Mário Tavares Chicó thus triggered the expansion of the geographical scope of Portuguese historiographical research to include the artistic productions resulting from overseas exploration, especially in the territories that had been under Portuguese rule. The study mission was supported by the Junta das Missões Geográficas e de Investigações Coloniais [ Board of Geographical Missions and Colonial Investigations ] , which was also joined by the General Government of the State of India and the Instituto para a Alta Cultura [ Institute for High Culture ] . Mário Chicó was also accompanied by art historian Carlos de Azevedo, architect Martinho Humberto dos Reis (a technician from the Monuments Service of the Directorate-General for National Buildings and Monuments) and photographer José Carvalho Henriques. This made up the Study Mission to the Monuments of Goa, Daman and Diu, which spent two months surveying and studying the main historical monuments built in Portuguese India.

The journey began on 3 April 1951 and they returned on 3 June, exactly two months later. During their stay in India, the mission initially spent almost a month in Goa, between 11 April and 6 May, during which time the group did fieldwork in Panaji , Old Goa, Margao, Pond a , Rachol, Bandr a , Queul a , Vern a , Sanquelim and Reis Magos, among other places; Sometimes they were accompanied by the architect Baltazar Castro, former head of the Directorate-General for National Monuments and Buildings (DGEMN) who was in Goa on a commission to coordinate the restoration of the monuments in Old Goa. The mission then continued to Daman (from 14 to 17 May) and Diu (from 22 to 25 May), with time to visit Ahmedabad, Mumbai , Vasai and Aurangabad (where the Ajanta and Ellora caves are located).

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