Christian Pilgrimage
Christianity has had long and glorious relations with India.Pilgrimage is an important part of spiritual life for many Christians. Christians see life itself as a journey, coming from God and returning to God.



The pilgrim seeks to separate himself from the everyday concerns of the world, and to spend time in the presence of God as he travels to a place of special meaning. A pilgrimage is a symbol that is acted out.

India has Churches of all kinds depicting different forms of Christainity. There are Syrian Churches, Catholic Churches, Protestant Churches and various others.

Important Christian Sites

People went on pilgrimage for many reasons - perhaps to say sorry to God for something they had done wrong (penance), or because they were ill and wanted God to heal them. Over the years, places have become special for different reasons, and Christians decide to visit them to become closer to God in these special places.

Basilica of Bom Jesus, Goa
The church of Bom Jesus, "Good" or "Infant" Jesus, is known principally for the tomb of St. Francis Xavier. In 1946, it became the first church of India to be elevated to the status of Minor Basilica. One of the richest churches in Goa, it is covered with marble and inlaid with precious stones and paintings depicting the life of St. Francis Xavier. The mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, kept in a silver casket, are enshrined here.

Christ Church & St. Michael's Cathedral, H.P.
The most prominent building on the famous Mall of Shimla is the yellow Christ Church, reputed to be the second oldest church in northern India. It still has those lovely stained glass windows for which it is so famed.



Church of the Sacred Heart, Delhi
Further north, at the south end of Bhai Vir Singh Marg, is one of Medd's more ambitious projects, the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart. This Church displays a strong Italianate influence, with a facade of white pillars supporting a canopy set against a dark brick background, and circular arcades turrets rising above the roof to each side of the entrance porch. The lofty interior has a towering curved roof, polished stone floors and broad arches set into smooth walls, presenting a very grand look.

Santa Cruz Basilica, Kerala
The Santa Cruz Basilica is a historic church that was built by the Portuguese. The church was elevated to a cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558 AD. In 1795 AD, it fell into the hands of the British when they took over Cochin and was demolished. About a hundred years later, Bishop Dom Gomez Ferreira commissioned a new building at the same site in 1887 AD. The church was proclaimed a Basilica in 1984 by Pope John Paul II.

The Church of St. Cajetan, Goa
The Church of St. Cajetan is modelled on the original design of St. Peter's Church in Rome. The Church of Bom Jesus with its facade decorated with Ionic, Doric and Corinthian pilasters, shows the application of the Classical order. The Se' Cathedral, with its Tuscan exterior, the Corinthian columns at its portals, the raised platform with steps leading to the entrance, the barrel-vault above the nave, is yet another example of Renaissance