Panaji’s oldest icon Adil Shah palace set to get makeover

Panaji: Panaji’s oldest surviving building, the Adil Shah Palace, is set to get a facelift from the PWD. The summer palace for the Bijapur sultanate, which was the seat of power for centuries, housed Portuguese viceroys and served as the old secretariat for Goa post-Liberation, now lies in a derelict condition.
After renovation in 2016, the space was used as a venue for the Serendipity Arts Festival. However, in 2017, the building became a haven for the centuries-old artefacts of the Goa State Museum. “The Adil Shah Palace was first occupied by the Goa State Museum in 2017. It wasn’t until recently that the directorate of museums was officially handed over this heritage site, bringing it under our formal administration,” said Goa State Museum director Vasu Usapkar.
“The PWD officials have initiated the process of preparing a detailed estimate for the restoration of the palace, with a focus on fixing the leakage, repairing the roof tiles, and minor damage to the wooden beams on the exterior of the structure. Water currently seeps in through the entrance’s front gallery during the rains, creating a pressing need for immediate intervention. This will be resolved,” he added.
With these repairs in the pipeline, the Goa State Museum has plans to enhance the museum experience by utilising the newly vacated spaces on the palace’s first floor to showcase its artefacts. This comes as the administrative block and departments of the Kala Academy, which occupied parts of the palace for nearly four years, moved back to the Kala Academy this month.
In Dec 2024, the office of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited also started vacating the premises, relocating to the old PWD building at Patto following a request from the museum. “Since the building now formally belongs to the directorate of museums, we have the authority to ask both of them to vacate,” Usapkar said.
Plans are also under way by Goa govt to establish a new museum complex at Old Goa. The directorate of agriculture has allocated a 10,000sqm plot for this purpose. TOI reported in March that the proposed museum building will house several themed galleries, including a dedicated space celebrating the life and works of iconic cartoonist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Mario Miranda.
Until the new facility is constructed, the Goa State Museum will utilise available space at the Adil Shah Palace to display its artefacts.