Panaji-Goa

Panaji or Panjim is the capital of the state of Goa in India. It lies in the North Goa district on the banks of the Mandovi estuary and has a population of 65,000, with a metropolitan population of 100,000 if suburbs are included. It is Goa’s third largest city after Vasco and Madgaon.

The current official name is Panaji, though in the local language Konkani this gets pronounced as Ponnji, Ponnje, or Ponjhe. The Portuguese name was Pangim. Many mostly English-speaking people use the name Panjim.

Out Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church

Earlier a small village on the riverfront, in 1843 the city had been renamed Nova Goa (Portuguese for New Goa) when it officially replaced the city of Goa (now Old Goa) as the administrative seat of Portuguese India, though the viceroy had already moved there in 1759.

Incorporated into India in December 1961, Panaji became a state capital on Goa’s elevation to statehood in May 1987. Between 1961 and 1987, it was the capital of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. A new Legislative Assembly complex was inaugurated in March 2000, across the Mandovi river, in the suburb of Porvorim. Panaji is also the administrative headquarters of North Goa district.

The heart of the city is the Church Square or Municipal Garden with the Portuguese Baroque Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, originally built in 1541. Other tourist attractions include the Adilshahi Palace (or Idalcao palace), dating from the 16th century, the Menezes Braganza Institute and the central library, the Hindu Mahalaxmi Temple, the Jama Masjid mosque, the Chapel of St. Sebastian and the Fontainhas area in general which is considered to be the Old Latin Quarter, as well as the nearby beach Miramar. The Carnival celebrations in February include a colourful parade on the streets.