Welcome to Ribandar.com

A cyber-spot designed to celebrate Ribandar!

Ribandar village, nests in bosom of Ribandar Hills, lapped by the Mandovi River between the main city of Panjim and Old Goa in the district of Ilhas or Tiswadi and surrounded by Chimbel, Kadamba (Ribandar) Hills and Sao Pedru village. The Rio De Ourem separates it from Panjim and forms a large marshy estuary along the Mandovi.

Ribandar (spelled as R(a)ibandar – to emphasize the word “Rai”) is a very historically rich place. The name Ribandar is a combination of two words “Rai” and “Bandar” meaning “Dock of the Royalties” or King’s Harbour.


Heritage Sites in Ribandar

Ribandar boasts of some famous historical places as is the case with most places in Goa. Some of the places of interest are:

Igreja De Nossa Senhora de Ajuda

The Church of Our Lady of Help, which derives its significance from the fact that the body of St. Francis Xavier was given a canon salute at this church on 14th March, 1554 and is an architectural wonder, its shape resembling that of a ship. The feast of Our Lady of Help is celebrated by the parishioners on the 2nd Sunday of November. 

Santa Casa de Misericordia

The Santa Casa de Misericordia also known as Holy House of Charity. It was also referred to as the Royal Portuguese Hospital but presently is the Goa Institute of Management.

Being a heritage structure, it has not been modified under any circumstances and is known to be Asia’s first hospital.

Ponte Conde de Linhares

The Ponte Conde de Linhares is the 3.2 km long causeway connecting Ribandar to the main city of Panjim in Goa. The bridge was built in 1633–34, under the direction of the then Viceroy of Portuguese India, Miguel de Noronha, 4th Count of Linhares, and is said to have been the longest in the world when it was completed in 1634.

Fr. Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvarez

He was bestowed the honour of Archbishop Metropolitan for the Archdiocese of Ceylon, Goa and the Greater India. Most old Catholic bishops claim apostolic succession from him. After his death, he was buried in a Jacobite church which is still maintained by the Jacobite priests from Kerala.

The Coffin of St. Francis Xavier

The body of St. Francis Xavier was kept in Ajuda Church for one night (night camp for the undertakers). When the body of St. Francis was brought from Malaca to the City of Goa.

Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Chapel

The earliest chapel, built in Ribandar between 1551 and 1554, was dedicated to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and was affiliated to the ancient church of Our Lady of Livra-Febres.

Other important elements in the historyheritagestorymaking of Ribandar

Bal Bharati Vidyamandir School

This secular school was established by Mr. G.V. Shetye about 40 years ago on a family property in Ribandar. The school now has a full-fledged computer facility. The school’s first computer class was held on September 1, 1977 attended by a batch of IX-standard students.

Dha-Zannancho Tiatro

Ribandar village boasts of a rich heritage of staging 100+ dha-zannanche tiatr with the traditional Opening chorus “hymn depicting Bible scriptures. This is a spectacular presentation, until this date maintained in its original form, has people thronging from all over Goa.

Temples

Although a small village, Ribandar boasts of four Hindu temples: Ram temple at Manaswaddo, Shri Vitoba Temple at Fornavaddo, Pandurang temple at Fondvem and another temple of the same deity at Sao Pedro or Panvel.

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