St Stevens-Santo Estevam Church in Goa

The church of St. Stevens or the Santo Estevam church was built on the island of Jua near Divar in 1759. It was one of the large churches to be built and is special due to its exterior portion resembling a false dome surrounded by twin towers with lanterns.

The main altar of the church is a bit distinctive, ending in a four pillared canopy where St. Steven's statue stands. The church is built in typical Corinthian style with a nave ceiling, double niched side altars and an elegant pulpit. The ceilings are decorated with floral graffiti.

From the St. Estevam village, the fort of Jua can be approached by means of a fairly formidable flight of rough steps. The climb is well worth the effort and at the top is a modern but impressive shrine to Christ the king. Here was a sailor who was visiting the shrine on the day before he left Goa to rejoin his ship. He said that he always came to this spot to say his prayers and farewells and perhaps even to view once more, from this excellent vantage point, his beloved Goa.

The view from the fort is actually scenic looking down towards the iron ore mines and loaded barges moving towards Mormugao. Originally, the fort was believed to serve as an outpost to protect Ilhas from Muslim invasions.

Contact Details


Get Directions:

Google Map