White elephant? Chronology: Adil Shah Palace (16th Century) Rest house for Portuguese Viceroys Idalcao Palace (official Residence of Viceroys) Goa Assembly House or Old Secretariat 1962 until year 2000) Vacant Palace from 2002 until 2013 ? World Class Museum (not yet but from Aug. 2013 as proposed)
Recently we heard this renovated Palace will be inaugurated on 26th Jan 2013 Now, we read it will be inaugurated on 15th Aug 2013 as ‘World Class Museum’ The work supposed to be ready back in 2010 but dragged on for another 3 years or more. Which also means, cost goes up by the day, which is typical of any Govt. projects. e.g. this one’s estimated cost was about Rs.7 crore now gone up to 13 crore and is still rising Latest pics - 16.12.12 below http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk63/8278280079/sizes/l/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk63/8279336796/sizes/l/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk63/8278282409/sizes/l/in/photostream/ July 2012 http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk55/7581879298/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Sept. 2010 – A view from River Mandovi http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk28/4961329990/sizes/l/in/photostream/ 2009 http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk21/3836774341/sizes/l/in/photostream/ 2007 - Rear view http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk8/547581226/sizes/l/in/photostream/ More A view from Petrol Pump – Directorate of Acoounts http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk23/4320033254/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Entrance - Rear http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk30/5111702506/sizes/l/in/photostream/ view from Abbe Faria http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk38/5602299053/sizes/l/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk49/6710576013/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Adil Shah´s Palace GTDC site Although its architecture appears to be typically colonial, the Secretariat as it is known, is Panaji´s oldest surviving building, originally built by the Muslim ruler Yusuf Adil Shah of Bijapur around 1500. It was actually Adil Shah´s summer palace cum fortress and formed an important part of his defense with an arsenal of 55 canons and a salt water moat. But it was no match for the might of the Portuguese. Afonso de Albuquerque´s troops stormed the building in 1510. Soon afterwards it was converted into a rest house for the Portuguese Viceroys, who used it for an overnight stop, on their way to and from Portugal. As per tradition, the new incoming Viceroy stayed here while awaiting the receipt of the ceremonial keys to the city of Old Goa at the Viceroy´s Arch. Similarly, the outgoing Viceroy had to wait here, for a ship going back to Portugal, after handing over his responsibility at Old Goa. Around 1759, when Old Goa was no longer the preferred capital, the palace became the official residence of the Viceroy. It was known by then as the Idalcaon Palace, from the words Adil Khan, the Portuguese corruption of the words Adil Shah. The Portuguese carried out quite a few demolitions and renovationschanging the overall appearance of the building, which retained its official viceregal residence status until the Viceroys moved to a new residence at Cabo near Dona Paula in 1918. Since the time of Goa´s liberation in 1961, the building served as the home of the Goan State Legislature or Assembly and was known as the Secretariat. (now moved to new Assembly complex, Porvorim) On either side of the Secretariat there is a statue depicting a famous Goan personality of the past. One statue is that of Dayanand Bandodkar, who was the first elected Chief Minister of liberated Goa. The second statue is that of Abbe Faria, one of Goa´s most famous sons of the Portuguese era, who did pioneering work in the field of hypnotism. [email protected] for Goa & NRI related info... http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/GOAN-NRI/ For Goan Video Clips http://youtube.com/joeukgoa In Goa, Dial 1 0 8 For Hospital, Police, Fire etc
