The capital city of Goa, Panaji is also called Panajim is North Goa district. It is situated on the south bank of the river "Mandovi" and is connected to the mainland by bridges.
It is popularly known as the seat of the Government, and also houses the head offices of most business concerns. Panaji is one of India's smallest and pleasantest state capitals.
History:
The origin of the name Panaji or Panjim is said to be the corrupted version of "Ponjy" which mean "the land that never floods". The Portuguese called the city "Panjim" and after liberation it has seen its name changed to "Panaji".
It was a small fishing village with lots of coconut trees, creeks and fields. For centuries it remained so and was a neglected ward of Taleigao village with the only massive structure, the Adil Shah Fort by the Mandovi river. In 1632 the then Viceroy, Count de Linhares, Dom Miguel de Noronha built the 3.2km causeway linking Panjim with Ribandar village.
It exists even today and is known as the "Pointe de Linhares" and at the time it was constructed, was the longest bridge in existence.
On December 1 1759, the then Viceroy, Dom Manuel de Saldanha de Albuquerque, Count of Ega, shifted his residence from Panelim (near Old Goa) to Panjim. He moved to the newly re-modeled Adil Shah Fort, since known as "Idalcao's Palace" . The "Father of Panjim" is a title that is said to belong to the Viceroy, Dom Manuel de Castro de Portugal ( 1826-1835 ).
He began the process of slowly reclaiming land, initiated public projects, drainage systems and was also responsible for many of its government buildings and set the stage for Panjim to evolve into a magnificent city. By a royal decree on March 22, 1843 its status was elevated to a "City" and became the capital of Goa and was called "Nova Goa". It expanded rapidly in the 1960's and 1970's.
Today, It is not only the state capital, but also an educational, commercial and cultural center of Goa.
Access:
The main transportation hub is across the "Pato bridge" over the Rua de Ourem creek at the Kadamba Bus Station .
By Air Domestic flights from Mumbai, Bangalore, Cochin, Delhi, Chennai, and Thiruvanantpuram arrived at Goa's Dabolim airport 29km south of Panjim.
By Bus Long distance and local buses pull into Panjim at Kadamba Bus Terminal.Cars : Cars with drivers are available for local sightseeing. Auto-rickshaws : This is the most convenient way of getting around Panjim.
Excursions: Typical of a Goan town, Panaji is built around a church facing a prominent square. The town has some beautiful Portuguese Baroque style buildings and enchanting old villas. The riverside, speckled with brightly whitewashed houses with wrought iron balconies, offers a fine view.
The main excursion of Panaji are
Church Square: also called the Municipal Garden is a green park, forms the heart of Panjim. To it's east, is the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
The Passport Office: the oldest surviving building in the city. It was originally the palace of Goa's sixteenth century ruler the Adil Shah. Later it was converted into rest house for the Portuguese governors and then a residence for the viceroy. Then the structure became the Secretariat, and today it is the passport office.
Fontainhas and Sao Tome: Fontainhas is the Panjim's oldest district. Here, many buildings have retained their traditional coat of ochre, pale yellow, green or blue - a Portuguese insistence that every building in Goa except churches, which had to be white, should be colour-washed after the monsoon. Sao Tome lies at the north of the Fountainhas. This is the area where if you want to fancy a bar crawl, the narrow streets are dotted with dozens of hole-in-the-wall taverns, serving cheap Feni.The Museum: It has a collection mostly of pre-colonial artefacts which includes village deities, puja utensils, sati and hero stones, fragment of temple sculpture, Jain bronzes rescued from smugglers and Christian icons and antique furniture etc.Miramar and Dona Paula : Panaji's nearest beach, 3 km west of it, but it is less attractive than the other beaches in Goa. 4 km further, along the same road is Dona Paula, a small town with several resorts complexes.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Vasco-da-gama
The busy port town of Vasco da Gama, named after the Portuguese mariner and explorer who discovered the sea route to India 500 years ago, is a major shipping centre in Goa. Vasco lies 29 km southwest of Panaji, the capital of Goa. The port laps the shores on the western tip of the Marmagao peninsula, jutting into the Arabian Sea just around the mouth of the Zuari River.
History: The area came under Portuguese rule around 1543, and within a few years, it was transformed into one of western India's busiest ports. The Portuguese built a fort at Sada, near the tip of the land jutting into the Arabian sea. This allowed them to effectively control the movement of ships into the Zuari river.
The fort had its most glorious moment in 1685, when Old Goa came under attack from King Sambhaji of the Marathas and the Portuguese moved women, children and other non-combatants here for safe keeping. The fort was abandoned soon after, despite plans to make Mormugao the capital of the Portuguese colony of Goa, and today only some remnants of the ramparts can be seen.
