Despite
the Portuguese influence that dominated Goa over the centuries,
it is fascinating to see how such a large number of Hindu temples
have survived here. Uprooted from place to place, the presiding
deities were preserved and worshipped, at times, even in the houses
of pujaris (priests), till they were ultimately ensconced in their
present-day abodes. Some such old temples of Goa, which are noted
for their natural beauty and simple architecture, have certain
basic features, as in the days of yore, of being surrounded by
betel nut trees, coconut groves and lakes of pure water. When
you enter any of these temples you are welcomed by the sentinels-the
great pillars of light.
The Temples
Among the oldest temples in Goa are the ones built by the
Saraswat Brahmins of Bihar-the Mangeshi
Temple of Priol, the Shanta Durga Temple at Kavele, the Ganapati
Temple at Khandole, the Mahalaxmi Temple at Bhandiwade and the
Sri Nagesh Maharudra Temple at Bandora. Of these, unlike all other
ancient deities of Goa, the Sri Nagesh Maharudra did not move
from Bandora (Bhandiwade) even during the period of the Portuguese
inquisition.
There
hangs many a tale about the origin of each of these temples, most
of them revolving around the migration of the Saraswats from the
banks of the legendary Saraswati river, on to the Gangetic plains,
and then on to Gomantaka on the invitation of the sage Parasurama.
Sri
Mangeshi Temple
The Mangesh Linga is said to have been consecrated on the
mountain of Mangireesh (Mongir) on the banks of river Bhagirathi
by Lord Brahma himself, from where the Saraswat Brahmins brought
it to Trihotrapuri in Bihar. They carried the linga on to Gomantaka
and settled at Mathagrama, the present-day Madgoa, establishing
their most sacred and ancient temple of Mangesh on the banks of
the river Gomati or Zuari as it is called today. Lord Mangesh
is worshipped here in the shape of a Shiva linga.
When,
in the year 1560, the Portuguese started Christian conversions
in Salsette taluka, the Saraswats of Vatsa Gotra felt insecure
and shifted the Mangesh Linga from the original site at the Kushasthali
to Priol in Atrunja Taluka, which at that time was ruled by the
Hindu kings of Sonde. After remaining in the house of a temple
priest for sometime, the Sri Mangesh deity was finally installed
in its present site at Priol.
Shanta
Durga Temple
The Shanta Durga or Shanteri Temple is at Kapilpura or Kavele,
also in Atrunja taluka. This deity is believed to have been carried
by Loma Sharma of Kaushik Gotra when the Saraswats came to Goa
from Trihotrapuri (present-day Trihut division) in the Mithila
region of Bihar. A story in the Skandapurana speaks of how Lord
Shiva, when defeated by his spouse Parvati in a game of dice,
had left mount Kailash and gone to Gomanchala near Kushasthali
for tapasya (penance). It is here that he heard the cries of the
Saraswat Brahmin, Loma Sharma, caught by a crocodile in the river
Aghanashini. When Shiva saved Loma Sharma, he prayed to the Lord
to remain in Kushasthali. Similarly, when Parvati arrived looking
for Shiva, she was also requested to stay at the nearby village
of Keloshi (Kadalivana). The legend goes that sometime later,
there was a battle between Shiva and Vishnu at mount Gomanchala,
during which Shiva used the Pashupati weapon. Lord Brahma, the
creator, then prayed to the supreme Goddess Adishakti to intervene.
She, in turn, sent Parvati in the form of Shanta Durga or Shanteri,
who took Vishnu by her right and Shiva by her left hand and pacified
the two.
The
deity Shanta Durga, therefore, is shown holding two serpents,
one in each hand, representing Vishnu and Shiva. Shanteri is then
said to have gone to Shankawali to kill the demons harassing the
Brahmins there. It is for this good deed that she also earned
the name of Vijaya. During the Portuguese inquisition, the trustees
of the Shanta Durga temple decided to shift the idol to Atrunja
taluka. A special feature at this temple is that Harijans are
permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorum of this temple.
Sri
Ganapati Temple
Atrunja taluka in Goa is now called Ponda. It is a land of
valleys and mountains. An ideal abode for the gods amidst coconut
and areca nut groves, Ponda has many Hindu temples, the Sri Ganapati
Temple at Khandole village being one of the most prominent and
oldest. As in the case of all Ganapati temples, legends and lore
are aplenty here. The idol of Ganapati, who rides on a mouse,
was shifted during the inquisition from Elle to Naveli in Dewadi
island; then to Khandepar in Ponda; from Ponda to Narve in Dichole;
and finally to Khandole village near Mashel town in Ponda taluka.
Mahalaxmi
Temple
Mahalaxmi is the Goddess of power and strength. She is believed
to be an incarnation of . Adishakti. -the supreme power and energy.
The Shaktas, among the Saraswats, worshipped Adishakti in the
form of the linga. Many accept her as Pallavi, their supporting
deity, believing that this Goddess of tremendous strength and
power was released when the devas and rakshasas were churning
the ocean for amrita (nectar). On their arrival in Goa, the Saraswats,
who had brought the Mahalaxmi idol with them, built a temple at
Bhanda-Vatika or Bhandiwade village in the Atrunja taluka. Most
of the Saraswats, however, were then living at Tiswadi and Sasasti
talukas and had to cross a river and travel a long distance to
worship the deity. So they established at Kolva, just 6 km from
Madgaon, another Mahalaxmi temple, on the banks of the Arabian
Sea.
