Se Cathedral (Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina) in Old Goa, Tiswadi taluka, is the seat of the Archbishop of Goa and the largest church in Asia — built by the Portuguese between 1562 and 1619 on the site of a mosque, to commemorate Afonso de Albuquerque's conquest of Goa on November 25, 1510, which happened to be the feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria, to whom the cathedral is dedicated. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, it stands 76 metres long, 55 metres wide, and 35 metres high — and its surviving north tower houses the "Golden Bell," considered the largest and richest-toned bell in Goa.
Se Cathedral
Asia's Largest Church — Built 1562 to Honour Albuquerque's Conquest, Home to Goa's Famous Golden Bell
A Glimpse into the History of Se Cathedral
Foundation (1562) — Built on a Mosque Site
Construction of Se Cathedral began in 1562 under Viceroy Francisco Coutinho, on the site of a mosque that stood in what was the Muslim quarter of Goa before Albuquerque's 1510 conquest. The Portuguese built the cathedral specifically on this site as a statement of Christian supremacy over the previous Islamic administration — a deliberate architectural and political replacement. The chosen site was also adjacent to the Adil Shah palace ruins, placing the cathedral at the symbolic centre of conquered Old Goa.
Completion & The Lost South Tower (1619–1776)
The cathedral took 57 years to complete — consecrated in 1619, making it the product of three generations of Portuguese administration in Goa. It was originally built with two flanking towers on the western facade; the south tower collapsed during a thunderstorm in 1776 and was never rebuilt, giving the cathedral its distinctive asymmetrical single-tower appearance that survives today. The surviving north tower houses the Golden Bell — cast in 1652 and considered the finest-toned bell in Goa and possibly in all of India.
UNESCO Listing (1986) & Seat of the Archbishop
Se Cathedral was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 as part of the "Churches and Convents of Goa" group — the same inscription that covers the adjacent Basilica of Bom Jesus. Unlike most Old Goa churches, Se Cathedral remains a fully functioning cathedral: it is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, the premier Catholic See in India, and continues to hold regular archiepiscopal masses and ceremonies. The Patriarch of the East Indies title is exercised through this cathedral.
Significance of Se Cathedral
Se Cathedral is simultaneously Asia's largest functioning church and India's most important Catholic episcopal seat — the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, who holds the title Patriarch of the East Indies, administers from this cathedral. Its Tuscan-style exterior combined with a Corinthian and Manueline interior makes it architecturally distinct from the Baroque Basilica of Bom Jesus directly opposite: the two buildings represent two entirely different European architectural traditions, constructed within decades of each other on the same Old Goa plaza. The 15 chapels inside the cathedral, each with its own altarpiece, constitute an uninterrupted catalogue of 16th–17th century Portuguese religious art in India.
Festivals & Events at Se Cathedral
Feast of St. Catherine (November 25)
The Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria on November 25 is the cathedral's principal annual celebration — corresponding to the exact date Albuquerque conquered Goa in 1510. A Pontifical Mass is held at the cathedral on this day, and the event carries both religious and historical significance as the founding date of Portuguese Goa. The Portuguese crown funded the cathedral's construction specifically to mark this coincidence of conquest and feast day.
Easter Sunday Mass & Christmas (December)
Se Cathedral draws Goa's largest congregations for Easter Sunday and Christmas midnight mass — as the Archbishop's seat, its services are the premier Catholic observances in the state and attended by both local parishes and visiting pilgrims. The December Feast of St. Francis Xavier at the adjacent Basilica creates a combined pilgrimage zone in Old Goa, with both monuments drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors in the first two weeks of December.
The Golden Bell — Lost Tower, Surviving Legend
Se Cathedral originally had two towers — the south tower collapsed in 1776 and was never rebuilt, leaving the current asymmetric single-tower silhouette. The surviving north tower contains the "Golden Bell" (Sino de Ouro), cast in 1652 — named not for its material but for its exceptional tone. It is the largest bell in Goa and widely cited as the finest-toned bell in all of India. The bell is still rung for archiepiscopal services and major feast days. The collapsed south tower — which visitors can see as the missing void in the cathedral's western facade — was an equally sized structure, and its absence makes the existing single tower appear proportionally larger than it actually is.
Travel Guide to Se Cathedral
How to Reach Se Cathedral
By Air: Dabolim Airport (GOI) ~30 km (~45 min). Manohar Airport MOPA (GOX) ~55 km (~75 min). Taxis from both airports run directly to Old Goa.
By Train: Karmali Railway Station (KMI) ~1.5 km — same station as for Basilica of Bom Jesus; a short auto-ride or 15-minute walk to Se Cathedral. Konkan Railway trains from Mumbai, Pune, Mangaluru, Bengaluru.
By Road: From Panaji ~9 km via NH-748; from Margao ~33 km. KTC buses (Panaji–Old Goa) every 20–30 min. Taxis from Calangute (~25 km) or Baga (~27 km) take 35–40 min.
Best Time to Visit
Nov–Feb (Best): Comfortable temperatures (22–31°C), December 3 St. Francis Xavier Feast at the adjacent Basilica creates a combined Old Goa pilgrimage week. November 25 feast day at Se Cathedral itself. Oct & Mar: Quieter, equally good for photography — the white cathedral exterior photographs best in harsh midday light. Apr–May: Very hot outdoors (36–40°C) but the cathedral interior is cool stone; ideal for photography with no crowds. Jun–Sep: Monsoon — green surrounding gardens, no tourists, cathedral open; the Old Goa complex is atmospheric in rain.
Local Attractions
Basilica of Bom Jesus (~200 m): UNESCO Baroque church directly opposite — St. Francis Xavier's Medici silver casket; combine both in one Old Goa visit.
Church of St. Francis of Assisi (~50 m): 16th-century UNESCO church attached to the same plaza with an archaeological museum of Portuguese paintings and azulejos tiles.
Archaeological Museum Old Goa (~100 m): Housed in the convent of St. Francis of Assisi — Portuguese-era sculptures, portraits of viceroys, hero stones pre-dating the Portuguese.
Fort Aguada (~18 km): Goa's finest Portuguese fort with the 1864 lighthouse — day-trip combination from Old Goa by taxi.
Tips for Visitors
Dress code strictly enforced — shoulders and knees covered for both men and women. Se Cathedral being an active archiepiscopal seat applies this more strictly than most Goa churches; carry a scarf if wearing a sleeveless top.
Do the Old Goa triangle on foot — Basilica of Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral, and Church of St. Francis of Assisi are all within 300 metres of each other. Allow 2–3 hours for all three without rushing.
If visiting near a mass or feast day, listen for the Golden Bell from the north tower — it's rung for major archiepiscopal services and is audible across Old Goa. The tone is noticeably richer than a standard church bell.
The best exterior photography angle is from the east — the cathedral's Tuscan facade faces west but the garden forecourt on the east gives the full building elevation. The single-tower asymmetry is most visible from the south-west corner.
Se Cathedral Location
Image Gallery
