Govt to upgrade facilities at Old Goa church complex ahead of decennial exposition of St Francis Xavier's relics

Panaji: The Goa tourism department will upgrade the infrastructure at heritage sites in Old Goa before the decennial exposition of relics of St Francis Xavier scheduled next year, State Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Khaunte held a meeting with the church authorities and other stakeholders at Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, where the relics are housed.

Facilities at Old Goa Church complex will be upgraded under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme, launched by the Centre in 2019, the minister told reporters after the meeting.

The upgradation of facilities in terms of infrastructure support, mobility, toilets, information counters and others is required in Old Goa ahead of the decennial exposition St Francis Xavier’s relics, which is scheduled to take place in 2024, he said.

The decennial exposition would be held from November 21, 2024 till January 5, 2025 in Old Goa.

Church authorities and other stakeholders have been taken into confidence, and authorities like the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which has been maintaining the complex, have given a clearance to implement the PRASAD scheme, Khaunte said.

Pilgrimage tourism has seen an exponential rise after the markets open post the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.