Excursion: There is hardly any landmark worth making a visit to Vasco, except for the 400-year old St. Andrews Church which lies at the entrance to the city. In recent times, the city has been attracting local visitors, to what is easily the best cinema theatre in the whole of Goa.
The port of Mormugao, around one of India's few natural harbours, lies 4 kms from the city centre. There are two beaches near the city. The bigger and the more famous is the Bogmalo beach which is about 8 kms south-east of the town and the smaller one named Hollant lies just about halfway along the same road.
Along this same road to the Bogmalo beach is located the Naval Air Museum, the only one of its kind in the whole of Asia. It has on display, some of the fighter aircraft which have done duty for India in its conflicts with the enemy.
Access:
Air: Goa's only airport, called the Goa Airport lies on top of a rocky plateau at Dabolim, approximately 4 km southeast of Vasco-da-Gama. The Airport is under the control of the Indian Navy, but a large new civilian terminal handles all of Goa's rapidly increasing air traffic from national and international flights.
There are pre-paid taxi counters inside the airport and private taxis are also available. Local buses are also available from the intersection immediately outside the airport to go to Vasco, from where there are services to Margao and Panaji.
Rail: The small railway station is located at the centre, a few minutes walk from either end of the well laid out town. A number of trains that service destinations in neighbouring states like Karnataka, depart from here.
Road: Most buses arriving from Panaji or Margao, stop at the Interstate Kadamba Bus Terminus, 3 km east of the town centre. There are local minibuses which carry passengers from the main bus stand to the city area.
Auto-rickshaws and motorcycle taxis are also available at the junction of the main thoroughfare, the Swantantra Path and Dr Rajendra Prasad Avenue.
History: The area came under Portuguese rule around 1543, and within a few years, it was transformed into one of western India's busiest ports. The Portuguese built a fort at Sada, near the tip of the land jutting into the Arabian sea. This allowed them to effectively control the movement of ships into the Zuari river.
The fort had its most glorious moment in 1685, when Old Goa came under attack from King Sambhaji of the Marathas and the Portuguese moved women, children and other non-combatants here for safe keeping. The fort was abandoned soon after, despite plans to make Mormugao the capital of the Portuguese colony of Goa, and today only some remnants of the ramparts can be seen.
Excursion: There is hardly any landmark worth making a visit to Vasco, except for the 400-year old St. Andrews Church which lies at the entrance to the city. In recent times, the city has been attracting local visitors, to what is easily the best cinema theatre in the whole of Goa.
The port of Mormugao, around one of India's few natural harbours, lies 4 kms from the city centre. There are two beaches near the city. The bigger and the more famous is the Bogmalo beach which is about 8 kms south-east of the town and the smaller one named Hollant lies just about halfway along the same road.
Along this same road to the Bogmalo beach is located the Naval Air Museum, the only one of its kind in the whole of Asia. It has on display, some of the fighter aircraft which have done duty for India in its conflicts with the enemy.
Access:
Air: Goa's only airport, called the Goa Airport lies on top of a rocky plateau at Dabolim, approximately 4 km southeast of Vasco-da-Gama. The Airport is under the control of the Indian Navy, but a large new civilian terminal handles all of Goa's rapidly increasing air traffic from national and international flights.
There are pre-paid taxi counters inside the airport and private taxis are also available. Local buses are also available from the intersection immediately outside the airport to go to Vasco, from where there are services to Margao and Panaji.
Rail: The small railway station is located at the centre, a few minutes walk from either end of the well laid out town. A number of trains that service destinations in neighbouring states like Karnataka, depart from here.
Road: Most buses arriving from Panaji or Margao, stop at the Interstate Kadamba Bus Terminus, 3 km east of the town centre. There are local minibuses which carry passengers from the main bus stand to the city area.
Auto-rickshaws and motorcycle taxis are also available at the junction of the main thoroughfare, the Swantantra Path and Dr Rajendra Prasad Avenue.
Mapusa
Mapusa (pronounced as Mapsa by the locals) is Goa's third largest town and the capital of the northern Bardez taluka. It is mainly a market town for the surrounding beach areas of Calangute, Candolim, Anjuna and Baga among others. Even its name is thought to be derived from the Konkani word for a measure - "map" and the phrase fill up - "sa". It lies about 13 kms from the capital city of Panaji.
But come Friday morning, the whole town has a lively look when the famous weekly Friday Market begins. The market attracts people from all over Goa who come here to buy and sell their wares.
Local Goan specialities such as spicy sausages (chouriços) and the Goan spirits such as toddi and cashew feni are much in demand amongst locals and outsides. Another item to look out for is the magnificent banana crop from the nearby village of Moira. Most of the items are sold after a few rounds of bargaining and the prices are usually much lower than anywhere else.
