ST. LAWRENCE CHURCH - AGASSAIM
Pilgrimage
Distance (From Kadamba Bus Terminus): 17 Kms
Commonly Visited From: Siridao Beach (9 kms)
Trip Duration (From Siridao Beach , Including Travel): 1-2 Hours
Place Location: Agassaim
Transportation Options: Cab / Auto / Rental Bike
Travel Tips: This place is usually visited from Siridao Beach (9 kms)
At a distance of 17 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 17 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 30 km from Mapusa, St. Lawrence Church is situated in Agassaim of North Goa.
The Church of St Lawrence was raised by the Jesuit missionaries to the north of the Zuari River in the year 1565. This church is dedicated to St Lawrence the Martyr or Sao Lourenco, the patron saint of the poor and of cooks.
The church of St Lawrence overlooks the village from its vantage point on the little hillock on which it is situated. Built in exquisite Portuguese style architecture. Before Jesuits built the present structure, there existed a small chapel in its place. The existing building has a single tile roofed nave and vaulted chapel with a high choir borne by Tuscan columns made of stone from the north, a false transept, north tower set back slightly from the main facade, three-arched exterior galilees added in recent years and a sharp pointing gable with round oculus. The church is adorned with incised mouldings on the arches, pillars and coffers of the chancel's barrel vault. A chapel dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament opens on the southern side and dates to the early 18th century.
The villagers of Agassaim get together on August 10 every year, to celebrate and make merry in his honour. The feast of St Lawrence is special in its own unique way. There is a time-honoured tradition here that has been going on for the last 44 years and does not happen anywhere else in the state. It is a coconut breaking contest that perhaps started out as a way for the bhatkars to prove the superiority of the coconuts in their plantations. This contest attracts participants from all over the state.
Timings: 9:30 AM - 6 PM on all days.
