Panaji , Pangim in Portuguese, usually known as Panjim in English) is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi River estuaryin the Tiswadi taluka. With a population of 114,405 in the metropolitan area, Panaji is Goa's largest city, ahead of Margao andVasco da Gama.
Panaji means "land that never floods".[inconsistent] It 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 Praça da Igreja. Colourful villas, cobbled streets and interesting buildings give Panaji a Portuguese ambience.
Panaji has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagshipSmart Cities Mission.
Etymology
The 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 Panaji is a corrupt form of the old word Panjanakhani as inscribed on the discovered Panaji copper-plates dated 1059 CE, belonging to the rule of Kadamba king Jayakesi I.The name of the city was first mentioned in the stone inscription ofKadamba king Jayakesi I dated 1054 CE as 'Panjanakhani', giving him the epithet of Padavalendra which is Kannada for lord of the western ocean.
The city's present official name is Panaji. The Portuguese current name was Pangim, although officially named Nova Goa. The city is called Panjim in English. It has been spelt Panaji since the 1960s. The city is called Ponnjé in Konkani.
Earlier a small village on the river front, in 1843 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.
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 Chorão, 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 inSt. Inez near Panaji.
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