Panaji (; also known as Panjim) is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of

North Goa North Goa district is one of the two districts that constitutes the state of Goa, India. The district has an area of , and is bounded by Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra state to the north and by Belgavi district of Karnataka ...

district. Previously, it was the territorial capital of the former

Portuguese India The State of India ( pt, Estado da Índia), also referred as the Portuguese State of India (''Estado Português da Índia'', EPI) or simply Portuguese India (), was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded six years after the discovery of a s ...

. It lies on the banks of the

Mandovi river The Mahadayi/Mandovi River (''Mandovi'', pronounced ), also known as Mahadayi or Mhadei river, is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa. Mandovi joins ...

estuary in the Tiswadi sub-district ''(

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its adminis ...

)''. With a population of 114,759 in the metropolitan area, Panaji is Goa's largest

urban agglomeration An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

, ahead of

Margao Margao or Madgaon is the commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It stands on banks of the Sal river and is the administrative headquarters of Salcete sub-district and South Goa district. It is Goa's second largest city by population ...

and

Mormugao Mormugao is a seaport city situated in the eponymous Mormugao taluka ( municipality) of the South district, in the Goa state, India. It has a deep natural harbour and remains Goa's chief port. Towards the end of the Indo-Portuguese era in 1 ...

. Panaji has terraced hills, concrete buildings with balconies and red-tiled roofs, churches, and a riverside promenade. There are avenues lined with

gulmohar ''Delonix regia'' is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae native to Madagascar. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of orange-red flowers over summer. In many tropical par ...

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus nam ...

and other trees. The

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church is located overlooking the main square known as Praça da Igreja. Panaji has been selected as one of hundred Indian cities to be developed as a

smart city A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in retur ...

under the Smart Cities Mission. The city was built with stepped streets and a seven kilometre long promenade on a planned

grid Grid, The Grid, or GRID may refer to: Common usage * Cattle grid or stock grid, a type of obstacle is used to prevent livestock from crossing the road * Grid reference, used to define a location on a map Arts, entertainment, and media * News ...

system after the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

relocated the capital from

Velha Goa Old Goa ( Konkani: ; pt, Velha Goa, translation='Old Goa') is a historical site and city situated on the southern banks of the River Mandovi, within the Tiswadi ''taluka'' (''Ilhas'') of North Goa district, in the Indian state of Goa. The ...

in the 17th century. It was elevated from a town to a city on 22 March 1843.

Etymology

The city was renamed from ''Panjim'' in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

to ''Panaji'', its present official name in the 1980s. The

name is ''Pangim''. The city is sometimes written as ''पणजें'' in (देवनागरी) कोंकणी or ''Ponnjé'' in

Romi Konkani Konkani in the Roman script, commonly known as Romi Konkani or ''Romi Konknni'' () refers to the writing of the Konkani language in the Roman script. While Konkani is written in five different scripts altogether, Romi Konkani is widely used. Romi ...

. The city had been renamed ''Nova Goa'' (Portuguese for "New Goa") when it officially replaced the city of Goa (now

Old Goa Old Goa ( Konkani: ; pt, Velha Goa, translation='Old Goa') is a historical site and city situated on the southern banks of the River Mandovi, within the Tiswadi ''taluka'' (''Ilhas'') of North Goa district, in the Indian state of Goa. Th ...

) as the capital of

, though the Viceroy had already moved there in 1759. The justification of the modern word ''Panaji'' is derived from the words ''panjani'' and ''khali'', which mean ''a boat'' and ''a small creek'' respectively, in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

. Thus the modern word Panjim is believed to be a corruption of the old word ''Panjanakhani'' as inscribed on the discovered Panjim copper-plates dated 1059 CE, belonging to the rule of Kadamba king Jayakesi I. According to legend, this northern capital city was mentioned in a stone inscription of Kadamba king Jayakesi I dated 1054 CE as 'Panjanakhani', giving him the epithet of ''Padavalendra'' which is

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

for ''lord of the western ocean''. Some historians state that it was named after a Shia Muslim shrine also called a "Panja" on one of the coastal hill tops.

