples of Lord Brahma and this temple is the single temple of Lord Brahma in Goa. The temple belonging to the 5th century A.D is an important religious site of Hindus. Satari taluka was actually the idol of the lord with a large number of religious devotees.