Panaji is the third largest city and the capital of Goa. Situated on the banks of Mandovi estuary, the city was named Nova Goa (New Goa) in 1843.The current official name of this place is now Panaji, which is also pronounced Ponnji, Ponnje, Ponjhe, Pangim (the Portuguese name) and Panjim(by the local English speakers).
After Vasco and Madgaon, Panaji is the third largest city with a population of 757,407 (2001 census). The total area of the city is 35.99 square kilometers. Earlier, this place was a small port surrounded by marshes. The Portuguese used to call it “Panjim which means “land that never floods”. In 1843, the city was moved here. It was incorporated into India in 1961, and was declared as the capital of Goa in 1987. The major languages of the people are: Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, and English.
Panaji may be a small city but it has many attractions. The whole city is situated on a terraced hilly area near the silvery bank of Mandori. Since Portuguese used to occupy this area, they built churches, fort and buildings around this place. At the city center there is a church built in 1541. The city contains many baroque styled buildings, red roofed houses built in Latin style, villas and cobbled streets. There are many gardens, and statues around Panaji. The panoramic view of the city from the hill would charm every one.
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