St. Xavier exposition expected to draw millions, Old Goa to get ‘facelift’

Panaji, Nov. 17, 2004 – To ensure a problem–free and public–friendly exposition of the relics of St. Francis Xavier later this month, the Goa state government and the Church are working closely.

The state government has announced an allocation of a budget of 4 crore rupees for the six–week–long event due to start Nov. 21.

By the time it ends on Jan. 2, some 2–3 million pilgrims will have visited and have paid homage to the remains of the Basque Jesuit missionary, organizers estimate. The exposition, that will be held in Old Goa, just east of Panaji, is one of the most anticipated events this year. An exposition committee comprising people from the government and Goa archdiocese is overseeing arrangements.

Exposition Commissioner Bosco George said that the government funds would be spent directly on arrangements for pilgrims, including the building of two camps. However, devotees will have to bring their own bedding.

The state effort is "primarily directed at poor pilgrims," he clarified stating that others can rent existing accommodations.

The camps, being put up about 500 meters from the basilica, can accommodate up to 1,300 pilgrims, who are to be charged a token fee of 5 rupees each, primarily "to collect data." Four schools in the vicinity are expected to accommodate another 1,600 pilgrims.

Pilar Father Joseph Baptista, coordinator for Accommodation and Hospitality, said that requests have been pouring in through the Internet from various parts of India and Bangladesh for accommodation.

Some 10,000 pilgrims are expected to visit daily, and the government aims to accommodate 5,000 "poor" pilgrims each night, George said.

The state has also purchased 30 buses that will shuttle around the periphery of the Old Goa complex. No other vehicles will be allowed closer than a kilometer from the complex.

In a bid to reduce traffic jams, shuttle services will run from Panaji to Old Goa and all trains will stop at Old Goa station, known as Karmali station. Old Goa is the original capital of the Portuguese colony of Goa, which India reclaimed in 1961.

Plainclothes state policemen and private Church security volunteers with experience from previous expositions will provide security.

Se Cathedral, where the saint's relics will be displayed for veneration, and its surroundings have been declared a "sanitized zone." Every pilgrim entering the Cathedral will be frisked to ensure security. The cathedral is about 500 meters away from the basilica, but they have an unobstructed view of each other. The two world heritage monuments are separated by sprawling gardens.

Basilica Rector Father Savio Baretto said that rehearsals for carrying the saint's relic from Bom Jesus to Se Cathedral were held on October 31. Twelve representatives of 19 deaneries, groups of parishes, were selected as pallbearers. Each gets a chance to carry the sealed crystal case encasing the relics.

The case, kept in a silver casket, is brought down from a high niche at the Basilica of Bom Jesus every 10 years for veneration. The body of Saint Francis Xavier, who died in 1552, remained intact for centuries but has decayed. The Jesuits now refer to the remains as a relic.

The Goa government has also announced that it would spend an additional 3 crore rupees to mobilize its plans of broadening roads, and build new road links and at least one bridge.

Father Olavo Velho Pereira acknowledged that government efforts to make the exposition public–friendly seem to be "genuine." As an example, he said the officials' original plan was to charge 50 rupees for ferrying pilgrims to Old Goa, but the state's Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar insisted that it should be reduced to 15 rupees. The minister reasoned that most pilgrims come with families and the higher rate would be prohibitive to even middle–class families, Fr. Pereira said.