Capital city of the Indian state of Goa
"Panjim" redirects here. Not to be confused with
Panjin
.
City in Goa, India
Panaji
(
;
Goan Konkani
:
Ponnjem
,
IPA:
[p??d??]
; 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
estuary in the
Tiswadi
sub-district
(
taluka
)
. With a population of 114,759 in the metropolitan area, Panaji is Goa's largest
urban agglomeration
, ahead of
Margao
and
Mormugao
.
Panaji has terraced hills, concrete buildings with balconies and red-tiled roofs, churches, and a riverside promenade. There are avenues lined with
gulmohar
,
acacia
and other trees. The
baroque
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church
is located overlooking the main square known as Praca da Igreja. Panaji has been selected as one of a hundred Indian cities to be developed as a
smart city
under the
Smart Cities Mission
.
[4]
The city was built with stepped streets and a seven kilometre long promenade on a planned
grid
system after the
Portuguese
relocated the capital from
Velha Goa
in the 17th century.
[5]
It was elevated from a town to a city on 22 March 1843.
[6]
Etymology
[
edit
]
The city was renamed from
Panjim
in
English
to
Panaji
, its present official name in the 1980s. The
Portuguese
name is
Pangim
. The city is sometimes spelt as
?????
in
Devanagari
or
Ponnje
in
Romi Konkani
. The city had been renamed
Nova Goa
(Portuguese for "New Goa") when it officially replaced the city of Goa (now
Old Goa
) as the capital of
Portuguese India
, 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
. 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.
[7]
[8]
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
for
lord of the western ocean
.
[9]
History
[
edit
]
Panaji was made the capital of
Portuguese India
, after a devastating epidemic decimated the population of the
City of Goa
in the mid-18th century.
[10]
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 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
, in Alto
Porvorim
. Panaji is also the administrative headquarters of
North Goa
district.
Geography
[
edit
]
Panaji is located at
15°29′56″N
73°49′40″E
/
15.49889°N 73.82778°E
/
15.49889; 73.82778
.
[11]
It has an average elevation of 7 metres (23
feet
).
Suburbs
[
edit
]
Panaji has various
v?de
or sub-divisions, including:
- Sao Tome
,
Fontainhas
,
Mala
,
Portais
,
Altinho
,
Cortin
,
Praca da Igreja
,
Tar
,
Bazar
,
Japao
, and
Boca de Vaca
.
Some areas outlying it are:
- Campal
,
Santa Inez
,
Chinchollem
,
Batulem
,
Merces
,
Bambolim
,
Caranzalem
,
Santa Cruz
,
Siridao
,
Dona Paula
, and
Plato de Taleigao
.
Besides lying on the banks of the
Mandovi River
, Panaji is bound by two creeks called
p?i
by the locals, namely
Ourem creek
and
Santa Inez creek
.
Demographics
[
edit
]
During the
2011 census of India
,
[12]
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
[
edit
]
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.
[13]
Climate
[
edit
]
Panaji features a
tropical monsoon climate
(
Koppen climate classification
Am
). The climate in Panaji is hot in summer and equable in winter. During summers (from March to May) the temperature reaches up to 32 °C (90 °F) and in winters (from November to February) it is usually between 31 °C (88 °F) and 23 °C (73 °F).
The
monsoon
period is from June to October with heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The annual average rainfall is 2,932 mm (115.43 in).