Mapusa does not have many tourist sites worth visiting. There are a few colonial era Municipal building on the Altinho hill, a fairly modern temple of Lord Hanuman just a few minutes from the main bus stand and most importantly the Church of Our Lady of Miracles about 2 kms east of the market area.
The other famous shrine is that of Lord Bodgeshwar, located on the outskirts of the town in the middle of some rice fields, which is beautifully lit up at night and draws thousands of devotees for its annual Jatra (festival).
Access:
Road: The bus stand near the main square at the entrance to the city is a busy hub of activity with hundreds of travel agents stalls for inter-state travel bookings.
Most local buses for all the nearby beaches of Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, and Arambol and other surrounding areas leave from the Kadamba bus stand on the southwest edge of town.
Motorcycle taxis are also available near the main town square and are often the quickest mode of transport to the beachside. Tourist Taxis charges are considerably more, so it is best to share the fare with four or five other travellers if possible.Rail: Tivim (Thivim) railway station lies at a distance of 12 kms from Mapusa.
But come Friday morning, the whole town has a lively look when the famous weekly Friday Market begins. The market attracts people from all over Goa who come here to buy and sell their wares.
Local Goan specialities such as spicy sausages (chouriços) and the Goan spirits such as toddi and cashew feni are much in demand amongst locals and outsides. Another item to look out for is the magnificent banana crop from the nearby village of Moira. Most of the items are sold after a few rounds of bargaining and the prices are usually much lower than anywhere else.
Mapusa does not have many tourist sites worth visiting. There are a few colonial era Municipal building on the Altinho hill, a fairly modern temple of Lord Hanuman just a few minutes from the main bus stand and most importantly the Church of Our Lady of Miracles about 2 kms east of the market area.
The other famous shrine is that of Lord Bodgeshwar, located on the outskirts of the town in the middle of some rice fields, which is beautifully lit up at night and draws thousands of devotees for its annual Jatra (festival).
Access:
Road: The bus stand near the main square at the entrance to the city is a busy hub of activity with hundreds of travel agents stalls for inter-state travel bookings.
Most local buses for all the nearby beaches of Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, and Arambol and other surrounding areas leave from the Kadamba bus stand on the southwest edge of town.
Motorcycle taxis are also available near the main town square and are often the quickest mode of transport to the beachside. Tourist Taxis charges are considerably more, so it is best to share the fare with four or five other travellers if possible.Rail: Tivim (Thivim) railway station lies at a distance of 12 kms from Mapusa.
Margao
Margao, often called the commercial capital of Goa, is the capital of the southern taluka of Salcette and also of the South Goa district.
It is a typically crowded Goan town, with chaotic, noisy traffic and quite a few architectural reminders of its Portuguese past. Margao is Goa's second largest town and a bustling commercial centre.
History: The town of Margao was once a major religious centre, with dozens of wealthy temples and dharmshalas (dormitories). In fact the name Margao is thought to be the Portuguese corruption of the word Mathgram (from Math - a Hindu religious centre that used to exist there) However most of these were destroyed when the Portuguese absorbed the area into their Novas Conquistas during the 17th century.
Excursion: The Largo de Igreja, or the Church of the Holy Spirit as it is also known, dominates the entrance to the city, just north of the Municipal Garden square. The church area is surrounded by beautiful old residential houses still in pristine condition. The church was built by the Portuguese in 1675
Just within walking distance of the Church, is the famous "House of Seven Gables" or "Sat Burzam Ghor". This magnificent mansion was commissioned in 1790 by Sebastino da Silva, emissary and private secretary of the Portuguese Viceroy. Although only three of the seven gables remain today, they are enough to give the visitor an idea of the size of the original edifice.
In the centre of the town is the Municipal Garden (known as Praça Jorge Barreto), around which most restaurants and office buildings are located. The colonial style red washed Municipal building built in 1905 and the Library lie on the park's south side.
From this main square, bylanes lead to the bazaar and the area that used to be the fish market. Margao's fish market was earlier located opposite the Municipal building and was a spectacular sight. The market has since been shifted to a complex located at the entrance of the city.
The famous Colva beach is just 6 kms away from Margao, so most travellers coming to this area of Goa, tend to spend their time in the beach area, rather than enjoy the charms of Margao town itself.
Access:
Rail: Margao's new Train station lies 3 kms south of the town centre. There is also a 24-hour Information Centre and round-the-clock pre-paid auto rickshaw stand outside the exit.Road: Local private buses to Colva and surrounding villages make stops at various places inside the town. Long distance buses to Panaji, Vasco and destinations outside Goa, stop and leave from the main Kadamba Bus Stand, 3 km away on the outskirts of the town.
It is a typically crowded Goan town, with chaotic, noisy traffic and quite a few architectural reminders of its Portuguese past. Margao is Goa's second largest town and a bustling commercial centre.
