Panaji (; , , )also known as Panjim, is the capital of the Indian state of

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

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 Karnatak ...

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

Portuguese India The State of India, also known as the Portuguese State of India or Portuguese India, was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded seven years after the discovery of the sea route to the Indian subcontinent by Vasco da Gama, a subject of the ...

. It lies on the banks of the

Mandovi river The Mandovi (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) or Mahadayi (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ), formerly known as the Rio de Goa, is a river described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari River, Zua ...

estuary in the

Tiswadi Tiswadi, formerly known as Ilhas, is a ''taluka'' in the district of North Goa, situated in the Indian coastal state of Goa. It is an estuarine island situated on the confluence of the Mandovi and Zuari rivers. It was one of the first ter ...

sub-district (''

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

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

urban agglomeration An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

, ahead of

Margao Margao (, ) is the commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It stands on the banks of the river Sal. It is the district headquarters of South Goa, and administrative headquarters of Salcete sub-district. It is Goa's second largest ci ...

and

Mormugao Mormugao is a coastal town situated in the eponymous subdistrict of Southern Goa state, India. It has a deep natural harbour and remains Goa's chief port. Towards the end of the Indo-Portuguese era in 1917, thirty-one settlements were c ...

. 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 part ...

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

and other trees. The

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

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 a hundred Indian cities to be developed as a

smart city A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technology to collect data and operate services. Data is collected from citizens, devices, buildings, or cameras. Applications include traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities ...

under the

Smart Cities Mission Smart Cities Mission was an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen-friendly and sustainable. The Union Ministry of Urban Development ...

. Panaji's HDI is almost around 0.90, and is considered to be the best amongst other major Indian cities. The city was built with stepped streets and a promenade on a planned

grid Grid, The Grid, or GRID may refer to: Space partitioning * Regular grid, a tessellation of space with translational symmetry, typically formed from parallelograms or higher-dimensional analogs ** Grid graph, a graph structure with nodes connec ...

system after the Portuguese relocated the capital from

Velha Goa Old Goa (Konkani: ; ) 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 city was established by the Bijapur ...

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: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

to ''Panaji'', its present official name in the 1980s. The Portuguese name is ''Pangim''. 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: ; ) 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 city was established by the Bijapur ...

) 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 (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

. 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 () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

for ''lord of the western ocean''.

History

Panaji was made the first neighbourhood of "Nova Goa" (New Goa) capital of

, after a devastating epidemic decimated the population of the City of Goa 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 The Annexation of Goa was the process in which the Republic of India annexed the Portuguese State of India, the then Portuguese Indian territories of Goa, Daman and Diu, starting with the armed action carried out by the Indian Armed Forces ...

in 1961. It became a state-capital on Goa's elevation to statehood in 1987and 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 Mandovi (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) or Mahadayi (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ), formerly known as the Rio de Goa, is a river described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari River, Zua ...

, in Alto

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

. 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 Álv ...

, Fontainhas, Mala, Portais,

Altinho Altinho (') 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 located here ...

, 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 b ...

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

Campal Campal is a neighborhood located in the northern 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 neighborhoods name derives from ...

, 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 ...

Caranzalem Caranzalem (pronounced Caranzale) is a neighborhood located on the west side of the city of Panjim, the capital of the state of Goa. It is situated on the island of Tiswadi and is known for its beach with same name. The neighborhood has a bea ...

, Santa Cruz, Siridao, Dona Paula, 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, 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 subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''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 Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

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

Cityscape

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 Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

'' 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 institute in the centre of Panjim, Goa, India. It was set up by Portuguese colonial authorities in the late 19th century, but was taken over by the Government of Goa and continues to play a role in the ...

, the Chapel of St. Sebastian and the Fontainhas 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, Salesians of Don Bosco, SDB (; ; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco or Dom Bosco (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ), was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer. While working in Tu ...

(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 (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

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

Shigmo Shimgo, 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 ...

/ Xigmo, or

Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...

. The Narkāsūr parade on the night before Diwali in the city is very colourful. Well-known places in Panaji are the

18th June Road 18th June Road is one of the busiest streets in Panaji, Goa, India. It is located in the heart of the city, and is a major shopping destination for the tourist folks. Major businesses and restaurants line the street. The street is named af ...

(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, it is registered as a society, and was started in February 1970. The building was designed by Charles Cor ...