Climate data for Panaji (1991?2020, extremes 1901?2012)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
36.7
(98.1)
|
39.2
(102.6)
|
39.0
(102.2)
|
39.8
(103.6)
|
38.6
(101.5)
|
37.8
(100.0)
|
33.5
(92.3)
|
34.0
(93.2)
|
33.4
(92.1)
|
37.2
(99.0)
|
37.2
(99.0)
|
36.6
(97.9)
|
39.8
(103.6)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
32.5
(90.5)
|
32.4
(90.3)
|
32.6
(90.7)
|
33.4
(92.1)
|
33.8
(92.8)
|
30.9
(87.6)
|
29.3
(84.7)
|
29.5
(85.1)
|
30.2
(86.4)
|
32.0
(89.6)
|
33.5
(92.3)
|
33.1
(91.6)
|
32.0
(89.6)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
26.3
(79.3)
|
26.4
(79.5)
|
27.7
(81.9)
|
29.3
(84.7)
|
30.1
(86.2)
|
27.8
(82.0)
|
26.8
(80.2)
|
26.7
(80.1)
|
27.0
(80.6)
|
27.8
(82.0)
|
27.9
(82.2)
|
26.9
(80.4)
|
27.6
(81.6)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
20.0
(68.0)
|
20.6
(69.1)
|
23.3
(73.9)
|
25.4
(77.7)
|
26.3
(79.3)
|
24.9
(76.8)
|
24.2
(75.6)
|
24.2
(75.6)
|
24.0
(75.2)
|
24.0
(75.2)
|
22.7
(72.9)
|
20.9
(69.6)
|
23.4
(74.1)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
14.4
(57.9)
|
13.3
(55.9)
|
16.8
(62.2)
|
20.2
(68.4)
|
20.9
(69.6)
|
20.7
(69.3)
|
21.6
(70.9)
|
21.7
(71.1)
|
21.0
(69.8)
|
20.0
(68.0)
|
15.3
(59.5)
|
15.7
(60.3)
|
13.3
(55.9)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
1.0
(0.04)
|
0.1
(0.00)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
4.9
(0.19)
|
76.6
(3.02)
|
890.4
(35.06)
|
955.2
(37.61)
|
571.7
(22.51)
|
304.1
(11.97)
|
156.4
(6.16)
|
21.3
(0.84)
|
2.5
(0.10)
|
2,984.1
(117.48)
|
Average rainy days
|
0.1
|
0.0
|
0.1
|
0.3
|
3.6
|
21.2
|
26.7
|
23.0
|
13.7
|
6.8
|
1.5
|
0.2
|
97.3
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
(at 17:30
IST
)
|
57
|
59
|
65
|
67
|
69
|
83
|
87
|
86
|
82
|
76
|
65
|
58
|
71
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
303.8
|
291.0
|
288.3
|
279.0
|
285.2
|
132.0
|
96.1
|
120.9
|
180.0
|
232.5
|
270.0
|
294.5
|
2,773.3
|
Mean daily
sunshine hours
|
9.8
|
10.3
|
9.3
|
9.3
|
9.2
|
4.4
|
3.1
|
3.9
|
6.0
|
7.5
|
9.0
|
9.5
|
7.6
|
Source 1:
India Meteorological Department
(sun, 1971?2000)
[14]
[15]
[16]
|
Source 2: Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1981?2010)
[17]
|
Landmarks
[
edit
]
The heart of the city is the
Praca da Igreja
(Church Square) where the Jardim Garcia de Orta (municipal garden) with the Portuguese
Baroque
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Imaculada Conceicao
, originally built in 1541. Other tourist attractions include the old and rebuilt Adilshahi Palace (or
Idalc
ao Palace), dating from the sixteenth century, the
Institute Menezes Braganza
, 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
(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.
[18]
The
carnival
celebrations in February include a colourful parade on the streets. This is followed by the
Shigmo
/ Xigmo, or
Holi
. The Nark?s?r 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
(a cultural centre known for its structure built by architect
Charles Correa
). Kala Academy is a place where
Goa
showcases its art and culture.
Palace of Adil Shah (Secretariat Building)
[
edit
]
Situated on the banks of
Mandovi River
in the heart of Panaji is ‘Old Secretariat’ building popularly known as ‘Adil Shah's Palace’.
[19]
It was built by
Yusuf Adil Shah
of the
Bijapur Sultanate
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
[20]
and in the mid-1500s the Portuguese conquerors renamed it as ‘Idalcao's Palace’
[21]
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
. This structure today is 'The
Goa State Museum
'.
Other attractions
[
edit
]
Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
is a bird
sanctuary
named after the ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali. The sanctuary, located in the village of Chorao, near Panaji, plays host to rare and endangered bird species?both migratory and resident.
Goa
is famous for its beaches, and Miramar,
Bambolim
, 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 ? Gin capital of India.
Education
[
edit
]
Goa
's only university, the
Goa University
, is situated at
Taleigao
on the outskirts of Panaji. Some other educational institutes in Panaji are:
- Don Bosco College
, Panjim
[22]
- Goa Medical College
, 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, Sao Tome/Fontainhas
- Sharada Mandir School,Miramar
Research centres
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
Show zoomed out
Show zoomed mid
Show zoomed in
The nearest airport is
Dabolim Airport
which is 30 kilometres (19 miles) away.
[23]
Transport is done mainly by buses.
The other recently developed airport near to Panjim is
Mopa Airport
which is 40 kilometres (25 miles) away.
[24]
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
[
edit
]
State-owned
All India Radio
has a local station in Panaji which transmits various programs of mass interest. The annual
International Film Festival of India
(IFFI), is held in Panaji.
[25]
Governance
[
edit
]
The Goa government, as well as the
Indian government
, has its major offices in Goa.
