The Church of Bom Jesus (Holy Jesus), Daman

More than 400 years old Portuguese Church. Elevated exterior and amply decorated interior compels one to marvel at the artisan skills.

Except knowing it as one of the union territories we were totally ignorant about Daman. Cousin "G" newly got posted here. It was his idea for us to visit his home clubbing with Diu and Gujarat.

After breaking our journey in Kolhapur from Bangalore we reached Daman around 1 o'clock. Daman is at a distance of 533 KM from Kolhapur. The route was;
Kolhapur-Karad-Satara-Pune-Thane-Talasari-Bhilad-Vapi-Daman.

Info: Captain Diogo De Melo was heading toward Ormuz when his boat was caught in wild blizzard, so accidentally he anchored in Daman in the year 1523. From then onwars Daman remained a Portuguese colony for more than 400 years until 1961, 14 years after Indian independence.  Less popular than its cousin "Goa" where tourists throng, Daman offers a vibrant Portuguese architecture and culture.

In the wintry afternoon passing through a various colonial buildings, we reached the Church of Bom Jesus. The church was completed in its present form in 1603 A.D. More than 4 century old church is dedicated to Bom Jesus. During the early days of the Portuguese rule it functioned as a parish church. Beautifully arched brown wooden door goes well with white background. Elevated exterior and amply decorated interior compels us to marvel at the artisan skills of that period. Lofty ceiling, carved and gilded altar embellished with the statues of six saints are mesmerizing. The intricate designs on the main altar, adjacent altars, and pulpit were incredible. 

As it is noon we had the entire church for ourselves and the amazing feeling we had can't be described in words. If this is not absolute peace and serenity we don't know what it is.