Religious significance and Decoration of Mahadev temple of Tambdi surla

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is reminiscent of the temples at Aihole in neighbouring Karnataka. There is a linga(symbol of Lord Shiva) mounted on a pedestal inside the inner sanctum, and local legend has it that a huge king cobra is in permanent residence in the dimly lit interior.

The temple consists of garbhagriha, antarala and a pillared nandi Mandap built of basalt. The four pillars, embellished with intricate carvings of elephants and chains support a stone ceiling decorated with finely carved lotus flowers.

The intricate carvings created by skilled craftsmen adorn the interior and the sides of the building. Bas-relief figures of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma, with their respective consorts appear on panels at the sides of the temple. Unusually, the mandap (pillared hall) is covered with a roof of plain grey sloping slabs. The temple faces east so that the first rays of the rising sun shine on the deity. There is a small mandap and the inner sanctum is surmounted by a three-tired tower whose top is incomplete or has been dismantled sometime in the distant past.

There is a headless Nandi (bull, Shiva's vehicle) in the centre of the mandap, surrounded by four matching columns. The symbol of the Kadamba kingdom, an elephant trampling a horse is carved on the base of one of the columns. The river Surla flows nearby and is reachable for ritual bathing by a flight of stone steps.

The festival of Mahashivratri is celebrated with pomp and gaiety at the temple by local people residing in surrounding villages. The temple is built in a place which is quite inaccessible and away from the main settlements of the time. The temple is small compared to the average Goan temple.

Kamaxi Temple Shiroda

Shri Kamakshi temple located at Shiroda was built in the late 16th century built . The other shrines in the temple complex are that of Shree Shantadurga, Shree Laxmi Narayana and Shree Rayeshwar. Boarding and Lodging for the pilgrims are provided by the temple authorities. The temple has recently banned entry of foreigners into the temple citing objectionable dressing and conduct as the reason.

This temple was originally located at Raia in Salcette and was moved to its present location in 1564-1568,because as a part of Goa inquisition the Portuguese demolished almost all the Hindu shrines..The antiquity of the original temple is unknown. The new temple is located at Shiroda. There are other temples for Kamakshi in Goa is the one at Ramnathi.

In November 2013, Temple began to offer Live darshan on its . It is the only temple in Goa to offer Live Darshan in streaming format for hundreds of devotees at a time.

Shri Nageshi Maharudra Temple

A temple in Ponda dedicated to lord Shiva, Nageshi a beautiful spectacle. It has made a name for itself as many devotees claim that after they prayed at the “swayambhu” or naturally made shrine to lord Shiva, many of their prayers were answered. It is said that a temple had been in this location for thousands of years and a cow herder found the idol of Shiva after witnessing one of his cows regularly showering milk in the area. This temple was also untouched by the Portuguese religious and cultural eradication during the 17^thand 18^th centuries. The temple is small and beautiful and has a convenient tank in the front. Many people cool off here during the summers.

Saptakoteshwar temple in Narve

Saptakoteshwar Temple in Narve

The Saptakoteshwar Temple in Goa which was originally situated at Divar is located at Narve in Bicholim which is 37 kms from Panjim. The frequent raids on Goa in the 14th Century mostly by the Sultans of Delhi and the Bahmanis, was one of the main reasons for the destruction of Hindu temples in Goa. These powers had eventually occupied the Konkan in 1532.

Fearing destruction to the temple due to Muslim rulers attacking Goa frequently, the linga from the temple was shifted and buried in a paddy field to avoid it from being destroyed, and was later reinstalled back during the peaceful reign of the Vijayanagar empire.

The Saptakoteshwar Temple at Naroa was actually destroyed by the Portuguese during one of their invasions and the stone from the temple was used for the church building there. The remnants of the temple ruins are still visible in the chapel attached to the cemetery of the church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade or the Our Lady of Compassion Church at Divar.
The linga from the Saptakoteshwar temple was abandoned for quite a long period of time and was found near a well on the Divar island. It was used as a pulley for drawing the well water, the marks still distinct on the rope. The other side of the river bank was annexed by an ally of the Sultan of Bijapur, this chieftain played an important role in the rehabilitation of the linga on the river bank that was visibly hidden amidst a narrow valley. This village assumed the name of Nae Naroa, and now is popularly known as Naroa or Bicholim.
A new temple was born from an incident during Shivaji's reign. In 1664 when Shivaji found a straw from the thatch roof fallen on his shoulder he immediately took it as a good omen and ordered the construction of the temple. It is built based on the typical contemporary Goan architecture, with only the lamp tower design being of a distinct variety. The linga itself is distinctive of a 'daralinga' type and made of polished tone.
The Saptakoteshwar temple has a small entrance hall with bells. The main five pillared hall is decorated with arches and is intricately painted with chandeliers glorifying the beauty of the ceiling while the sanctorum wall is made of plain wood. The presence of ancient 'aggarshalas' can be demonstrated from the fact that there are ruins of an arched crumbling structure behind the main temple. The popular festival of Lord Krishna, 'Gokul Ashtami' is celebrated here every year. 

History of Mangeshi Temple......

 

The original site of Sri Mangeshi temple is Kushasthali or Cortalim in Salcette Taluka. To avoid the increasing portuguese missionary activities in Goa, the GSB community was afraid for the safety of the temples and idols. Hence the families worshipping Shree Shantadurga and Shree Manguesh, on a moonless night, leaving their homes and hearths crossed over the Zuari river  to a safer region which was under the rule of the Muslim King Adil shah. 

After remaining in the house of a temple priest for sometime, the deity idol was finally installed at its present site in the village.

The territory of Ponda was not under Portuguese rule in the 16th Century and hence was seen as a safe haven by the Hindus fleeing persecution by the Jesuits and Portuguese. The forests of Ponda were ideal places for Hindus to form makeshift temples with the Idols they had salvaged from the broken temples of salcette.