Prof. Dr. Sidh Losa Mendiratta: Building Identity in Goa

Building Identity: Architecture and Patronage in Goa During the Early Modern Period: Some of the biggest and most elaborate early modern churches in Asia were built in the ‘Old Conquests’ region of the state of Goa (India), administered by the Portuguese Empire until 1961 Several religious orders built their churches convents, and colleges within the city, as most of Goa’s indigenous population was converted to Christianity.
During the early seventeenth century, Goan Catholic priests began striving for empowerment and recognition from the Portuguese and their Goan brethren, as they began taking over some of the parishes of Goa from the missionary orders. In this presentation, I will address the connections between identity, patronage and architecture during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Goa, as the elite of Goan Catholic Brahmins became increasingly empowered in the midst of a racially bigoted colonial society.