Cavelossim Church and its traditions

As Cavelossim goes into final bend of preparing for the feast of Sta. Cruz on 3rd May, the festivities are already in full swing..The Luminar of Rodrigues Vangodd was celebrated today with traditional cultural gaiety as done for years togather in the past. Coconuts are roasted in oil with vicks made out of soft cotton cloth tied with pinch of salt , whilst the elders sang the Ladainha in harmonious voices. The whole village gets togather in offering prayers and later enjoy traditional fireworks enchanting kids as well as elders into ecstacy. Long live these traditions...a festival worth a visit. The Holy Cross Church in Cavelossim, in South Goa is situated in a quaint sea side town. During our trip to Carmona, Cavelossim and Agonda, we visited this church. At the intersection of roads, the Church stands on a huge rectangular site in front, which is paved and used for feasts and events. A very pretty Pavilion is situated to the right of the front court yard. Built in 1763 AD, the church has 5 bays and it is 3 stories high. The front facade of the church is beautifully maintained. But the sides and rear are left unattended. There is dry black moss on all the side and back external wall surfaces; infact grass is growing on the horizontal surfaces. There are twin bell towers on either side of the main entrance. The one on the right side of the entrance, holds the larger bell. Sitting atop the bell tower are urn shaped finials. It is a large church and exquisite on the inside, with beautiful wooden pews and antique chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There is a gallery running along the back and sides. During most of the day, one can see daylight streaming through the glass windows from the gallery. It is a beautiful church; when in Goa, please do visit it. The staff is also very helpful.