The
Goa Legislative Assembly
is situated at Alto
Porvorim
, about 2 km (1.2 mi) from Panaji. The hillock called
Altinho
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
[
edit
]
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.
[26]
Vasant Agshikar is the Deputy Mayor.
[26]
[27]
The Governor of Goa stays at the
Cabo Raj Bhavan
at
Dona Paula
, about 8 km (5 mi) from Panaji. The current Governor is
S. Pillai
.
Sports
[
edit
]
Two of Goa's premier association football clubs
Dempo S.C.
and
Sporting Clube de Goa
are based in Panaji and they both compete in India's one of the top-tier league
I-League
. Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias in Miramar was founded in the year 1926 and remains among the most sought after Tennis clubs in Goa.
[28]
The multipurpose Campal Indoor Complex is planned in Campal besides the existing football ground.
[
citation needed
]
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
in
Indian Super League
.
International relations
[
edit
]
Twin towns ? Sister cities
[
edit
]
Panaji is
twinned
with:
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Rohit gets second term as CCP mayor"
.
The Times of India
. 31 March 2022.
- ^
"HC Notice to Govt on Romi Script"
.
The Times of India
. 22 January 2013.
Archived
from the original on 8 January 2016
. Retrieved
12 August
2015
.
- ^
Portuguese is culturally present as various creoles, and in places like churches.
- ^
"IPSCDL - Panaji Smart City"
.
imaginepanaji.com
. Retrieved
18 November
2023
.
- ^
"Corporation of The City of Panaji: Official Site"
.
ccpgoa.com
.
Archived
from the original on 25 April 2018
. Retrieved
7 May
2018
.
- ^
"Panaji Completes 174 Years as State's Capital City"
.
The Times of India
. 23 March 2017.
Archived
from the original on 8 May 2018
. Retrieved
7 May
2018
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- ^
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. Gazetteer Dept., Govt. of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. 1979.
- ^
Rao, Gopala V. (2003).
"Epigraphical And Literary Sources On Worship In Goa's Past"
(PDF)
.
Temples of Goa: An Architectural Study
(PhD thesis). Goa University.
hdl
:
10603/35652
.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 11 April 2016
. Retrieved
1 April
2016
.
- ^
De Souza, Teotonio R., ed. (1990).
Goa Through the Ages: An Economic History, Volume 2
. Concept Publishing. p. 129.
ISBN
9788170222590
.
Archived
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18 November
2020
.
- ^
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"
.
ItsGoa
. 14 January 2016.
Archived
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13 September
2020
.
- ^
"Falling Rain Genomics, Inc ? Panaji"
. Fallingrain.com.
Archived
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. Retrieved
9 May
2012
.
- ^
"Provisional Population Totals Paper 2, Volume 2 of 2011: Goa State Tables"
(PDF)
.
censusindia.gov.in
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Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India
.
Archived
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2013
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censusindia.gov.in
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19 March
2021
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(PDF)
.
Climatological Normals 1981?2010
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(PDF)
on 5 February 2020
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19 February
2020
.
- ^
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(PDF)
. India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M47. Archived from
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(PDF)
on 5 February 2020
. Retrieved
19 February
2020
.
- ^
"Table 3 Monthly mean duration of Sun Shine (hours) at different locations in India"
(PDF)
.
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. India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M-3. Archived from
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(PDF)
on 5 February 2020
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1 March
2020
.
- ^
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. Japan Meteorological Agency. Archived from
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1 March
2020
.
- ^
"mahalakshmi temple"
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Archived
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14 May
2021
.
- ^
Sayed, Nida (2017).
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.
The Times of India
.
Archived
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10 January
2018
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- ^
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.
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Archived
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13 September
2020
.
- ^
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10 January
2018
.
- ^
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.
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9 May
2024
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- ^
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.
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- ^
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.
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Archived
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14 August
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- ^
a
b
"Chopdekar is CCP Mayor"
.
The Navhind Times
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on 15 March 2018
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23 January
2021
.
- ^
"Goa: Vithal Chopdekar & Asmita Kerkar to Be Elected Unopposed as Mayor & DY Mayor"
.
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on 13 March 2018
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23 January
2021
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- ^
"Club Tennis de Gaspar Dias ? GoGoaNow !"
.
GoGoaNow !
.
Archived
from the original on 7 May 2018
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7 May
2018
.
- ^
"Acordos de Geminacao, de Cooperacao e/ou Amizade da Cidade de Lisboa"
[Lisbon ? Twinning Agreements, Cooperation and Friendship].
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on 31 October 2013
. Retrieved
23 August
2013
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Panaji
.
Wikiquote has quotations related to
Panaji
.
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