History

Panaji was made the capital of

, after a devastating epidemics decimated the population of the

City of Goa A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...

in the mid 18th Century. Panaji was annexed by India with the rest of Goa and the former Portuguese territories after the Indian annexation of Portuguese India in 1961. It became a state-capital on Goa's elevation to statehood in 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 The Mahadayi/Mandovi River (''Mandovi'', pronounced ), also known as Mahadayi or Mhadei river, is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa. Mandovi joins ...

, in Alto

Porvorim Porvorim (pronounced ''Parvari '' ), is the ''De facto'' legislative and executive capital of the state of Goa, India, as both the Goa Legislative Assembly and Secretariat are functioning from the same complex in the region of Alto Porvorim in ...

. Panaji is also the administrative headquarters of

district.

Geography

Panaji is located at . It has an average elevation of .

Suburbs

Panaji has various ''vāde'' or sub-divisions, including: *

São Tomé São Tomé is the capital and largest city of the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. Its name is Portuguese for " Saint Thomas". Founded in the 15th century, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities. History Álvar ...

Fontainhas Fontainhas is a settlement in the northern part of the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. It is situated near the rocky north coast of the island, 2 km southwest of Ponta do Sol and 19 km north of the island capital Porto Novo. The settlement in ...

Mala Mala may refer to: Comics * Mala (Amazon), an Amazon from Wonder Woman's side of the DC Universe * Mala (Kryptonian), a villain from Superman's corner of the DC Universe Films and television * ''Mala'' (1941 film), a Bollywood drama film * , ...

, Portais,

Altinho Altinho ('' pt, High'') is a hill neighbourhood of Panaji, the state capital of India's smallest state Goa. In the past it has been considered an elite residential colony, with the State's chief minister's residence and the Archbishop's palace ...

, Cortin, Praça da Igreja,

Tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bi ...

, Bazar, Japão, and Boça de Vaca. Some areas outlying it are: *

Campal Campal is a neighborhood located in the northern part of the city of Panaji, capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is completely located on the island of Tiswadi, one of the talukas in the state of Goa. The neighborhood name derives from "C ...

, Santa Inez, Chinchollem, Batulem, Merces,

Bambolim Bambolim is a neighborhood located in the southeastern part of the city of Panaji, the capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is completely located on the island of Tiswadi, one of the talukas in the state of Goa. The only allopathic medical c ...

Caranzalem Caranzalem (pronaunced Caranzale the alphabet m is silent) is a neighborhood located on the west side of the city of Panaji, capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is completely located on the island of Tiswadi, one of the talukas in the sta ...

, Santa Cruz,

Siridao Siridao, or Siridão, is a neighborhood located at the southern end of the city of Panaji, capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is completely located on the island of Tiswadi, one of the taluka A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or ...

Dona Paula Dona Paula is a village and tourist destination in the neighborhood of Panaji, Goa, India. It is today home to the National Institute of Oceanography and the International Centre Goa. History The place is named after ''Dona'' Paula Amara ...

, and Platô de Taleigão. Besides lying on the banks of the

, Panaji is bound by two creeks called ''pői'' by the locals, namely Ourém creek and Santa Inêz creek.

Demographics

During the

2011 census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Informatio ...

, Panaji had a population of 114,405. Males constituted 52% of the population and females 48%. It had an average literacy rate of 90.9%; male literacy was 94.6% and female literacy 86.9%. In Panaji, 9.6% of the population was under 7 years of age.

Religion

Panaji comprises three major religions, with Hinduism being the majority with 64.08% followers, Christianity with 26.51% followers, and the smallest being Islam with 8.84% followers. 0.4% of the population count as other which include Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh followers.

Climate

Panaji features a

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Am''). The climate in Panaji is hot in summer and equable in winter. During summers (from March to May) the temperature reaches up to and in winters (from November to February) it is usually between and . The

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

period is from June to October with heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The annual average rainfall is .

Landmarks

The heart of the city is the ''Praça da Igreja'' (Church Square) where the Jardim Garcia de Orta (municipal garden) with the Portuguese

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

'' Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Imaculada Conceição'', originally built in 1541. Other tourist attractions include the old and rebuilt Adilshahi Palace (or ''Idalç''ão Palace), dating from the sixteenth century, the

Institute Menezes Braganza Institute Menezes Braganza is a cultural institution set up by the Portuguese in colonial times, during the late 19th century. It was taken over by the Government of Goa and continues to play a role in cultural activities of Goa. In recent year ...

