Sancoale is a
census town
In India and some other countries, a census town is designated as a town that satisfies certain characteristics.
India
In India, a census town is one which is not statutorily notified and administered as a town, but nevertheless whose population ...
in
South Goa district
South Goa district is one of two districts that together constitute the state of Goa, India, within the region known as the Konkan. It is bounded by North Goa district to the north, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. It ranks among th ...
in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Goa
Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
. It falls within the Sub-District of
Mormugão and the
Velhas Conquistas
The ''Velhas Conquistas'' or "Old Conquests" are a grouping of the areas in Goa which were incorporated into Portuguese India in the early half of the sixteenth century AD. Goa, Daman and Diu comprised the last remaining Portuguese possessions in ...
region. It is famous for being the hometown of
Joseph Vaz, the
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
.
Churches
Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Saúde (1560)
It is also known as Our Lady of Health Church or the Old Church of Sancoale, in English. It was built by Jesuit missionaries who arrived at Sancoale in 1560 to settle there. By way of commemorating, their occupation they established the a chapel of Nossa Senhora de Saúde. The construction of the chapel was completed in 1566 and it was elevated to the level of a church in.
The Church building caught fire in 1834, and today only a part of the church's façade stands on the banks of the Zuari River, and can be seen even from the Agassaim – Cortalim Bridge. The façade of the church is typical of early
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the late 16th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means to ...
with composite Corinthian pilasters and bas-reliefs. The fan shaped quadrants are a variation on the quarter circle type form of a free flowing curve. Behind it is the new chapel of Our Lady of Health which was built in 1783 by Rev. Fr. Proto Faria.
The Portuguese Government had declared it a national monument on 19-Mar-1937. The Patron of Goa Blessed
Joseph Vaz wrote his famed ''Letter of Bondage'' at this church in 1677.
A newer chapel of Our Lady of Health was built behind the façade, in 1783, by Rev. Fr. Proto Faria.
2020 Saffron Controversy
On December 30, 2020, a group of
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
immigrants trespassed the premises of the Old Church in order to perform Hindu rituals. These Hindus were met with resistance from the local residents. (Sancoale's native
Goan
Goans ( Romi Konkani: , ) is the demonym used to describe the people native to Goa, India, formerly part of Portuguese India (''Estado Português da Índia''). They form an ethno-linguistic group resulting from the assimilation of Indo-Aryan, ...
population is entirely Catholic). However, the Goa police refused to file a
First Information Report on the incident.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Saúde (1606)
A newer and larger church, with the same name was built inland in 1606.
Geography
The average elevation is 41 metres (135 feet).
Demographics
As of
2011 Indian census, Sancoale had a population of 21,923. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Sancoale has an average literacy rate of 86.61% lower than state average of 88.70%. Male literacy rate is 91.54%, and female literacy rate is 80.93%. In Sancoale, 12.28% of the population is under 6 years of age.
References
Cities and towns in South Goa district
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