Location:
Talaulim, banks of River Siridao, Goa
Highlights: Excellent construction, Blend of Indian and European
architectural styles, Feast of St. Anne
How to Reach: St. Anne church can be easily reached by hiring
local transport like buses, taxi and autos in Goa.
The church of St. Anne of Goa is noted for its remarkable architecture
in India. The present day church was reconstructed by Mons Francisco do
Rego with his own money. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, he could
not complete the construction and Father Antonio Francisco da Cunha was
bestowed with the responsibility of completing the construction of the
church. The church was finally completed in 1965. The story as to how
the church got the name of Saint Anne is very interesting.
The villagers who were living in Talaulim in Goa in the year 1577
purchased a plot of land on which a small monastery was to be built to
ease the process of conversion. Though the monastery was constructed, it
was not dedicated to any saint. One day a man reported an incident in
which he had a vision of a woman walking down the hill with a cane and a
hat and claimed that the monastery was her abode. At the same time, a
Brahmin woman claimed that a similar woman had held her hand in her
dream when she was very sick thus miraculously curing her. The woman had
told her that her name was Anna and she wanted to reside in the
monastery.
The Brahmin lady graciously converted to Christianity following the
miraculous cure. The whole village was stunned and the priest decided to
sanctify the church in the name of St. Anne. This is how the church came
to be known as the Saint Anne church. Every year, the feast of St. Anne
is celebrated throughout Goa on July 26th. In Talaulim it is celebrated
with much more fun and enthusiasm and is known as Cucumber Feast. Though
introduced by the Portuguese, the Goans modified the celebrations in
their own style without changing the dates.
