That title could be a confusing one for many Indians. Does Goa, a city considered Las Vegas of India, even have any visit worthy temples? That explanation might be even more confusing for foreigners….. Well, India has temples in every street corner. These are not important and are almost like a neighborhood deity. By visit worthy, I’m talking about having more significance than that.…. The answer is yes! Before it became a Portuguese colony it was like any other Indian town with its own temples. Some of those temples dating to 15th C CE or earlier, still exist!!! Here’s a small list to make you consider taking your flights to Goa not just for booze & beach…
Pic Courtesy: Vivo78 via Wikimedia Commons
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Pic Courtesy: Vivo78 via Wikimedia Commons
The legend of this temple is interesting too! It is believed that Lord Shiva visited here and left a Lingam here. Ages later, a cow was seen to pour its milk by itself in a particular spot everyday (yes, exactly the same story as Dhenupurishwarar temple, Tamil Nadu) and the deity was discovered.
3.Devi Mhalsa of Mardol: Like the rest, this too was originally in Verna and after being destroyed by the Portuguese was moved to Ponda district on the way to Panaji in Mardol. This one is perhaps the easiest of find when compared to the other two. Its 3 arches are visible from the highway. A very unique factor of this temple is its Deepastambha which can hold upto 650 wicks (lamps) at a time! This too sits in a location gifted by Peshwa Raji Rao I.
4.Kalikadevi of Kasarpal: This deity is the community Goddess of Swarankars (goldsmiths!). Its setting is just splendid with the backdrop of hills. Ages ago, this was one of the most inaccessible temples surrounded on all sides by the hills. Later under the rule of Chatrapathi Shivaji, some sort of pathway was made clearing up a bit of the forest and later on, recently, motorable roads have been laid. The architecture of this temple is pretty different from the rest, and is assumed to be influenced by the Sumerians!
Pic Courtesy: Agawas via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
So, especially, if you’re a Mumbaikar, next time, weather you hop into Mumbai to Goa Flights, or do a road-trip along the beach, make sure you visit these places too.
Reference: Culture and Religious traditions in Temples of Goa by Kamla Mankekar (ISBN 81-230-1161-X).