President Murmu visits Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa

Panaji, Aug 24 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday visited the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa during the third day of her visit to the coastal state, a senior government official said.

The church, located in North Goa district, houses the relics of St Francis Xavier and is certified by the UNESCO as a world heritage site.

The President arrived at the Basilica of Bom Jesus at around 10.30 am and went around the church, the official said.

“She enquired about the historical and architectural significance of the place,” the official added.

Murmu would also visit Shree Shantadurga Temple and Shree Mahalsa Temple in South Goa before leaving for Delhi.

On Wednesday, Murmu addressed a special session of the state assembly here and called for building an “atmanirbhar” (self-reliant) India by 2040, with the country equally committed towards fulfilling its responsibility towards humanity.

She also attended the 34th convocation of Goa University at the Raj Bhavan near here on Wednesday and stressed on the need for developing world-class competence in areas like artificial intelligence and data science in higher educational institutions in the country.

On Tuesday, the President attended a civic reception hosted for her at Raj Bhavan where she hailed the “common civil code” in Goa, saying it was a matter of pride for the state and a good example for the country.