In
addition to the black granite stone idol, there was also an Utsava
idol made of panchloha (five metals). Legend has it that during
the inquisition in 1557, two non-Brahmins, Sapta and Phato, carried
the Utsava idol in a box, while the granite idol was broken by
the Portuguese. Sapta and Phato traveled by boat along the Arabian
Sea, crossed the Rasai River and reached Talawal or Durbat in
Atrunja, and handed over the idol to the Bhandiwade Mahalaxmi
Temple. Sapta and Phato were rewarded by the Goddess who ordered
the management to give them each two balls of rice after the mid-day
mahapuja. This practice is carried out even today at a small hut
constructed (near the temple) in memory of these two devotees.
The Bhandiwade Mahalaxmi, which resembles the Mahalaxmi idol at
Kolhapur in Maharashtra, has four arms. These arms hold a sickle,
a club, a dagger, and a vessel containing prasad and flowers.
The present temple was built in 1913 by a Parsi of Bombay (Mumbai)
on the request of the Dempos of Panaji.
Sri
Nagesh Maharudra Temple
The Saraswats also established the Sri Nagesh Maharudra deity
at Bhandiwade. Unlike the other deities, this one found a safe
abode right from the start and did not have to be shifted from
place to place. The temple, which faces west, has a beautiful
tank in front, with a Nandi bull in black granite standing at
its entrance. At some distance are also visible the smaller temples
of Poorvachari, Betal and Raval Nath. The Palace of the Sunda
King stands in the neighborhood.
A
peculiar feature of the Saraswat temples of Goa is the priority
given there to the local Christian devotees who are said to flock
to these temples. Irrespective of having embraced Christianity,
many of the present-day Christians still hold on to their pre-conversion
surnames and still sponsor and support the deities of their Hindu
brethren. It is a measure of how deep their roots run, despite
all the Portuguese influence that had been thrust upon them.
Shri
Ananta Temple
Shri Ananta Temple at Sovei Veram is a temple dedicated to
Lord Vishnu, the second god of the Hindu Trinity, whose role is
that of preservation, just as Brahma. s is of creation and Shiva.
s is of dissolution. This is the only Ananta Temple in Goa and
therefore of special interest. Surrounded on all sides by water
and beautiful countryside, the aspect of the temple site inspires
tranquility and peace. For village folk, the pilgrimage could
be undertaken for the purpose of exorcising spells as the belief
is that the Lord has the power to do so.
Shri
Chandreshwar Temple
The Shri Chandreshwar Temple atop the Chandranath Hill dates
from the pre-Christian era, when this region formed part of the
Boja capital of Chandrapur today. s Chandor). The famous Shiva
Linga is lit up by moonlight on the full moon night, and is said
to become mystically bathed in water. Sri Chandreshwar or God
of the Moon is so placed so to offer the visitor a wonderful view
of the green valley below.
Devaki-Krishna
Temple
Like many of Goa. s temples, the Devaki-Krishna Temple at
Marchel was moved here from two previous locations, to be safe
from oppression. The beautiful and unusual image in black stone
is of the baby Krishna on his mother, Devaki. s hip. Could the
Baby Jesus and his Mother, Mary, represented in so many of the
neighbouring churches here have given this temple its inspiration,
or is it simply an astonishing coincidence of the overlapping
of Western and Eastern traditions?
Other
Temples
Among other temples of Goa, mention must be made of the Brahma
Temple in the village of Brahma Carambolim. Dating from 5th century
AD, it is among the few temples dedicated to Brahma to be found
anywhere. The Shri Bhagavati Temple in Pernem celebrates the Goddess
Bhagavati Ashtabhuja, or eight-handed Devi or Goddess, one of
the forms of Durga. Shri Datta Mandir at Sanquelim is celebrated
for the miraculous cure for mental troubles which the deity, the
Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar, is said of offer.
Shri Damodar Temple on the banks of the river Kushavati is a place
of pilgrimage for Hindus and Christians alike. The waters of the
river near the temple precincts are a cure for all ailments. Shri
Damodar is known simply as Danubab by the faithful and he is,
till today, the patron deity of Margao. The idyllic surroundings
of Zambaulin make the visit quite memorable. Shri Gomanteshwar
Temple at Brahmapuri, in old Goa, dates back to the Kadamba Kings
who ruled Goa in the 5th century AD. Amongst the myriad temples
found in Goa, we find a vast representation of the gods and goddesses
of the Hindu pantheon which testifies to the catholicity of the
people. s beliefs as well as their mutual tolerance. Indeed, Goa
is well loved just for this rare quality which one feels imperceptibly
on even a short visit. The welcome is genuine and holds back nothing.
Live and let live is a potent vibration in the atmosphere. The
more the avenues to the beyond the better. Little wonder that
despotic tactics never lasted beyond a brief spell in Goa, while
experimenters in new ways of living have found their haven here.