(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 based in Mumbai, India. Credited with the creation of modern architecture in post-Independent India, he was celebrated for his sensitivity to the ...

). Kala Academy is a place where

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 – 5 December 1510), referred as Yusuf 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 Adil Shahi dyna ...

of the

Bijapur Sultanate The Sultanate of Bijapur was an early modern kingdom in the western Deccan and South India, ruled by the Muslim Adil Shahi (or Adilshahi) dynasty. Bijapur had been a '' taraf'' (province) of the Bahmani Kingdom prior to its independence in 14 ...

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 space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

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.

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 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. Panaji is widely acknowledged as being both the Casino capital and Gin capital of India.

Education

's only university, the

Goa University Goa University is a public state university headquartered in the city of Panaji, in the Indian state of Goa. The traditions of Goa University date back to the 17th century,Prôa, Miguel Pires. "Escolas Superiores" Portuguesas Antes de 1950 ...

, 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: *

Don Bosco College Don Bosco College was a Roman Catholic seminary located in Newton, New Jersey. Opening in , it was operated by the Salesian Order (Society of St. Francis de Sales) until it was closed in 1989 and its 179-acre campus sold to the Sussex County, Ne ...

, Panjim *

Goa Medical College Goa Medical College (GMC) is a public medical college and hospital located in Goa, India. It is one of the oldest medical colleges in Asia. The medical college is affiliated to the Goa University (GU), being its oldest unit. History Since th ...

, 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 Dona Paula, 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 serving Panaji, the capital of the state of Goa, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as a civil enclave in an Indian Navy naval airbase named INS Hansa. The airport is lo ...

which is away. Transport is done mainly by buses. The other recently developed airport near to Panjim is Mopa Airport which is away. Transport is done mainly by buses. Mapusa is the nearest city, from where you can find ample public transport to the coastal areas in the form of buses, cabs, etc

Media and communications

Apart from leading national newspapers, there are few locally published newspapers which are readily available like "The Navhind Times," "The Herald," "Gomantak Times" and "The Goan". Panaji has few local radio stations which transmit various programs of mass interest. Indigo 91.9, Big 92.7, Vividh Bharati 101.1 and FM Rainbow 105.4 are few FM radio stations available. The latter two are State-owned

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

. The annual

International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is an annual film festival currently held in Goa, on the western coast of India. The festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excel ...

(IFFI), is held in Panaji.

Governance

The Goa government, as well as the

Indian government The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territor ...

, has its major offices in Goa. *

Bombay High Court The High Court of Bombay is the High courts of India, high court of the States and union territories of India, states of Maharashtra and Goa in India, and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It is seated primarily ...

– 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 *

, Altinho *

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and 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) Panaji Assembly constituency is one of the 40 Legislative Assembly constituencies of Goa state in India. It is part of North Goa district. Members of Legislative Assembly ^by-election Election results Assembly Election 2022 Ass ...

and

North Goa (Lok Sabha constituency) North Goa Lok Sabha constituency (formerly, Panaji Lok Sabha constituency) is one of the two Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Goa state in western India along with South Goa. Assembly segments Presently, North Goa Lok Sabha parliamen ...

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 Cabo is Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for cape. It may refer to: * Cabo San Lucas, a resort city in Baja California Sur, Mexico * Cabó, a municipality in Alt Urgell, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain Other places * Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica * Cabo C ...

at Dona Paula, about from Panaji. The current governor is S. Pillai.

Sports

Two of Goa's premier association football clubs

Dempo S.C. Dempo Sports Club is an Indian professional football club based in Panaji, Goa. The club currently competes in the I-League, the second tier of the Indian football league system, and the Goa Professional League. Dempo is owned and sponsored b ...

and

Sporting Clube de Goa Sporting Clube de Goa (simply known as Sporting Goa and abbreviated as SCG) is an Indian professional association football, football club based in Panaji, Goa. The club competes in the I-League 2, the third tier of the Indian football league s ...

are based in Panaji and they both compete in India's one of the top-tier league

I-League The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...

. 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 Futebol Clube de Goa is an India, Indian professional association football, football club based in Fatorda, Goa, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of Football in India, Indian football. The club was established on 2 ...

Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Panaji is twinned with: *

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, Portugal *

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

, Seychelles

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 Smart cities in India