Panaji
Panaji or Panaji's history goes back to the Purta Dharmas - the charitable
deeds of Gandagopal Kelima whose grandfather Kalapa was entrusted with the
administration of Panaji by the Kadamba king, Shasthadeva (1007-1050),
a good and a glorious king who "by his works redressed all the wrongs
in his kingdom".
This is gathered from an inscription of the Kadamba king, Vijayaditya I,
dated February 7, 1107, and refers to Panaji as Pahajani Khali - Pahajani
from which Panaji supposedly got its name and Khali probably refers to
the creeks and backwaters abounding in the area.
The first few Portuguese chroniclers, soon after the conquest of Goa, refer
to Panaji as Panaji or Ponji which is said to mean "Land that never
gets flooded".
According to one Portuguese philologist, the word Pongy is derived from
Panch Yma Afsumgary or five wonderful castles where the Muslim king, Ismail
Adil Shah, and his wives used to live.
Its name was later changed by the Portuguese into Panaji. When Old Goa
collapsed in the 19th century, Panaji was elevated to the status of a city
on 22nd March 1843 and was renamed `Nova-Goa' (New Goa).
After liberation in 1961, it came to be known as Panaji. Panaji originally
was a neglected ward of Taleigao village. It was, in fact, a large coconut
palm grove interspersed with ponds, backwaters, creeks, canals, sand dunes
and paddy fields.
The only conspicuous construction existing in the locality was the 15th
century castle built by Adil Shah on the left margin of the Mandovi River.
On December 1, 1759, the Viceroy Dom Manuel de Saldanha de Albuquerque,
Count Of Ega, shifted his residence from Panelim (near Old Goa) to Panaji.
For this purpose, the old castle of Adil Shah was totally remodeled and
a palace was built where, at present, the Government Secretariat stands.
This has been the administrative and political seat of Government since
then. It is here that the future of the State is decided and molded.
Panaji Tourism Reservation Form