, the Chapel of St. Sebastian and the

area—which is considered to be the old Latin Quarter—as well as the nearby beach of Miramar. Panaji hosted the relics of Saint

John Bosco John Melchior Bosco ( it, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; pms, Gioann Melchior Bòsch; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator, writer and saint of the 19th century. While working ...

(also known as Don Bosco) until 21 August 2011 at the Don Bosco Oratory. One of the capital city's most discerning assets is the Mahalaxmi Temple. Located on the Dada Vaidya road (Rua de Saudade during the Portuguese times), the Mahalaxmi deity is the chief object of veneration for all Panjimites, irrespective of caste, class, sex or creed. The

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival t ...

celebrations in February include a colourful parade on the streets. This is followed by the

Shigmo Shimga, or Shishirotsava is a spring festival celebrated in the Indian state of Goa, where it is one of the major festivals of the Hindu community. It is also celebrated by Konkani diaspora and Indian festival of Holi is part of it. Etymology T ...

/ Xigmo, or

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

. The Narkāsūr parade on the night before Diwali in the city is very colourful. Well-known places in Panaji are the 18th June Road (a busy thoroughfare in the heart of the town and a shopping area for tourists and locals), Mala area, Miramar beach and the

Kala Academy Kala Academy (Academy of the Arts) is a prominent cultural centre run by the Government of Goa, in Goa, India. Situated at Campal, Panjim Panaji (; also known as Panjim) is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of ...

(a cultural centre known for its structure built by architect

Charles Correa Charles Mark Correa (1 September 1930 – 16 June 2015) was an Indian architect and urban planner. Credited with the creation of modern architecture in post-Independent India, he was celebrated for his sensitivity to the needs of the urban p ...

). Kala Academy is a place where Goa showcases its art and culture.

Palace of Adil Shah (Secretariat Building)

Situated on the banks of

in the heart of Panaji is ‘Old Secretariat’ building popularly known as ‘Adil Shah's Palace’. It was built by

Yusuf Adil Shah Yusuf Adil Shah (1450–1510), referred as Adil Khan or Hidalcão by the Portuguese, was the founder of the Adil Shahi dynasty that ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur for nearly two centuries. As the founder of the newly formed Bijapur dynasty (as t ...

of the

Bijapur Sultanate The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's T ...

in around 1500, as a summer residence and fortress. The building was armed with 55 cannons and surrounded by a moat. The Palace was besieged by Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510 and in the mid-1500s the Portuguese conquerors renamed it as ‘Idalcao's Palace’ and was the temporary residence of the first ‘Viceroy of Goa’. In 1963 this ancient structure was renovated by Goa government to house

Goa Legislative Assembly The Goa Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the state of Goa in India. The Assembly meets at the Goa State Legislative Assembly Complex in Porvorim, Bardez. The Eighth Goa Legislative Assembly consists of 40 members. The assem ...

. This structure today is 'The Goa State Museum'.

Other attractions

Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is an estuarine mangrove habitat, which is declared as the bird sanctuary, and located on western tip of the Island of Chorão along the Mandovi River, Goa, in India. The sanctuary is named after Salim Ali, the eminent I ...

is a bird

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

named after the ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali. The sanctuary, located in the village of Chorão, near Panaji, plays host to rare and endangered bird species—both migratory and resident. Goa is famous for its beaches, and Miramar,

, and Dona Paula are three popular beaches located near Panaji. Dona Paula is the meeting point for two of Goa's famous rivers, Zuari and Mandovi. These two rivers meet at the Arabian Sea. The official residence of the governor of Goa, known as Cabo Raj Bhavan, is situated on the westernmost tip of Dona Paula. Miramar Beach is one of the more crowded beaches in Goa, which remains full with local and international tourists throughout the year. Also located near Panaji, is the

Goa Science Centre The Goa Science Centre is a science museum, located on New Marine Highway, Miramar, Panjim. It is a joint project of a division of India's National Council of Science Museums National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) is an autonomous orga ...

which was opened to the public in December 2001. The Caculo Mall is also located in St. Inez near Panaji. Also Madhuban Complex, at St.inez is very popular among Panjimites. Goa is known for its casinos as well.

