Ashokan Pillar

Panaji


This pillar at the centre of the Municipal Gardens was once topped by a bust of Vasco da Gama, the first Portuguese voyager to set foot in Goa in 1498, but he was replaced, upon independence in 1961, by the seal of present-day India: four lions sitting back to back, atop an abacus, with the inscription ‘Truth Alone Triumphs’.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Panaji attractions

1. Municipal Gardens

0.02 MILES

Panaji’s central square is the leafy Municipal Gardens, also called Church Square (Largo da Igreja). The Ashokan Pillar is at the gardens’ centre.

3. Mario Gallery

0.08 MILES

This gallery and shop showcases work by India’s favourite cartoonist, Loutolim local Mario de Miranda, who died in 2011 at the age of 85. Along with…

4. Jama Masjid

0.08 MILES

Tiny Jama Masjid, barely 100m south of the Municipal Gardens and built about two centuries ago, is easy to miss. The exterior of the mosque is plain, its…

5. Statue of Abbé Faria

0.16 MILES

Beside the Secretariat Building, look out for the sublime, starkly black statue of a caped man, arms, hands and fingers outstretched, towering over an…

6. Azad Maidan

0.16 MILES

To the west of the Municipal Gardens, the grassy Azad Maidan won’t win any prizes at a flower show. Its centrepiece is a small pavilion (whose Corinthian…

8. Mahalaxmi Temple

0.22 MILES

This modern, technicolor temple is not particularly imposing, but it’s worth a look inside as it was the first Hindu shrine established in the city during…

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      "destination": "Panaji",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "India",
      "region": "Goa",
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