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Area : 35.99 sq.
kms.
Altitude : Sea level
Panaji is one of India’s smallest and most pleasant state capitals.
Built on the south bank of the wide Mandovi River it officially
became the capital of Goa in 1843 when Old Goa was finally
abandoned. The town is well worth exploring. It is a pleasant city
that’s laid out in a grid pattern overlooked by a hill to the South.
This hill offered defensive advantages in the days gone by.
The city is built on the left bank of the Mandovi River and
officially became the capital of Goa as far back as in 1843. It
contains the archbishop’s palace a modern port long winding streets
lined with remarkably well-preserved old houses with overhanging
balconies white washed churches and an easy going friendly
atmosphere.
The capital of Goa and headquarters of North Goa District a small
and charming city on the left bank of silvery Mandovi River with
beautiful red-roofed houses built in Latin style also boasts of many
modern houses well laid gardens statues and avenues lined with
Gulmohar Cassia and other trees.
Panaji is the official spelling of the capital city replacing the
older Portuguese spelling Panjim. It is a small town laid out on a
grid pattern overlooked by the Altinho (hill) to the south which
offered defensive advantages. It is well worth walking up for the
view of the estuary.
A tangible sense of history swirls through its streets.
Centuries-old buildings with sloping red-tiled roofs and
white-washed churches are in day-to-day use even today alongside
modern low-rise structures:
Panaji boundaries are defined by the Mandovi River to the north
Altinho Hill to the south the Kadamba bus terminus to the east and
Miramar and Dona Paula to the west.
Panaji esplanade (India’s largest) which runs parallel to the
Mandovi River from the secretariat to the Miramar beach and it also
makes form a nice walk. There were three principal sites in
Portuguese Goa: Old Goa Panjim and Margo. Today Old Goa has a
melancholy beauty a city of Baroque churches now revived by a steady
flow of tourists and the great pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Francis
Xavier in the magnificent Cathedral of Bom Jesus. Panjim was
originally a suburb of Old Goa and is built on the left bank of the
Mandovi Estuary. It contains the archbishop’s palace a modern port
and government buildings and shops set around a number of plazas.
Places of attraction :-
Goa, the jewel of India is studded with a number of churches and
monuments that remain silent but forceful witnesses to the intense
religious history of the land. Goa reached the pinnacle of fame and
glory during the Portuguese reign. It grew in size and splendour in
the 16th century. The history reads that old Goa was the capital of
the Adil Shahis. During their time also this place was alive and
prosperous. Today the remnants of the forts and other structures
give a faint idea of what this place must have been. Here is a
fleeting glimpse of a proud history that comes alive every time you
visit Goa.
At the East end is the Idalco Palace the residence of the Adil Shahs
once their castle. The Portuguese rebuilt it in 1615 and until 1759
it was the Viceregal Palace. The Portuguese used it as their
Viceroy’s Palace. The Portuguese used it as their Viceroy’s Palace
till 1759. In 1843 it became the Secretariat and today the Passport
Office.Next to it is a statue of the Abbe Faria (1755-1819) the
renowned hypnotist. South of the Secretariat is the Church of
Immaculate Conception the striking whitewashed edifice is Panji’s
main place of worship. Its bell the second largest in Goa was
installed here from its original site in an Augustinian monastery in
Old Goa.
It stands above the square in the main part of town. The original
construction in 1541. Panaji was the first port of call for voyages
from Lisbon so Portuguese sailors would visit this church to give
thanks for a safe crossing before continuing to Old Goa. Mass is
held here daily in English Konkani and Portuguese. The domeless Jama
Masjid (dating back to mid 18th century) is near the square. So is
the modern Mahalakshmi Temple which is now hidden behind a new
building. The first temple to be built in Panaji during the
Portuguese rule in 1818 it is devoted to the Goddess Mahalakshmi the
presiding deity of the Panaji village.
Devotees throng this temple during Hindu festivals like
Mahashivaratri and Dussera. Beyond the hill on the eastern
promontory is the St.Thome area with its traditional 18th and 19th
century houses. The Sebastian Chapel stands at the end of a
picturesque street in Fountainhas where Old Portuguese houses with
their decorative wrought iron balconies have been preserved.
Although it contains a number of interesting features in particular
a striking crucifix that originally stood in the palace of the
Inquisition in Old Goa. It is linked by a footbridge over the Ourem
Creek with Fountainhas District.
Places around Panaji :-
Shri Navdurga at Madkai:
28 kms from Panaji. Its annual Zatra is in November.