Education

Goa's only university, the

Goa University Goa University is a public state research university headquartered in the city of Panaji, in the Indian state of Goa. In addition to Panaji ( Taleigão Plateau Campus), it has a campus in Margao, Mapusa, Ponda, Old Goa and Vasco da Gama. ...

, is situated at

Taleigão Taleigão, or Platô de Taleigão, is a neighborhood located in the southern part of the city of Panaji, the capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is entirely located on the island of Tiswadi, which is one of the talukas in the state of Goa. ...

on the outskirts of Panaji. Some other educational institutes in Panaji are: *

Goa Medical College Goa Medical College (GMC) is a government medical college and hospital in Goa, India. It is one of the oldest medical colleges in Asia. It is currently an organic institution of the Goa University (GU), being its oldest unit. History Since ...

, Bambolim * Goa College of Pharmacy * Goa Polytechnic Panaji * Goa College of Fine Arts * The Rosary High School, Miramar * Our lady of Rosary (Green Rosary), Dona Paula * Santa Cruz High School, Santa Cruz * Don Bosco High School * Goa Institute of Management * Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Altinho * Dhempe College of Arts and Sciences, Miramar * Mary Immaculate Girls High School, São Tomé/Fontainhas *Sharada Mandir School,Miramar

Research centres

The National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) is situated at

, on the outskirts of Panaji city. It specialises in marine science research.

Transport

The nearest airport is

Dabolim Airport Dabolim Airport is an international airport in Dabolim, Goa, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India as a civil enclave in an Indian Navy naval airbase named INS Hansa. The airport is located in Dabolim, 4 kilometers ...

which is away. Transport is done mainly by buses.

Media and communications

State-owned

All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All ...

has a local station in Panaji which transmits various programs of mass interest. The annual

International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common p ...

(IFFI), is held in Panaji.

Governance

The Goa government, as well as the

Indian government The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

, has its major offices in Goa. *

Bombay High Court The High Court of Bombay is the high court of the states of Maharashtra and Goa in India, and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It is seated primarily at Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), and is one of the ...

– Goa bench *Goa Education Development Corporation *Industrial Development Corporation Goa *Junta House – houses government offices *Goa Passport Office. *Press Information Bureau (Government of India's Press Office) *

Sports Authority of Goa The Sports Authority of Goa commonly abbreviated as SAG, is a body owned fully by the Government of Goa. It is responsible for the development of sports in the Indian state of Goa. It currently owns and maintains 14 sports complexes which inclu ...

, Altinho *

Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest b ...

Complex, Altinho The

is situated at Alto

, about from Panaji. The hillock called

houses some major central government offices and the residences of prominent officials and politicians. Panaji is part of Panaji (Goa Assembly constituency) and North Goa (Lok Sabha constituency).

Politics

The current Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, resides here. The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) administers the city and its Mayor is Rohit Monserrate. Vasant Agshikar is the Deputy Mayor. The Governor of Goa stays at the Cabo Raj Bhavan at

, about from Panaji. The current Governor is S. Pillai.

Sports

Two of Goa's premier association football clubs

Dempo S.C. Dempo Sports Club, or simply known as Dempo, is an Indian professional football club based in Panjim, Goa, that competes in the Goa Professional League. The club is owned and sponsored by the Dempo Mining Corporation Limited. Popularly known as ...

and Sporting Clube de Goa are based in Panaji and they both compete in India's top-tier league

I-League The I-League (known as Hero I-League for sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp) is the second-tier men's professional football competition of the Indian football league system. It is currently contested by 12 clubs across the country with the wi ...

. Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias in Miramar was founded in the year 1926 and remains among the most sought after Tennis clubs in Goa. The multipurpose Campal Indoor Complex is planned in Campal besides the existing football ground. The Don Bosco college football grounds on General Bernardo Guedes road has been long a long established sports field in the city. It also has a football club named

FC Goa Football Club Goa is an Indian professional football club based in Goa, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was established on 26 August 2014. Nicknamed as '' Gaurs'', the club plays their h ...

Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federa ...

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Panaji is twinned with: *

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...

, Portugal

References

External links

Goa: A complete GuideGovernment of Goa
* {{Authority control Cities and towns in North Goa district North Goa district Populated coastal places in India Port cities and towns of the Arabian Sea Port cities in India Tourist attractions in North Goa district Indian capital cities