SFX veneration ends today, footfalls may cross 80 lakh

Cardinal Ferrao, Auxiliary Bishop Simiao to preside over solemn finale on Sunday

After a lull midway, the number of people queuing up to venerate the sacred relics of 16th Century saint Francis Xavier at Old Goa have soared by the thousands over the last couple of days as the decennial event is nearing its end.

Footfalls at the Se Cathedral where the casket containing the sacred relics of the saint are kept for veneration had crossed the 75 lakh (7.5 million) mark earlier this week, the government said.

The final figure is expected to overshadow the 'eight million' pre-Exposition guesstimate by officials when veneration of the relics will close at 7 pm on Saturday. But despite the teeming crowds, hundreds of volunteers ensured order and decorum throughout, since the Exposition began on November 21 last year.