Panaji & Central

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Panaji & Central Goa

Includes  Why Go? Panaji...... 79 Some travellers see Goa as one big beach resort, but the West of Panaji. . . . .92 central region – practically beach-free – is the state’s his- Old Goa ...... 94 toric and cultural heart and soul. Wedged between Goa’s Divar Island. . . . . 101 two biggest rivers, the Mandovi and the Zuari, this region is home to the state capital, Panaji, the glorious churches of Goa Velha...... 102 Old Goa, inland islands, bird sanctuaries and the wilds of Pilar ...... 102 the Western Ghats. Ponda...... 103 No visit to Goa is complete without a day or two spent Bondla Wildlife cruising on the Mandovi River and exploring the old Lat- Sanctuary ...... 107 in Quarter in laid-back Panaji. Less than 10km away, Old Molem & Around . . .107 Goa is the state’s major cultural attraction, where the grand 17th-century churches and cathedrals are humbling in their Hampi...... 110 scale and beauty. Further explorations will take you to tem- Hospet (Hosapete) . .117 ples and spice plantations around Ponda, to two of Goa’s most beautiful wildlife sanctuaries, elephant camps and to India’s second-highest waterfall. You could easily spend a week here without making it to a single beach. Don’t miss it. Best Places to Eat ¨¨Viva Panjim (p87) When to Go ¨¨Black Sheep Bistro (p88) Panaji °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm ¨¨Cafe Bodega (p88) 40/104 32/800 ¨¨Hotel Venite (p88) 24/600 20/68 ¨¨Upper House (p89) 16/400

0/32 8/200 Best Places to -20/-4 0 Stay J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Panjim Inn (p85) Nov–Mar High Christmas, Aug–Oct ¨¨Backwoods Camp (p109) season is the Easter & Carnival Monsoon season ¨¨Goa Marriott Resort (p92) best time to visit Goa’s festivals are offers a different Central Goa’s bird at their best in and very green ¨¨Old Quarter Hostel (p84) sanctuaries and and around Panaji. side of Central ¨¨Casa Nova (p86) national parks. Goa. Panaji & Central Goa SPaighnatjsi 79

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11am-12.30pm & 3.30-5pm Sun, & 3.30-5pm 11am-12.30pm ose Falcao Rds; Falcao Jose Panaji’s spiritual, as well as geo- spiritual, as well Panaji’s Sights Emilio Gracia & Gracia Emilio Church of Our Lady of Lady of Our of Church By the 1850sthe By churchthe of front in land the Strolling the streets of central Panaji to Strolling the streets Panaji of central By the early 19th century was taking the city late 19th century. Today the entrance to itsto entrance the Today 19th late century. gloriously technicolour interior is along the left-handupleads ropes of tangle A wall. side the bel church bell in to the enormous shiny Augustinianthe of ruins the from saved fry, monastery Old Goa at and installed here in 1871.The focusis the church for celebrations o Conception the Immaculate (cnr Mon-Sat, & 3-5.30pm 8am) Mass English pearly white centre is this elevated, graphical, 1540smaller an older, over in 1619 built church, a fancy like chapel and stacked white wedding more than a sleepy was little When Panaji cake. port this church was the first village, offishing givecall for sailors from Lisbon, who would thanks for a safe crossing, before continuing The ischurch furtherEla to east river. the up night. at beautifully illuminated was being reclaimed and the distinctive added in thecriss-crossing staircases were interest meant that building work was low key building work interest meant that in comparison to the glory of Old Goa. days you’ll changedreally has little that find day, developand building Modern then. since ment, for the most part, reasonably remains planned, and the streetswell are as wide do as they Portuguese and leafy under were exit the final of the Portu minion. Following name was officially guese in 1961, the town’s though title, Panaji, to the Maratha changed most locals still refertoday to it as Panjim, on ago as it was christened500 years some arrival. Albuquerque’s 1 survived the perilous voyage to India. However, However, survived to India. voyage the perilous Goa in Old as conditions became increasingly to support land began the increas desperate, until the capital, from of refugees ing numbers to Panjim, moved the viceroy in 1759, finally, as his Palace the old Idalcao’s where he took the Secretariat. today own residence, known as Nova became 1834 Panjim shape. In Goa, by recognised in 1843 it was finally and cap state as Goa’s government the Portuguese the among place; took building of spate A ital. bar public buildings erected the army were (now the police headquartersracks and gov essence, though, Goa was In ernment offices). of the Portu corner fast becoming a forgotten moneyguese empire, and lack of and political - - - - land on which Panaji stands today was stands today land on which Panaji For the next 300 years Panaji remained littleremained Panaji nextthe years 300 For When the Portuguese nobleman Afonso When the Portuguese In the late 15th the late In century Goa came under A day or two in Panaji really is an essen in Panaji or two A day Panjim is a place for walking, enjoying Panjim But it’s the tangle of narrow streets tangle the in But it’s A glorious whitewashed lords it church POP 115,000 more than a small and scruffy seafaring village,more than a small and scruffy only notable for its church, where Portuguese thanks for having to give sailors stopped off forts,his.was it year the of by the end and the it almost untouched, however, Leaving instead con now were efforts conquerors’ on aggrandising their newcentrated capital, Ela (now Old Goa), further east up the river. of the Mandovi River against attackers. River of the Mandovi Goain arrived he 1510, in Albuquerque de quickly set about conquering the palace and the control of the Muslim sultan Yusuf Adil Yusuf sultan Muslim the of control the hilltop forts Shah, who built five and his own fortified summer palace here, protected by 55 guard the mouth to cannons and conceived once little more than a handful of fishing once little known to the 12th-centurysettlements, rul ‘the land that ing Kadambas as Pahajani, does not flood’. History The and meeting real Goans. It’s also a place to and meeting real Goans. It’s the or to take a movie, a culturalcatch show, kids to the planetarium. tial part of the Goan experience. terracotta-tiled roofs, wrought iron balco terracotta-tiled nies and arched oyster-shell windows. the peace of an afternoon well, siesta, eating felt more stronglymore felt latethe where here, than afternoonhouses with up yellow sun lights each corner you’llpurple doors, and around restoredmansions with ochre-coloured find boutiques, old-school bookshops, state-of- bookshops, old-school boutiques, the-art malls and backstreet bars. the old Latin Quarter really steal the that influence Portuguese the is Nowhere show. over the animated city centre, a broad leafy centre, a broad city the animated over and grand boulevard skirts around the river, shoulders with artycolonial buildings rub crowds around the peninsula overlooking around crowds boats where cruise River, the broad Mandovi casting ply the waters, casinos and floating neon reflections in the night. One of India’s smallestmost and relaxed India’s One of (also still known widely Panaji capitals, state Panjim) name, Portuguese former its by Panaji