Panaji

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.