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Panjim(Panaji)
in Goa - Providing info on Panjim Travel Tourism, Panaji Tour,
Churches in Panjim, Travel to Panaji, Travelling in Goa, Goa Holidays,
Tourists Destinations in Goa, Shopping in Goa, Temples in Goa, Cities of
Goa, Archaeology in Goa, Beaches in Goa, Festivals in Goa. |
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Panjim (Panaji) in Goa |
 Called
Panjim by the Portuguese, Panaji, which means "the land that does
not flood" is the state capital of Goa. Unlike many capital cities,
Panaji has a distinct unhurried character. It is situated on the
southern banks of the Mandovi River, which makes this town all the more
charming. The European Ambience 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. There are some fine government buildings along the riverside boulevard, and the Passport Office is especially noteworthy. In the 16th century, the edifice was the palace of Adil Shah (the Sultan of Bijapur). The Portuguese took over the palace and constructed the Viceregal Lodge in 1615. In 1843, the structure became the Secretariat, and today it is the Passport Office.  Trudge
around town in the cobbled alleys to see quaint old taverns and cafes
with some atmosphere, and practically no tourists. They are a good place
to meet the local people. The Largo Da Igreja Church Square is a fine illustration of the awesome Portuguese Baroque style. The Church of the Immaculate Conception is easily one of the most elegant and picturesque monuments in Goa. Built in 1541 AD, atop a high, symmetrical, crisscrossing stairway, the church is a white edifice topped with a huge bell that stands in between two delicate Baroque style towers. The Braganza Institute, houses the tiled frieze, which depicts the 'mythical' representation of the colonisation of Goa by the Portuguese. Fountainhas is a lovely old residential area amidst shady cobbled streets connecting red-tile-roofed houses with overhanging balconies, much like a country town in Spain or Portugal. PANJIM AND CENTRAL GOA  Take
any mid sized Portuguese town add a sprinkling of banana trees and
auto-rickshaws, drench annually with torrential tropical rain, and leave
to simmer in fierce humid sunshine for at least one hundred and fifty
years, and one'll end up with something like Panjim. The Goan capital
has a completely different feel from any other Indian city. History For centuries, Panjim was little more than a minor landing stage and customs house, protected by a hilltop fort, and surrounded by stagnant swampland. It only became capital in 1843, after the port at Old Goa had silted up, and its rulers and impoverished inhabitants had fled the plague. Although the last Portuguese Viceroy managed to drain many of the nearby marshes, and erect imposing public buildings on the new site, the town never emulated the grandeur of its predecessor upriver --a result, in part, of the Portuguese nobles' predilection for erecting their mansions in the countryside rather than the city. Panjim expanded rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, without reaching the unmanageable proportions of other Indian state capitals. After Mumbai or even Bangalore, its uncongested streets seem easygoing and pleasantly parochial. Sights are thin on the ground but the palm-linth squares and atmospheric Latin Quarter with its picturesque neoclassical houses and catholic churches make a pleasant backdrop for aimless wandering. Worth A Visit Although one can completely bypass the town when one arrives in Goa, either by jumping off the train or coach at Margao or Mapusa or by heading straight off on a local bus, it's definitely worth spending time here. If only a couple of hours en route to the ruined former capital at Old Goa. The area around Panjim attracts far fewer visitors than the coastal resorts, yet its paddy fields and wooded valley harbour several attractions worth a day or two's break from the beach. Old Goa is just a bus ride away, as are the unique temples around Ponda, an hour or so southeast, to where Hindus smuggled their deities during the inquisition. |
Prime Attractions of Panjim |
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At the place where two of Goa's famous rivers meet the
Arabian Sea is the secluded bay of Dona Paula with a fine view of the
Marmagao Harbour. more.. |
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Built in 1602, the only ruin of the
Church of St. Augustine on the Holy Hill at Old Goa near the Nunnery, is
a lofty 46-metre high tower defying the torrential rains.
more.. |
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About 2-km on the main road
towards Ponda, a Kuchcha road branches off to a place where a cross is
fixed. The road leads to a hill on which, commanding a picturesque view,
is the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount more.. |
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In the Holy Hill, on the way
to the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, is a huge three-storeyed
building of laterite which was originally lime-plastered but is now
plastered with cement. more.. |
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Not far to the west of the
Basilica of the Bom Jesus is the Holy Hill at the extremity of which is
the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. more.. |
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To the west of the Se
Cathedral is the former palace of the Archbishop that connects the Se
Cathedral to the Convent and Church of St. Francis of Assisi.
