Portuguese in Goa and Bombay in the context of Francisco de Almeida

The Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India was the first recorded trip directly from Europe to the Indian subcontinent, via the Cape of Good Hope. Under the command of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, it was undertaken during the reign of King Manuel in 1497–1499. It is one of the most important events of the Age of Discovery and the Portuguese Empire, and it initiated the Portuguese maritime trade on the Malabar Coast and other parts of the Indian Ocean, the military presence and settlements of the Portuguese in Goa and Bombay.

13°2′1″N 80°16′40″E / 13.03361°N 80.27778°E / 13.03361; 80.27778

San Thome Church, officially known as the National Shrine of St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, is a church of the Catholic Church in India, at the Santhome neighbourhood of Chennai, in Tamil Nadu. It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, and a minor basilica dedicated to Saint Thomas the Apostle. The present structure dates back to 1523 AD, when it was built by the Portuguese over the tomb of Thomas. In 1896, it was renovated in the Madras province according to neo-Gothic designs, as was favoured by British architects in the late 19th century. On April 1, 1896, it was solemnly consecrated by Bishop Reed da Silva of Madras, assisted by the Bishop of Dhaka, Peter Joseph Hurth.

Goa, Daman and Diu (Konkani: Goem, Damanv ani Diu, Portuguese: Goa, Damão e Dio) was a union territory of the Republic of India established in 1961 following the annexation of Portuguese India, with Maj Gen K P Candeth as its first governor. The Goa portion of the territory was granted full statehood within the Indian union on 30 May 1987, Daman and Diu remained a separate territory until December 2019, when it was merged with Dadra and Nagar Haveli and is today the territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Damaon, Dio & Silvassa).

The areas of Goa and Damaon are located at the southern and northern edges of the Konkan region, the two geographically separated from each other by land and sea, the two areas were among the many other possessions that were ruled over for centuries by the Portuguese in Goa and Bombay.