Panaji is the travel hub of Goa and this is the first place to be touched up while you are landing in Goa. The town of Panaji is laid out in typical grid pattern, centered on a church square. It is a charming city on the left bank of the silvery Mandovi River. It has beautiful, red roofed houses with stucco walls built in Latin style, well laid gardens, statues and avenues lined with trees.

The town has preserved its Portuguese heritage remarkably well and parts of it still consist of narrow winding streets, old houses with over hanging balconies, red-tiled roofs and numerous small bars and cafe's. Many signs in Portuguese are still visible over shops, cafes and administrative buildings. People are friendly and the atmosphere is easygoing silence.

History records that Goa formed part of the Mauryan Empire in the 3 rd century BC. It was followed by the rule of the SATAVAHANAS of Kolhapur and then the BHOJAS who formed their capital at Chandor. From 580–750 AD the CHALUKYAS of Badami had their sway over Goa until the SILHARAS took control in 1086 AD.

Guhalla Deva of the Kadambas, originally from Mysore, consolidated his hold over Chandor in the 11 th century AD till the 13 th Century AD. On a pilgrimage to Somnath, a sudden storm threatened the Kadamba King and his armada, at the mouth of the River Zuari. Arab traders, who lived in a settlement by the riverside, rescued them and in gratitude, the Arabs were allowed to carry on their commercial activities in the kingdom.

As their kingdom prospered, the Kadamba rulers built a navy that was unbeatable in its time. Chandor, their capital, was now too small. They then moved to Goa Velha, where only the massive tank of the temple of Goddess Chamunda remains today. The monastery on the hill at Pilar houses the museum that has notable collections of this period.

Jayakeshi-I 1052–1080 AD proclaimed himself as Lord of the Konkan and Emperor of the Western Seas. On his death, Goa fell into the hands of the CHALUKYAS of Kalyani and later to the YADAVAS of Devgiri.

Muslims held sway from 1312-1370 AD over the Konkan region. However with the break up of the Tughlak Kingdom, it was the Bahamani Sultans who then controlled Goa.

Madhav Mantri, who headed the army of Harihara of Vijaynagar, reclaimed and ruled Goa as the Viceroy. He fortified its Ports and through these, Arab steeds were imported for use in the Vijaynagar army. In 1469, the Bahamani vizier Khwaja Mohammed Gawan of Gulburga laid a two-year siege of Goa's seaside forts and ended Vijaynagar's rule.

Yusuf Adil Shah, the adopted son of Gawan, moved his capital to Ela in OLD Goa in 1498. He later built himself a palace in Panaji, which today houses the Secretariat. His rule lasted for 12 years. On 25 th November 1510 he lost Goa for good to Afonso de Albuquerque, a Portuguese, who had taken the city earlier in March that year. This Portuguese rule lasted for 450 years.

On 19 th December 1961, troops of the Indian union marched into Goa and finally became the part of the Indian Union.

Map of Panjim (Click to enlarge)

Places you can see in Panjim.

Aguada Fort
The fortress of Aguada, erected in 1612 encircles the entire peninsula at the southwest extremity of the Bardez Taluka of north Goa. A spring within the fort provided water supply to the ships that called there, giving it the name "Aguada" (meaning 'water' in Portuguese). Built by the Portuguese in 1612, with a church, the new lighthouse (which can be visited during specified hours 4 to 530 pm, barracks (Aguda Jail) along the beachside (Sinquerim beach lies below the fort). This fort was built to protect the northern shores of the Mandovi estuary from Dutch and Maratha raiders. It had 79 cannon guns strategically placed that could be fired in all directions. A 19th century built lighthouse is situated inside the fortress.

Church Square
Church Square, also called the Municipal Garden is a green park, forms the heart of Panjim. To it's east, is the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1541 for the benefit of sailors arriving here from Lisbon it is also known as Largo da Igreja It has an impressive dazzling white-balustrades stairway in front of the Chruch of the Immaculate Conception heightens the proportions of the baroque facade, which dominates the square.