more.. |
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It is built of laterite
plastered with lime mortar, with tiled roof supported by wooden rafters
is a plain chapel with only one altar. more.. |
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Aguada Fort, which crowns the rocky flattened top of the
headland, is the best-preserved Portuguese bastion in Goa. Built in 1612
to protect the northern shores of the Mandovi estuary from Dutch and
Maratha raiders more.. |
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The museum has been functioning
since 1964 in the abandoned convent of St. Francis of Assisi and is
maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The collection
consists of Brahmanical sculptures hero-stones and sati stones of the
early and late medieval periods, portraits, coins and currency, revenue
and court fee stamps, wooden and bronze sculptures and armoury of the
Portuguese period. more.. |
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The Museum of Goa is housed at a new Building at
the Patto Plaze near the Ourem creek, Panaji. The most noteworthy
feature of Panjim's State Archeological Museum is its imposing size,
which stands in glaringly inverse proportion to the scale of the
collection inside. more.. |
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Up in the lush foothills of the Western Ghats, Bondla
is good place to see Sambhar and Wild Boar. It is smallest of the Goan
Wildlife Sanctuaries. Its area is 8-sq-kms but easiest one to reach.
more.. |
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A
mere 45 minute bus ride up the coast from the capital, Calangute is
Goa's busiest and most commercialized resort more.. |
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On the way to Dona Paula, 1-km ahead of the confluence
of the Arabian Sea and Mandvi River, under the palm shade, is "Gasper
Dias" or Miramar Beach and is just 3-km away from the capital city
of Panjim. more.. |
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The Portuguese Viceroy Redondo commissioned the Se,
or St. Catherine's' Cathedral, southwest of St. Cajetan's, to be "a
grandiose church worthy of the wealth, power and fame of the Portuguese
who dominated the seas from the Atlantic to the Pacific".
more.. |
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3-km away from Banastari Bridge on
Panaji-Ponda Road is situated the noteworthy temple dedicated to Devaki
Krishna at Marcel. The deity is said to have been brought from Chorao in
Tiswadi to Mayem in Bicholim and then shifted to its present place
during the days of religious persecution by the alien rulers.
more.. |
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Situated in West Goa, the Mahadeva
Temple in Tambdi Surla is the state's only prominent reminder of the
pre-Portuguese temple architecture. Maintained by the ASI (Archeological
Survey of India), this 12th century temple boasts of some fine relief's
on the 'Shikhara' (spire) depicting a plethora of Gods and Goddesses.
more.. |
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The temple tour can be resumed by offering
prostrations unto Goddess Mahalakshmi, the presiding deity of Panaji,
the capital of Goa. The main temple has been reconstructed recently. The
main festivals at this temple are Navaratri and Chaitra Purnima.
more.. |
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As one tries to return to Panaji from
Harvalem, one can visit the famous temple of Sri Saptakoteshwar Naroa,
Bicholim. Sri Saptakoteshwara was the patron deity of the Kadambas who
had built a beautiful temple dedicated to this deity at the Diwar
Island. more.. |
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From Kansarpal one can proceed to Sanquelim,
the hometown of the Ranes of Satari who played key role in Goa's freedom
struggle. The ancestors of the present Rane family, who are believed to
have migrated to Goa from Udaipur about 600 years ago, built the famous
Sri Vithal temple situated on the bank of Valvanta River.
more.. |
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Further to the west of the Church of
St. Francis of Assisi is the chapel of St. Catherine. Built of laterite
blocks it has a tower on either side of the façade. The chapel in
the interior, having only one altar is plain more.. |
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Opposite the Se Cathedral, beyond the
road is the large and beautiful church of St. Cajetan built of laterite
blocks, which were lime plastered. more.. |
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Nothing remains of the Church of the
Carmelites excepting the façade and a raised pavement, which
served as an altar. Its location is to the southeast of the Church of
St. Cajetan more.. |
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Situated to the east of
the tower of St. Augustine it is a plain looking building constructed in
the beginning of the 18th century. The convent was abandoned in 1835.
The Society of the Misericordia occupied it for some time.
more.. |
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On the
southern outskirts of Old Goa is a hill on which stand this convent and
church. more.. |
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Immediately
to the south of the main road is the Professed House, a two-storeyed
laterite building covered with lime plaster. Despite the opposition,
which the Jesuits faced, the building was completed in 1585.
more.. |
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To the west of the tower of St.
