Sights in Panaji (Panjim)
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A
Chapel of St Sebastian
Aside from its general old-world charms, Fontainhas is notable for being home to the pretty Chapel of St Sebastian, built in 1818. This small whitewashed church at the end of a lovely lane contains one of only a few relics remaining as testament to the Goan Inquisition, which terrorised the state’s population for more than two centuries. A striking crucifix, which originally stood in the Palace of the Inquisition in Old Goa. Christ’s unusual open eyes are said to have been conceived to strike fear into the hearts of ‘heretical’ suspects brought before the Inquisitors, and awaiting their usually grisly fate. Following the end of the Inquisition in Goa in 1814 – due to an A…
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Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate
Panaji’s spiritual, as well as geographical, centre is its gleamingly picturesque main church, built in 1619 over an older, smaller 1540 chapel and stacked like a fancy white wedding cake to the southeast of the ragged municipal gardens. When Panaji was little more than a sleepy fishing village, this place was the first port of call for sailors from Lisbon, who would clamber up here to thank their lucky stars for a safe crossing, before continuing to Ela (Old Goa), the state’s capital until the 19th century, further east up the river.
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B
Goa State Museum
An eclectic collection of items awaits visitors to this large, though not bursting-at-the-seams, museum, in a strangely uncentral area southwest of the Kadamba bus stand. As well some beautiful Hindu and Jain sculptures and bronzes, there are a few nice examples of Portuguese-era furniture, some ancient coins and quirky antique lottery machines. The gruesome star exhibit for most, however, is the elaborately carved table and high-backed chairs used by the notoriously brutal Portuguese Inquisition in Goa during its reign of terror.
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Houses of Goa Museum
This interesting museum was created by well-known local architect Gerard de Cunha to illuminate the history of Goan homes, apparent statewide in various states of picturesque decrepitude. Marooned shiplike in the middle of a traffic island, the museum is hard to miss; to find it, turn right at the O’Coqueiro junction and then left at the fork, and you’ll find it just there. If you don’t have your own transport, a taxi here from Panaji should cost around Rs200.
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C
Secretariat Building
Dating from the 16th century, this handsome colonial-era building was originally the palace of Muslim ruler Adil Shah, before becoming the viceroy’s official residence in 1759. Nowadays it houses rather less exciting government offices, but remains worth a gaze as the oldest building in town. It is currently under renovation and will be for quite some time.
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Institute Menenez Braganza
Step into the west entrance of the town’s public library, to examine the grand and dramatic azulejos (traditional painted ceramic tiles) adorning the wall, which depict scenes from Os Lusiadas, a famously epic and glorious Portuguese poem that tells the tale of Portugal’s 15th- and 16th-century voyages of discovery.
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D
Public Observatory
For anyone interested in checking out the incredibly clear night skies over Goa, the local branch of the Association of Friends of Astronomy has a public observatory. The local enthusiasts are only too happy to welcome visitors and explain what you’re looking at. The view of Panaji by night is lovely, especially around dusk.
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Central Library
At the northwest corner of the Azad Maidan, the Menezes Braganza Institute and the city’s Central Library, the oldest public library in India, occupy part of the old buildings that were once the Portuguese army headquarters.
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E
Panaji Central Library
On the west side of the Azad Maidan, the Institute Menezes Braganza houses Panaji Central Library and is worth popping into to see the pretty blue-and-white azulejos (glazed ceramic-tile compositions) in the entrance hall.
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