The city of Panjim lies on the banks of the River Mandovi and is connected to the mainland by bridges. It is Goa’s third largest city after Vasco and Margo. Panjim is the state capital of Goa and is popularly known as the seat of the Government. It houses the head offices of most business concerns and is also known as Panji to many. Panjim for many centuries was a neglected fishing village of creeks fields and coconut trees. In 1632 the then Viceroy decided to link it to the village of Ribandar with a causeway 3.2 kms long which was at that time the longest bridge in Goa. You can see it even today and it is called Pointe de Linhares after the man who commissioned it. The original capital of the Portuguese was Old Goa now a World Heritage Sight for its magnificent churches and cathedrals. Viceroy Dom Manuel de Saldanha de Albuquerque shifted his residence to Panjim at the Adil Shah Fort. Gradually houses were built in Panjim.
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