Augustine is the Royal Chapel dedicated to St. Anthony, the national
saint of Portugal and held in great veneration by the Portuguese. It was
built in the beginning of the 17th century. more.. |
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Along the north from Panaji on the
road to Belgaum, is a sanctuary that covers 240-sq-kms. Thick forest
clad the slopes of the Western Ghats that is rich in wildlife and a
paradise for bird watchers. Police Outpost at the gateway of the
sanctuary in calm and quiet surroundings is like a painting on a canvas
in Malem. more.. |
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Bonderam Festival The feast of Bonderam is
celebrated on the fourth Saturday of August every year at Divar Island,
12-km from Panjim. On this day, the quiant land of Divar, away from the
hustle and bustle of Panjim, is agog with excitement. Melodious music
drift from the village to mainland Old Goa - once the hub of Portuguese
Goa - even before the crack of dawn on the Saturday. more.. |
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Built in 1540 AD opposite Fort Aguada on the south
headland of the river Mandovi, the Cabo (the Portuguese word for cape)
Palace fortress housed the Franciscan monastery. more.. |
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Just east of Old Goa, the lily-covered Carambolin Lake
has enormus bird population more.. |
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Situated 22-km from Panaji on Verna plateau just off
the Panaji-Margao highway, this spring emerges from hard compact rocks
and has medicinal properties. more.. |
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35-km from Panaji, this artificial lake surrounded
amidst rolling green hills is an ideal picnic spot more.. |
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The College of St. Paul, once
the principal institution of Jesuits in India for imparting knowledge on
Christianity, was built over the ruins of a mosque south of St.
Cajetan's church at Old Goa in 1542. more.. |
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The Palace of Adil Shah at
Old Goa was the most prominent building with magnificent lofty
staircases. It was the residence of the Portuguese governors till 1695,
and was afterwards used by them on festive occasions.
more.. |
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Where the Kuchcha road branches off from the road to
Neura, leading to the Church and Convent of the Cross of Miracles, is a
lone pillar on a raised platform, which once occupied the central place
in the city square, and was used for punishing offenders of the law, who
were tied to it and publicly whipped. more.. |
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The main road in front of the Church of St.
Cajetan leads to the river Mandovi through an archway known as the
Viceroy's Arch. The arch is made of laterite except for the façade
on the riverside, which is facetted with greenish granite.
more.. |
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Condolim Beach Four or five years ago,
Candolim, at the far southern end of Calangute beach, was a surprisingly
sedate resort, appealing to an odd mixture of middle-class Bombayites,
and Burgundy-clad Sannyasins taking a break from the Rajneesh Ashram at
Pune. |
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Church Square The leafy rectangular park
opposite the Indian Government Tourist Office, known as Church Square or
the municipal garden, forms the heart of Panjim. Presiding over its east
side is the town's most distinctive and photogenic landmark, the
toothpaste white baroque façade of the Church of Our Lady of the
Immaculate Conception. Flanked by rows of slender palm trees, at the
head of a criss-crossing laterite walkway, the church was built in 1541
for the benefit of sailors arriving here from Lisbon. The weary mariners
would stagger up from the quay to give thanks for their safe passage
before proceeding to the capital at Old Goa - the original home of the
enormous bell that hangs from its central gable. |
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Fontainhas Panjim's oldest and most
interesting district, Fontainhas, lies immediately west of Pato,
overlooking the banks of the oily green Ourem Creek. From the footbridge
between the bus stand and town centre, a dozen or so blocks of
neoclassical houses rise in a tangle o terracotta rooftops up the sides
of Altinho Hill. At siesta time, Vespas stand idle on deserted street
corners, while women in western clothes exchange pleasantries with their
neighbours from open windows and leafy verandahs. Many building have
retained their traditional coat of ochre, pale, yellow, green or blue- a
legacy of the Portuguese insistence that every Goan building should be
colour washed after monsoons. |
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Sao Tome Sao tome ward is the other old
quarter, lying north of Fontainhas on the far side of Emilio Gracia
Road. This is the area to head for if one fancy a bar crawl: the narrow
streets are dotted with dozens of hole-in-the -wall taverns, serving
cheap, stiff measures of rocket fuel 'Feni' under strip lights and the
watchful gaze of colourful Madonnas. |
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The Chapel Of St. Sebastian At the southern
end of the neighbourhood, the pristine whitewashed Chapel of St.
