Holy Spirit Church, , Goa India

The Holy Spirit Church is located in the Old Market Square of the commercial town Margao, supposedly the most densely populated place in Goa. Goa was liberated from the Portuguese colonial rule in 1961 so all of Goa including the Holy Spirit Church has a touch of the Portuguese architecture. The church square is also known as the Largo Di Igreja.

The Church of Holy Spirit was first built in 1564 by Jesuit missionaries who arrived in India mainly from Europe, following the footsteps of Francis Xavier, the co-founder of the Society of Jesus and a pioneering catholic missionary hailing from Spain. Besides being a religious place the Holy Spirit Church also oozes history. It was the first church to be ever built in Margao but was destroyed during the Muslim invasion of Salcette in 1571. It was then rebuilt in 1645 and took 30 years to be completed. It is believed that the church was built on a site on which at one time was present the Damodar temple. The temple was then demolished to build the church and church grounds.

The Holy Spirit Church is made of beautiful white stone and resonates with an aura of divinity even when viewed from the outside. Its architecture is one of the finest examples of the Indo Baroque style that uses palaces built around an entrance of courts, grand staircases and reception room of significant opulence to impress visitors. The outer façade of the building consists of white exteriors with towers lying on either side of a central dome structure. The interiors of the Holy Spirit Church are even more beautiful with its walls and ceilings dripping with gilt crystal and engravings. There are also altars that are heavily decorated and are dedicated to the conception of Mary, St. Peter, and others. The church also has a gorgeous pipe organ.

The Church of the Holy Spirit celebrates its Feast Day in the final weeks of May. It consists of an outdoor fair that continues for the next five or six days. The feast is scheduled prior to the monsoon and involves people coming from all over Goa to buy their provisions of dry fish, household items, spices, furniture, and many other products. There is an abundance of bright-orange 'sweet-meet' stalls that line the street. People from all over Goa and visitors come in large numbers to the feast.

Margao has a pleasant climate all throughout the year except in the summer months. Summers last from March to June and are extremely hot with temperature reaching up to 40°C. Typically tourist footfall is very less in these months. Winters start from November and last till February and are the ideal time to visit the Holy Spirit Church.