St. Augustine Tower
This forty-six-meter high colossal, four storied arched belfry tower, built of laterite, formed part of the facade of the church of St. Augustine facing east. The ruins of eight chapels, four altars, and an extensive convent with numerous cells may be seen. This tower and church were built in 1602 by the St. Augustinian Friars.
The Friars of the Augustinian Order arrived in Goa in 1572 and built a small convent on Holy Hill; later, it was enlarged. The convent building has three storey provided with two large stone staircases leading to the floors above. On entering the convent, there were two cloisters, corridors, pillars, galleries, halls with numerous rooms, a refactory (dining hall), a guest house, and an infirmary ( First Aid) which were very spacious. It also had vast domitories, numerous cells, and other structures that are now in ruins.
In 1835, this complex was abandoned due to the expulsion of the religious orders from Goa, and the Portuguese government ordered its demolition. In 1846, the main vault of the church collapsed, and the convent rapidly decayed. The valuable articles belonging to the religious complex were either sold or lost; being nowadays dispersed over many churches in Goa. The bell from the tower was initially taken to Fort Aguada, and later, in 1871, it was shifted to the Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception in Panjim.
The church had a sprawling vault (roof), which collapsed between 1842 and 1846. It is said that the vault collapsed twice during construction, and on the third attempt, the architect, to test its stability, ordered a heavy cannon to be fired at the building with his only son standing inside. Fortunately, the vault withstood the shock\, to be brought down due to the ravages of time. As per the records, the convent and the church dedicated to Our Lady of Grace were occupied by the Augustinian order until 1835. It was then abandoned as a result of an official decree, and the Portuguese government ordered its demolition.
As a result of partial demolition, weathering, and natural decay, the facade of the church, including the 46-metre-tall tower, again fell in 1938. What remains of the five-storey tall tower is being conserved against all odds.
The archaeological survey of India has been carrying out scientific clearance of the ruins since 1998 and simultaneous conservation of the site.
Calangute’s heyday as the Mecca of all expatriate hippies is way of past. On the shores of the Arabian Sea, under the shade of palm trees, bathes the Queen of Beaches,Calangute. Fun in the sun, sand and sea along with great opportunities for feasting on fresh seafood and Feni is what a day on the Calangute beach. One can see children making sand castles, colorful crowds surging towards the sea, hippies busy remembering the good old times and the young and old alike lazing on the golden sands. This picture of a perfect tourist heaven is completed with shacks under the shade of palm leaves selling everything right from fried prawns and beer to trinkets made of seashells. In a green semi-circle, the villages of Arpora-Nagoa, Saligao and Candolim do their bit to enhance the divine beauty of Calangute. It is situated between the Candolim Beach and Baga Beach.
