Rachol, also known as Raitura, is a village in Salcete, Goa, in south-western India. It is located on the left bank of the Zuari River and is home to the famous Rachol Seminary. The village which had the famous Rachol fort standing on her ground is now completely erased leaving behind the moat and the main gate. It is an important site to study the history of Salcete. The Church of Our Lady of Snows (Igreja da Nossa Senhora de Neves) at Rachol is said to be the first church of Salcete and is called the Matriz of South Goa. Ilha de Rachol (Island of Rachol) is a part of the village.
Rachol was a Muslim-ruled area, primarily by the Muslim Bahmani kingdom known as Bahmani Sultanate and the Sultan of Bijapur under Ismail Adil Shah. The rulers of Vijayanagar and Bijapur fought long battles to take control of this place. It was only in 1520 that the Hindus under King Krishnadevaraya, also known as Krishnaraya, from the Vijayanagar Empire with help of the Portuguese took complete control of Rachol. The Rachol fort remained in Portuguese hands over the years, defending the area against Muslim and Hindu attackers, including a siege by the Maratha King Sambhaji in 1684.
However, due to Jesuits being attacked in the late 1560s, a decree was passed on December 1565, forbidding the erection of new temples and the repairs of the existing ones. This led to the mass exodus of Hindus from the Portuguese-held territories that included Rachol and the Hindus taking the idols of their deities across the Zuari River from Rachol to the territories of the Hindu Sonde Kings such as Shiroda, Ponda, and Sanguem.
The fort is built out of laterite stones and offers very scenic surroundings. It was renovated in 1745 and 1756 by the Marquis of Alorna. The fort soon fell into a state of disrepair, and nothing remains of it today except the stone archway which spans the road and the old moat around the hill. As the Portuguese expanded their empire this fort fell from favor and was finally abandoned.
Rachol is located 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) north-east of Margão, the headquarters of South Goa district. Opposite Rachol, across the Zuari River, is Shiroda. The closest railway station is in Margão, followed by the town of Vasco da Gama, Goa. The nearest airport is Dabolim Airport. The neighboring villages are Raia, Loutolim, and Fatorda.