Pilar Seminary, Panjim, Goa India

A leisurely jaunt  near the village of Goa Velha, and you are at the doorstep of Pilar Seminary, a hillock that has immense significance for both devotees and pilgrims. Defined as an institution of education to impart the teachings of theology to students, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy; the Pilar Seminary owes its establishment to the Capuchins, who established it in 1613.

Positioned inside the Church of our Lady of Pilar, the Pilar Seminary also houses the tomb of Father Agnelo D’Souza, with the tomb enticing countless pilgrims every year. Adding further allure to the site is the area around the Pilar, believed to have contained a former temple.

Getting to the Pilar Seminary, one sweeps up a serpentine road that commences in the plains, before wrapping itself up the hills. Once at the Pilar, the fading facade of yellow is a tad disconcerting but only just, as the new wing with a contemporary chapel more than makes up for it, with the circular marble platform, stained glass windows made in Germany, and lustrous paintings by a Goan artist adding their share of charm, the centre piece of which representing the Lady of Pilar. Also present is the statue of Our Lady of Pilar, brought all the way from Spain, the Lady stationed on a column toted by angels, the pulpit bedecked generously, as is the hallmark of the church.