Shri Ramnath:
33 kms from Panaji in Ponda Taluka. Apart from the shrine of the
main Ramnath deity it has four small temples of Shri Laxminarayan,
Shri Shantadurga, Shri Betal and Shri Sidhanath. The five together,
constitute Shri Ramnath Panchayatan. The legend in mythology says
that Rameshwar is the original abode of Lord Ramnath.
Shri Kamakshi Saunsthan Shiroda:
40 km from Panaji, According to mythology, Shri Kamakshi, was
brought from Kaurang (Kanchi).
Temple of Shri Mahadeo at Tambdi Surla:
66 kms from Panaji in Sanguem Taluka at the foot at the Ghats is the
only specimen of Kadamba-Yadava architecture (13th century) in
basalt stone preserved and available in Goa. A motorable road
connects Sancorden to this temple complex.
Shri Vithal Mandir:
41 kms from Panaji situated at Vithalwadi, Sanquelim, Shri Vitthal
is the ancestral God of ‘Ranes’ who had put up a prolonged and
memorable resistance to the Portuguese rule. The main festival is
Chaitri (April). Its celebrations is a lavish affair for devotees
who attend it.
Rudreshwar Temple at Harvalem:
Located in Bicholin Taluka at a distance of 45 kms from Panaji the
temple of Rudreshwar is half a km away from the rock-cut caves of
Harvalem where the ancient linga of Rudreshwar is venerated. The
idyllic Harvalem waterfalls are close by. The image of Rudreshwar is
facing the waterfall. The festival of Mahashivaratri draws big
crowds. However, the temple as they perform rites for the dead here.
Shri Saptakoteshwar:
37 kms from Panaji at Narve-Bicholim, Shri Saptakoteshwar was a
favoured deity of the Kadamba kings. Its original temple was
situated in the island of Diwar. The Portuguese destroyed it and the
idol was shifted to its present site at Narve. Many years afterwards
in 1668 AD Chatrapati Shivaji ordered renovation of this temple at
the present site during one of his campaigns to outs the Portuguese.
The linga worshipped in this temple is multifaceted and is known as
‘Dharalinga’.
Brahma Temple:
7 kms from Valpoi, near Panaji, is the village of Brahma Carambolim,
lies one of the few temples dedicated to Lord Brahma. The shrine
belongs to the 5th century AD.
The Mandovi-Zuari Estuary:
One of the few remaining and most important mangrove complexes in
India. Even though it is less than 20 hectares, it plays host to
migratory birds, jackals, water snakes, bats and marsh crocodiles.
The species Kandelia candel is still common despite being on the
edge of extinction elsewhere.
Chorao Island and Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary:
It lies on the confluence of the Mandovi and Mapusa rivers, opposite
Panaji. The bird sanctuary is 2 sq.kms at the west tip of the island
along the Mandovi River. There is a ferry from Ribandar to Chorao.
The mangrove forests form a protective habitat for coastal fauna and
in addition to birds it harbours a large colony of flying foxes,
crocodiles, turtles and jackals.
Spice Plantation near Tisk or at Savoi Verem:
Excellent guided tours demonstrate the method of growing spices and
other cash crops like pineapples and cashews.
Beaches around Panaji :-
Miramar:
The beach nearest to Panaji, Miramar is 3 kms west of Panaji along
the Mandovi estuary. It is pleasant drive, with good views over the
sea but Miramar is very ‘urban’ in character, the water is polluted
and the beach is not particularly attractive, so it is not the place
for a beach holiday.
Driving Panjim’s D.B. Marg past the Kala Academy and the Campal
district, after 4 kms lies the Miramar beach. The sandy beach is
popular with Indians, and gives nice views of Fort Aguada across the
sea as well as the rotating beam of the lighthouse. It is ideal for
a quick escape from Panjim to watch the beach sunset. The row of
bhelpuri stalls lining the road is patronized by many.
Dona Paula:
A peaceful place, it has a small palm fringed beach with casuarina
groves. Continue straight up on the Miramar beach road, and after 4
kms, there is a beach named Dona Paula-a rocky headland, which
separates Mandovi and Zuari estuary. Dona is Portuguese for “madam”.
It is named after a viceroy’s daughter who reportedly jumped from
the hills when refused permission to marry a fisherman, Gaspar
Dias.The twin sculpture of a man and woman on the Dona Paula jetty
is that of Robert Knox, a well-known philosopher, and his wife. Raj
Bhavan, the state governor’s residence is quite near from here. The
low laterite cliff forms a headland joined to the mainland by a
short causeway. A ferry crosses over to Vasco. A viewing platform
gives fantastic views over the sweep of the coastline across the
Mandovi River to Fort Aguada.
Vanguinim Beach:
It is to the east of Dona Paula on which the Jesuits enjoyed as
highly productive agricultural land. It is fairly isolated. |
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