Located at the heart of Panaji to the south of the Secretariat is the
Church of our Lady of Immaculate Conception. Also known as the Church
of Mary Immaculate Conception, it is one of the most popular tourist destination
of Panaji. The church originally built in 1541, and enlarged and rebuilt
in 1619, is a white edifice topped with a huge bell that stands in between
two delicate Baroque style towers. The bell known as the 'Bell of the
Inquisition' is the second largest in Goa, which was brought from its
original site Church of Our Lady of Grace (Augustinian monastery) in Old
Goa. The church is renowned for its symmetrical, crisscrossing stairway
and is the venue of the Feast of Immaculate Conception celebrated annually
in December.
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