Goa church to install signboards for dress code

The 400 year old Christian pilgrimage 'Basilica de Bom Jesus' will soon have signboards requesting visitors to wear decent clothes.

A popular UNESCO World Heritage site of Goa, Basilica de Bom Jesus last week decided to erect signboards in the wake of devotees' objection to "inappropriate" dressing by foreign tourists.

The basilica's rector, Fr Savio Barretto told PTI that the church management held a meeting with the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Friday before the decision was taken.

Barretto stressed that the signboards requesting to wear decent clothes were in no way an attempt to impose a "dress code".

Giving reasons for the decision, he informed that the church parishioners had earlier objected to the "scantily dressed" tourists who often attended masses.

"There were suggestions to impose a ban on these tourists. However, we did not agree to it as it would hurt the tourists," Barretto said.

The church's authorities reportedly have appointed few staff to ensure tourists are properly dressed on church premises.

Basilica De Bom Jesus is one of the most popular churches in Goa frequented by tens of thousands of tourists every year.

The church contains the relics of Spanish Jesuit missionary St Francis Xavier.