Mae De Deus Church, Goa
Mae De Deus Church or Mother of God Church is one of the profound neo-gothic Goa churches standing as proof of the rich culture of Goa. Transfixing the people with its discerning whitewashed walls and medieval pinnacles, this graceful place to worship will remind you of the castles from Disneyland.
Located amidst the pristine surrounding of the typical Goa backwoods in the Bardez Taluka, the church is home to the remarkable statue of the Mae De Deus or the Mother of God. You cannot certainly miss out on the ravishing view of this glistening church, illuminating at the night.
History
The church dedicated to the Mother of God or Our Lady came to be built at Bardez in the 19th Century. Its foundation stone was laid on 7th February 1867 and the Saligao Church was inaugurated on November 26, 1873.
Architecture
Church of Mae De Deus is the best example of the Neo-Gothic architecture style in Goa. Amongst its distinctive features are its spires, each with a cross atop it. In the courtyard of the church is kept another statue of Mother God, but this one is made of black stone.
It is said that the church is built from the stones excavated from three different places. The black stones were brought from the ruins of the Mae de Deus convent in Daujim, the second batch of materials was received from the Chapel of Our Lady of Victory.
The walls of the church are supported by massive buttresses. The main door of the church is almost a full story high in a domed shape. Above the portal is a niche in the façade where resides a statue of Our Lady.
