Mapusa
A market town where Goa's beach coast does its shopping
A Mapusa visit in Bardez, North Goa, centres on the Friday market, St Jerome's church of Our Lady of Miracles and the Bodgeshwar temple, 13 km from Panaji.
Overview
Thirteen kilometres north of Panaji, Mapusa is the headquarters town of Bardez taluka in North Goa district and the third-largest town in the state, with 39,989 residents at the 2011 census and a municipal council of 20 wards. It is better described as a working market and transport town than as a sight, and the reason to put it on an itinerary is the Friday market. October to March suits a visit best.
The municipal market opened in 1960 as the first planned market in Goa, with five blocks and more than 1,060 shops, and it trades every day, with separate sections for items such as straw hats and handmade chouriço. Friday is when it fills, as vendors from surrounding villages, many of them women, arrive with fresh and dried fish, spices, cashews, fruit and vegetables, incense and souvenirs. Goan pork sausages are a local speciality, and bargaining is expected.
Two religious sites show the town's mixed character. St Jerome's Church, known for its statue of Our Lady of Miracles, or Milagres, has origins in 1594 and was rebuilt after damage in 1961. It stands about 2 km east of the market on ground once used by a Hindu temple, and its annual feast draws Christians and Hindus alike. The Shree Dev Bodgeshwar temple lies on the edge of town among rice fields, and its yearly jatra brings thousands of devotees and a fair beside the temple. Local belief treats Bodgeshwar as the guardian of Mapusa, and the temple is lit up at night. The Maruti Temple, dedicated to Hanuman, dates from the 1840s.
Mapusa's practical value is as a base and a change point. The beaches of Calangute, Baga, Candolim and Anjuna lie close by, and state buses run from Mapusa to Mopa airport. The airport is about 20 km away, and Dabolim about 36 km. The nearest Konkan Railway stop is Thivim, roughly 10 km away. Half a day covers the market and both religious sites, and a Friday is the day to choose.
Known for
Fish, spices, cashews, fruit, incense and souvenirs, busiest on Fridays
Happening soon
Updated Oct 7, 2026Coming up, dates to be confirmed
Shree Dev Bodgeshwar Jatra
festivalA five-day jatra at Mapusa's Shree Dev Bodgeshwar temple, with a puja and mahaprasad, evening cultural programmes and a large fair beside the temple.
Usually December or January, around Paush Shukla Chaturdashi. The 2026 jatra began on 1 January. No 2027 notice found.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesFeast of Our Lady of Milagres at St Jerome's Church
festivalSt Jerome's Church holds the Milagres feast after a nine-day novena, with a Mass, oil offerings at the statue, a fair and a five-day entertainment programme.
Usually a Monday in April or May, after Easter: 5 May in 2025 and 20 April in 2026, with a novena beforehand. No 2027 notice found.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesQuick facts
Heavy rain falls from June to September, and the beach season on this coast runs from about November to April.
Manohar International Airport (Mopa), about 20 km (12.7 miles on a routing site). Dabolim is about 36 km (22.2 miles on a routing site).
Thivim (code THVM) on the Konkan Railway, about 10 km (6.3 miles on a routing site)
Mapusa is about 13 km north of Panaji. A routing site puts the drive to Mopa airport at about 21 minutes, to Dabolim at about 36 minutes and to Thivim at about 10 minutes. Buses run to the northern beaches.
Go on a Friday morning for the full market, since that is when the weekly trade peaks
Expect to bargain with the village vendors, who typically accept lower offers
Allow transport for St Jerome's Church, because it stands about 2 km east of the market
Location
Packages that visit Mapusa
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