History: The town of Margao was once a major religious centre, with dozens of wealthy temples and dharmshalas (dormitories). In fact the name Margao is thought to be the Portuguese corruption of the word Mathgram (from Math - a Hindu religious centre that used to exist there) However most of these were destroyed when the Portuguese absorbed the area into their Novas Conquistas during the 17th century.
Excursion: The Largo de Igreja, or the Church of the Holy Spirit as it is also known, dominates the entrance to the city, just north of the Municipal Garden square. The church area is surrounded by beautiful old residential houses still in pristine condition. The church was built by the Portuguese in 1675
Just within walking distance of the Church, is the famous "House of Seven Gables" or "Sat Burzam Ghor". This magnificent mansion was commissioned in 1790 by Sebastino da Silva, emissary and private secretary of the Portuguese Viceroy. Although only three of the seven gables remain today, they are enough to give the visitor an idea of the size of the original edifice.
In the centre of the town is the Municipal Garden (known as Praça Jorge Barreto), around which most restaurants and office buildings are located. The colonial style red washed Municipal building built in 1905 and the Library lie on the park's south side.
From this main square, bylanes lead to the bazaar and the area that used to be the fish market. Margao's fish market was earlier located opposite the Municipal building and was a spectacular sight. The market has since been shifted to a complex located at the entrance of the city.
The famous Colva beach is just 6 kms away from Margao, so most travellers coming to this area of Goa, tend to spend their time in the beach area, rather than enjoy the charms of Margao town itself.
Access:
Rail: Margao's new Train station lies 3 kms south of the town centre. There is also a 24-hour Information Centre and round-the-clock pre-paid auto rickshaw stand outside the exit.Road: Local private buses to Colva and surrounding villages make stops at various places inside the town. Long distance buses to Panaji, Vasco and destinations outside Goa, stop and leave from the main Kadamba Bus Stand, 3 km away on the outskirts of the town.
Ponda
Ponda, known as Antruz Mahal because of the concentration of culture, music, drama and poetry also houses the temples of Lord Mangesh (Shiva), Lord Nagesh, Lord Ganapati, Lord Ramnath and the Goddesses Mhalasa and Shantdurga.
Ponda is also an important transport link.
The city of Ponda lies about 28kms south-east of Panaji and 17kms north-east of Margao and is also the capital of Ponda Taluka. It lies strategically along the main Panaji-Margao highway and is also connected to the neighboring state of Karnataka via the Ponda-Belgaum highway or the NH-4.
History: The town was born after the Portuguese took over the area in 1791 from the Raja of Sonda and annexed it along with Quepem, Canacona and Sanguem forming the New Conquests.
Most of the area known as Ponda today was a part of "Quela" village.
Excursion: Ponda can be described as the Hindu heart of Goa. It is famous for the five important temples that are situated around the town, and also has the largest mosque in Goa. Most of these temples look relatively new as they have been restored after being destroyed by the Portuguese.
Ponda is also the gateway to Goa's wildlife sanctuaries, both the Bondla and the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and also the Dudhsagar Waterfalls.
The temples are concentrated in two main clusters: the first to the north of Ponda, on the busy NH4, and the second deep in the countryside, around 5 km west of the town. Most people only manage the Shri Manguesh and Shri Mahalsa, between the villages of Mardol and Priol. Today it is an industrial city with many large factories and industrial estates nearby. Goa's only engineering college, the Goa College of Engineering is located at nearby Farmagudi.
Ponda is also an important transport link.
The city of Ponda lies about 28kms south-east of Panaji and 17kms north-east of Margao and is also the capital of Ponda Taluka. It lies strategically along the main Panaji-Margao highway and is also connected to the neighboring state of Karnataka via the Ponda-Belgaum highway or the NH-4.
History: The town was born after the Portuguese took over the area in 1791 from the Raja of Sonda and annexed it along with Quepem, Canacona and Sanguem forming the New Conquests.
Most of the area known as Ponda today was a part of "Quela" village.
Excursion: Ponda can be described as the Hindu heart of Goa. It is famous for the five important temples that are situated around the town, and also has the largest mosque in Goa. Most of these temples look relatively new as they have been restored after being destroyed by the Portuguese.
Ponda is also the gateway to Goa's wildlife sanctuaries, both the Bondla and the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and also the Dudhsagar Waterfalls.
The temples are concentrated in two main clusters: the first to the north of Ponda, on the busy NH4, and the second deep in the countryside, around 5 km west of the town. Most people only manage the Shri Manguesh and Shri Mahalsa, between the villages of Mardol and Priol. Today it is an industrial city with many large factories and industrial estates nearby. Goa's only engineering college, the Goa College of Engineering is located at nearby Farmagudi.
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