Sebastian is one of many Goan churches to remain faithful to the old
colonial decree. It stands at the end of a small square where
Fontainhas' Portuguese speaking locals hold a lively annual street
fiesta to celebrate their patron Saint's day in mid-November. The eerily
lifelike crucifix inside the chapel, brought here in 1812, formerly hung
in the palace of the inquisition in Old Goa. Unusually, Christ's eyes
are open - allegedly to inspire fear in those being interrogated by the
inquisitors. |
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The Secretariat: Panjim The road that runs
north from the church brings you out at the riverside near Panjim's
oldest surviving building. With its sloping tiled roofs, carved stone
coats of arms and wooden verandahs, the stalwart secretariat looks
typically colonial. Yet it was originally The Summer Palace of Goa's
16th century Muslim ruler, the 'Adil Shah. Later, the Portuguese
converted it into a temporary rest house for the territory's Governors
and then a residence for the Viceroy. Today, it accommodates the Goan
State Legislature. Hundred metres east from the building is situated a
peculiar statue of a man holding his hands over the body of an entranced
reclining woman shows Abbe Farin, a Goan priest who emigrated to France
to become one of the world's first professional hypnotists. |
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The Town: Panjim Until a decade ago, most
visitors' first glimpse of Panjim was from the decks of the Old Bombay
steamer as it chugged into dock at the now defunct ferry ramp. These
days, however, despite the recent inauguration of the Konkan railway,
and Damania's catamaran service from Mumbai, the town is most usually
approached by road - from the north via the huge Ferro-concrete bridge
that spans the Mandovi estuary, or from the south on the recently
revamped NH-7, which links the capital with the airport and railhead at
Vasco da Gama. Either way, one will have to pass through the suburb of
Pato, home of the main Kadamba Bus Terminal, before crossing Ourem Creek
to arrive in proper Panjim. West of Fontainhas, the picturesque
Portuguese quarter, the commercial centre's grid of long straight
streets fans out west from Panjim's principal landmark, Church Square.
Further north, the main thoroughfare, Avenida Dom Joao Castro, sweeps
past the Head Post Office and Secretariat Building, before bending west
along the waterfront. |
How To Get There - Panjim |
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Local Transport The most convenient way of
getting around Panjim is by auto rickshaw; flag one down at the roadside
or head for one of the ranks around the city. The only city buses likely
to be of use to visitors run to Dona Paula from the main bus stand via
several stops along the esplanade, and Miramar beachfront. If you feel
up to taking on Panjim's anarchic traffic, bicycles can be rented from a
stall up the lane opposite the head post office. |
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By Air European Charter planes and domestic
flights from Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi (Cochin), Delhi, Chennai and
Thiruvananthapuram arrive at Goa's Dabolim airport, 29-km south of
Panjim on the outskirts of Vasco Da Gama, Goa's second city. Pre-paid
taxis into town booked at the counter in the forecourt, can be shared by
up to four people. |
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By Rail Panjim is also connected by rail
from Bombay, Bangalore, Hyderabad and New Delhi. The nearest railway
station is Vasco-da-Gama, which is situated 30-km away from the capital
city. |
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By Road Long-distance and local buses pull
into Panjim at the town's busy Kadamba Bus Terminal, 1-km east of the
centre in the district of Pato. |
Places To Stay - PanjimThe town centre has plenty of accommodation, and finding a place to stay is only a problem during Dussehra the festival of St. Francis in early December, and during peak season, when tariffs double. One can get a nice place to stay at off-season times, when hotels offer substantial discounts. The best inexpensive options are in Fountainhas, down by Ourem Creek, brings one to several budget hotels as well as in the back streets behind the walkway. Standards over here are generally good, and even the most inexpensive rooms should have a window a modern west end of town. |
Maps |
General Information - Panjim |
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Location Goa. |
Useful Information - PanjimThe police Headquarters is situated on Malaca Road, central Panjim.Post Office: Panjim's reliable Poste Restante Counter is in the Head Post Office, 200m west of Pato Bridge. |
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Banks / Money Changers The most efficient
place to change money in Panjim is Thomas Cook, near the Indian Airlines
office, at 8 Alcon Chambers, Devanand Bandodkar Road. For Visa
withdrawls, one has to go to the bank of Baroda on Azad Maidan, or the
Andhra Bank, opposite the Ashok Samrat Cinema. The Corporation Bank on
Church Square, around the corner from the GTDC Tourist Office, also has
a foreign exchange section that's much faster. American Express are at
Menezes Air Travel, Rua de Ourem, near Pato Bridge. |
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Hospitals Panjim's largest hospital, the
Goa Medical College is situated in the west of town at the far end of
Avda Dom Joao Castro, Another hospital is Algaonkar Hospital, 12-km
south on the Vasco Road.Panjim's best pharmacy is Hindu Pharma, next to the hotel aroma on Church Square, which stocks Ayurvedic, Homeopathic and Allopathic medicines. |
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Recreation Centers Regular recitals of
classical Indian music and dance are held at Panjim's school for the
performing arts, the Kala Academy in Campal, at the far west end of town
on Devanand Bandodkar Road. For details of forthcoming events consult
the boards in front of the auditorium or the listing page of local
newspaper. |
Hotels & Resorts in Goa |
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Tour
Code: GTT - 001 Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights Destinations Covered: Mumbai - Goa - Cochin - Mumbai |
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Tour
Code: GTT - 004 Duration: 10 Days / 9 Nights Destinations Covered: Trivandrum - Kovalam - Kanya Kumari - Vattakottai - Kovalam - Varkala - Cochin - Goa |
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Tour
Code: GTT - 006 Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights Destinations Covered: Goa - Panjim - Savoi - Panaji |
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