Panjim

Panjim or Panaji is the capital of Goa. It derives its name from the Sanskrit word Panaji, which means a boat or a small creek. The town, set on a terraced slope at the mouth of the River Mandovi, was secured by a ridge fortress and encompassed by stale swampland in the old days. It became the state capital in 1843, after the port at Old Goa had silted and its rulers and ruined tenants had fled.

Today. Panjim has all the standing of a modern Indian state capital. Its Portuguese heritage is still evident in its shaded washed houses, azulejo tiled road names, Catholic places of worship, and backstreets of the old quarter. But its past now merges with the contemporary landscape of Miramar Beach to reflect a confluence of its myriad identities.