Dona Paula is a neighborhood and tourist destination in the city of

Panaji Panaji (; , , )also known as Panjim, is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district. Previously, it was the territorial capital of the former Portuguese India. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi river est ...

, Goa,

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is today home to the National Institute of Oceanography and the International Centre Goa.

History

The place is named after '' Dona'' Paula Amaral Antónia de Souto Maior, a historical figure in Portuguese India. She was related to the Portuguese Viceroy of Jaffnapatnam in Sri Lanka. She and her family arrived in Goa in 1744 and she married a hidalgo from

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in 1756. Her father was ''Dom'' António Caetano de Menezes Souto Maior. They were an extremely affluent family, and the entire property from the present-day Cabo Raj Nivas all the way to Caranzalem belonged to the Souto Maior family. She died on 21 December 1782. Dona Paula was a woman of charity, and is known to have helped the villagers and worked a lot for their betterment. Hence after her death, the villagers decided to rename the neighborhood as Dona Paula. Initially, the neighborhood was called Oddavell. The ''Palacio do Cabo'' (present day Goa Raj Bhavan) is situated at a scenic spot in Dona Paula. The area is also the location of a historic British war-graves cemetery.

Tourism

Dona Paula is located on the sea stretch that spans from Panjim, Miramar and Dona Paula is an area frequented by tourists. During the tourist season, Dona Paula transforms into a crowded stretch which is otherwise a calm place during monsoons. A large part of the Hindi movie Ek Duuje Ke Liye was shot here, popularising the place further. An action sequence from Rohit Shetty's movie Singham was shot here. The idyllic rocky tourist attraction lies at the spot where the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers meet and flow into the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

at a distance of 1 km from this point. One of the attractions in Dona Paula is a whitewashed statue perched on the rocks near the ferry jetty. Sculpted in 1969 by Baroness Yrse Von Leistner, there are different versions of its purpose of origin. According to Goa Tourism Board's website, it is named "Image of India" and depicts the figures of Mother India and Young India, one looking to the East and the other to the West. The Wheel of Ashoka is in the middle half, buried in stone, to represent the ancient culture, that nurtured this blend of ideas and emotions. While in the book 'Walking in Goa' published by Heta Pandit, it is said that the Baroness had actually sculpted statues of philosopher Robert Knox and his wife because she admired him. The Donna Paula jetty has been recently renovated by the government and is now open to the public. However, a minimal entry fee is being charged. Note: Locals can access the jetty free of charge upon presenting valid identification

References

* 4. https://mitaroygoahotel.com/2010/04/17/dona-paula-beach-goa-sun-sand-and-sorrow

External links

{{commons category, Dona Paula Beaches of Goa Neighbourhoods in Panaji Tourist attractions in Panaji Beaches of North Goa district