Fontainhas and Sao Tome
Fontainhas is the Panjim's oldest district. Here, many buildings have retained their traditional coat of ochre, pale yellow, green or blue - a Portuguese insistence that every building in Goa except churches, which had to be white, should be color-washed after the monsoon. At the southern end, whitewashed Chapel of St. Sebastian is one of many Goan churches that have retained their old colonial style. Sao Tome lies at the north of the Fountainhas. This is the area where if you want to fancy a bar crawl, the narrow streets are dotted with dozens of hole-in-the-wall taverns, serving cheap Feni.

State Archaeological Museum
The Museum is an enormous building that houses a collection mostly of pre-colonial artifacts, which includes village deities, puja utensils, sati, and hero stones, fragment of temple sculpture, Jain bronzes rescued from smugglers and Christian icons and antique furniture etc.

Miramar and Dona Paula 

Three km west of Panaji is Miramar, Panaji's nearest beach but it is less attractive than the other beaches in Goa. Four km further, along the same road is Dona Paula, a small town with several resorts complexes.

The Secretariat
It is the oldest surviving building in the city. It was originally the palace of Goa's sixteenth century ruler the Adil Shah. Later it was converted into rest house for the Portuguese governors and then a residence for the viceroy. The Statue of Abbé Faria, a Goan priest who became a distinguished hypnotist, stands near the Secretariat.

Events and Festivals of Panjim
St Francis Festival December

Essentials
Reaching  Panjim
Air
Dabolim is the main entry point for Goa situated at a distance of around 29 km from Panaji on the coast near Vasco da Gama. Most domestic airlines operate in Goa apart from chartered private airlines operating from UK and Germany. Indian Airlines has direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai daily. Air India also flies to Goa.

Train
You can take trains from Delhi 1,874 km), Mumbai (490km), and Bangalore (430 km) to reach Goa comfortably. From the railway stations, you can hire taxis and motorcycle taxis to reach the desired destinations. The konkan railway from kanyakumari goes through one of the most senic routes.

By Road
Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka state transport corporations operate from the Kadamba bus stand at Panaji.

Local Transport
Taxis
For tourists, white  Taxis serve as the main means of traveling between resorts. One will find them lined up outside most charter hotels, where a board invariably lists the destinations in and around the region. The fixed rate fares only apply to peak season, and at other times one should be able to negotiate a hefty reduction from the demanded fares.

Motorcycle Taxi
Goa's unique pillion-passenger motorcycle taxis, known locally as "pilots", are ideal for nipping between beaches or into town from the resorts. Bona fide operators ride black bikes with yellow mudguards and yellow number plates. Fares should be settled in advance.

Rented Motorcycle
Renting motorcycle in Goa gives a lot of freedom to the tourists. Officially, one needs an international driver's license to rent, and ride, anything more powerful than a 25cc moped. Rates vary according to the season, the vehicle, and how long one wants to rent it. Most owners also insist on a deposit and passport as security. The range is pretty standard and the reasonable choice is a 100 cc motorbike. These are fine for buzzing to the beach and back, but to travel further try the stalwart Enfield Bullet 350cc, popular mainly for its pose value and its British origins; the smaller but more reliable Kinetic Honda 100cc, which has automatic transmission and is a good first-time choice or the best all rounder.

Ferries
If auto-rickshaws are the quaint, essentially Indian, mode of transport, flat-bottomed ferries are their Goan equivalent. Crammed with cars, buses, commuters on scooters, fisherwomen and clumps of bewildered tourists, these blue-painted hulks provide an essential service, crossing the coastal backwaters where bridges have not yet been built. They are also incredibly reasonable, and run from the crack of dawn until late in the evening.

The most frequented river crossings in Goa are Panjim to Betim, across the river Mandovi, Old Goa to Divar Island, Siolim to Chopdem, across the Tiracol river, and Cavelossim in the far south of Salcete Taluka, to Assolna.

Hotels in Panjim
Panajim has plenty of accommodation and finding a place to stay is only a problem during the festival of St. Francis in December and during peak season(mid-Dec. to mid-Jan). At other times, hotels offers substantial discounts.

Weather 
From October to February the weather in Goa maintains a steady, relaxing course, with temperatures staying between 25°C (77°F) and 30°C (86°F). From June through to September – during the monsoon – the rains come down hard. Rising humidity can make things very uncomfortable leading into the monsoon period.

Best Time to Visit: October-February

Languages: Konkani, English Marathi Portuguese and Hindi.

STD Code: 0832