Ponda, also known as Fonda, is a city and a municipal council in the North Goa district of Goa, India. Located in the central area of Goa, Ponda lies 28 km southeast of Panaji, the capital of Goa and 17 km northeast of Margao.
The town was born after the Portuguese took over the area in 1791 from the Raja of Sonda and annexed it along with Quepem, Canacona and Sanguem forming the New Conquests.
It began as an administrative center with the establishment of administrative offices and court and soon became a commercial center. Most of the area known as Ponda today was a part of “Quela” village. It lies strategically along the main Panaji-Margao highway and is also connected to the neighbouring state of Karnataka via the Ponda-Belgaum highway or the NH-4.
Ponda is also known as “Antruz Mahal” because of the presence of numerous famous temples and rich cultural heritage.
There are many Hindu temples in and around Ponda. The Gram Daivat (root deity) of Ponda is Shri Kapleshwar, whose temple is in Kapileshwari, Kavlem. The famous Temples of Shri Manguesh (Shiva), Shri Nagesh, Shri Ganapati, Shri Ramnath and the Goddesses Shri Shantadurga, Shri Mahalasa, Shri Mahalaxmi lie in close vicinity.
The historic Safa Masjid is a mosque built in 1560 by the Bijapuri ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah I about 2 km from center of Ponda. It is one of two sixteenth century Islamic monuments in Goa that survived the Portuguese inquisition.
The village Bandivade in Ponda was established by King Sripala. He also built a Jain temple of Neminatha in Ponda.
There are Hindu Rock Cut Caves which lie northeast of Ponda Town, near the village Khandepar. These caves are from the 10th-13th century and have lotus carved decorations on its ceilings.
Source:
http://www.idiscoverindia.com/Travel_Goa/Goa_excursion.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponda,_Goa