Aldona Village, Goa

Address

Aldona, Bardez, North Goa, India, 403512

Getting There

Buses leave for Aldona from Mapusa every hour from 6 AM till 7 PM.

Things To Do And See

- Visit Corjuem Fort
- visit St. Thomas Church

Geo Location

15.593285 N, 73.872430 E

Aldona is a village in north Goa . It is green and nestled between hilly terrain and a tributary of the Mandovi. Quitula, Goncoi, Udoim, Coimavaddo (Voilo and Socoilo), Carona, Santerxette, Castel Vaddo, Naikavaddo, Panarim, Maina Vaddo, Cottarbat and Ranoi are some of its wards. Aldona is connected to Corjuem by a state of the art cable-stayed bridge held by six cables from either direction. At sunset, this bridge is very picturesque, with the Mapusa river flowing silently below it. There is another stone bridge on the backwaters. It is a small bridge with three arches .Small colorful fishing boats rest on the banks. It paints a pretty picture at sunset, nature’s beauty at its best.

Religious places

St. Thomas church

The Church of Aldona is dedicated to St. Thomas. St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Aldona, Goa also called ‘Sao Tome Igreja em Aldona, Goa’ in Portuguese, was built in 1596 on a high plateau on the banks of the Mapusa River, a tributary of the Mandovi river. St. Thomas church, Aldona is the seventh parish established by the Franciscans in Bardez. The original church of the village was built in Coimavaddo in the year 1569. The present structure was made ready before 1610. The parochial residence and the present sacristy were added by 1898 .A flight of broad steps cut into a cliff and lead to an open plain that surrounds the grand white church building. The feast of St Thomas church, Aldona, is celebrated on the third Sunday after Easter. Like all beautiful churches in Goa, St Thomas church is ornately decorated by symbolic biblical murals and grand statues. Paintings adorn the wall.

Chapels in Aldona

St Rita of Cassia Chapel, Carona, Aldona, Goa
Mother of God Chapel, Corjuem, Aldona, Goa
Our Lady of Piety Chapel, Quitla, Aldona, Goa
Holy Cross Chapel, Panarim, Aldona, Goa
Mother of God Chapel, Ranoi, Aldona, Goa

Temples in Aldona

Sai Bhakti Mandir, Naicavaddo , Aldona
Shri Sateri Bhagvati Temple, Naicavaddo ,Aldona
Ravalnath Temple, Naicavaddo , Aldona
Ganesh Temple, Nachinola,Aldona
Shri Satari Temple, Corjuem, Aldona

Educational Institutions

Auxilium Primary School, Carona, Aldona, Goa run by (FMA)
Mae de Deus High School, Corjuem, Goa run by (D.S.E.)
St Thomas Higher Secondary School, Aldona, Goa run by (MSFS)
St Thomas Boys High school, Aldona, Goa run by (MSFS)
St Thomas Girls High School, Aldona, Goa managed by the Apostolic Carmel Congregation.
A life size statue of the late Edward J. Soares is erected in his honor in Aldona on December 9th . Mr. Soares was the first principal of St Thomas school established way back in 1923.

The Corjuem fort

The Corjuem fortress is a small island fortress located at a distance of about 6 kms. from Aldona, in the Bardez taluka of North Goa. According to late Father Moreno de Souza the islands name originates fromKhor as in khorik which means deep or lower and Zunvem which means island. This fort was constructed in the year 1551. The fort is a relatively small fort and is square shaped. The walls are wide and have numerous gun ports and murder holes. At each corner of the fort is a ramp like stair that leads to the ramparts. The fort has a well and a three room living quarters. Within the fort is also located a small chapel which seems to be a relatively new addition. This fort protected the Portuguese from the Marathas, Bhonsles and the Rane Rajputs in the nineteenth century. The chapel of St. Anthony was earlier known to have been in the Corjuem Fort. The fort has the distinction of being one of the only two inland that are surviving. The fort has become popular for its beauty .