SAO ROQUE CHAPEL / ST. ROQUE CHAPEL
Pilgrimage
Distance (From Kadamba Bus Terminus): 27 Kms
Commonly Visited From: Shri Nageshi Temple (850 mts)
Trip Duration (From Shri Nageshi Temple , Including Travel): 30 Mins
Place Location: Bandora
Transportation Options: Cab / Auto / Rental Bike / Walk/Trek
Travel Tips: This place is usually visited from Shri Nageshi Temple (850 mts).
Following places are near by and usually visited together:
Shri Mahalaxmi Temple, Bandoda (1.2 kms), Shree Datta Mandir(1.5 kms), Shree Ramnathi Temple(1.7 kms), Shri Shantadurga Temple(1.8 kms)
At a distance of 27 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand and 36 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 21 km from Margao Railway Station, St. Roque Church is situated in South Goa.
St. Roque Chapel also known as Bandora Chapel is located at Bandora village of Ponda. Bandora is an ancient village nestling among the green fields and hills of Ponda. Bandora has a cluster of well known temples. Right in the midst of well known temples of Goa, perched on small hillock is a chapel dedicated to St. Roque. The Chapel of St. Roque was founded in 1904 and was affiliated to St. Anne's Church, Ponda.
When the old chapel was being demolished the chapel bell was taken down and cleaned. It is about 45 kg in weight. Inscriptions in Devanagiri and Portuguese script were found stating that it had been donated to the chapel by Mrs. Naboobai Vishwanath Katkar in 1913. This is a testimony to the harmony between Hindus and Catholics in Bandora since ages. Even after all these decades of tolling the bell is in such good condition that we have now installed the same bell in this chapel.
The feast of the St.Roque is celebrated in summer on the 3rd Sunday of May has always been a major event in the village calendar. Bandora villagers settled elsewhere, relatives and friends all try to converge at the chapel for this occasion.
Timings: 6 am to 6 pm on all days.
