Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Imaculada Conceição
A white baroque church in central Panaji, whose zigzag grand staircase is Goa's most classic postcard view.
This church stands on Church Square in central Panaji. The original was a small chapel built in 1541. It was rebuilt in 1619 to its present scale, and Portuguese sailors arriving from Lisbon would first come here to give thanks. Its white façade is paired with a 19th-century double-sided zigzag staircase, the most common postcard image of Goa. The bell in the tower originally belonged to the Augustinian monastery in Old Goa. The interior is open to visitors outside of Mass times. Dress must cover shoulders and knees, and visitors are asked not to enter during the Sunday morning Masses held in English and Konkani. It is a short walk to the Fontainhas Portuguese old quarter.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–12:30 and 15:00–17:30 (closed during Mass)
Nearby sights
- Fontainhas, Panaji
- Reis Magos Fort
- Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
- Dona Paula
- Fort Aguada
- Divar Island
- Calangute Beach
- Churches and Convents of Old Goa