Holy Pilgrimage – Goa Sate –( Saptakoteswara temple, Vijaya Durga temple and Vimleswar temple) -2

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Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Goa State








Saptakoteshwar Temple, Goa

 

The Saptakoteshwar temple at Narve, Goa, India is considered to be one of the six great sites of temples of Lord Shiva in the Konkan area

History

Saptakoteshwar having been the deity of the Kings of the Kadamba dynasty around the twelfth century. The temple was built by the King for his wife Kamaldevi who was a staunch devotee of this god.[2] The kadamba kings were very proud to use the title (bBirudu) Shree Saptakotisha Ladbha Varaveera.[3]
The gold coins discovered at Chandor, Goa (old name: Chandraura, Chandrapura), Gopikapatna and other places of the kings Jayakeshi I,Jayakeshi II,Jayakeshi III, Shivachitta Paramadideva, Soideva, etc., have inscriptions reading:

‘’ Saptakotishvaralabdha – Varaprasada’’

which means "with the grace of Lord Saptakotishwara", the family deity of Kadambas. These coins were often referred to as Saptakotisha-Gadyanakas.[4]
In 1352, when the Kadamba kingdom was conquered by the Bahamani Sultan Allauddin Hasan Gangu, Goa was under the rule of the Sultan for about 14 years. A number of temples were destroyed during this period and the linga (symbol of Lord Shiva) at the Saptakoteshwar temple was dug up by the troops.
In 1367, the army of Vijayanagar King Harihararaya defeated the Bahamani Sultan's troops in Goa and managed to restore most of the temples to their former glory including that of Saptakoteshwar.According to the records the temple was reconstructed by Madhava Mantri by the end of the 14th century.[5]
When the temple was demolished in 1560 by the Portuguese (and a chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora De Candelaria was erected in its place[6]), the linga was used as a well shaft until some Hindus managed to rescue it. The idol was then smuggled across the river to Bicholim where it was installed in a brand new temple and revamped in 1668 by the Maratha Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.[7] The construction of the new site was carried out by Shri Shivaram Desai (president of the sansthan) on chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj's wish and will.[8]

Architecture

With its shallow Moghul dome mounted on an octagonal drum sloping tiled roofs, European style Mandapa, or assembly hall and tall lamp tower or Deepastamba, the temple is situated in an archaeologically important area. The surroundings of the temple are tinged with several Brahminical laterite and stone caves. In the vicinity of it existed a Jain Math, the ruins of which are still visible. It was probably an important Jain temple patronised by the Kadamba rulers before they shifted loyalty to Sri Saptakotishwar.

Deities

In front of the temple towards the right side of the Deepastamba is a shrine of Kalbhairav and outside it are seen the padukas of Dattatraya carved on the stone. A ittle ahead of the Deepastamba are seen two huge laterite pillar-like structures buried deep. They may be stone henges. Behind the temple are carved stone walls with niches. It may have been an ancient Agrashala. Similarly, close to the temple there is a man-made tunnel like structure which is presently silted. Near the temple site there is a sacred tank known as Panchaganga Tirtha which is used for ablutions by the devotees during the birth day of Lord Shiva.

Location

The village of Narve is about 35 km (22 mi) from Panaji and can be reached by an interesting route that requires a ferryboat from the island of Divar

 

Vijayadurga, Goa

Shri Vijayadurga is located in Kerim, Ponda Taluka - Goa. The Goddess is a family deity as well as mostly considered a Pallavi of many Gouda Saraswat Brahmins. According to local legends, it was once said that Shri Shantadurga of Keloshi who is now worshiped in Kavlem wanted to venture out in the Arabian sea and from the coast head to Colva to meet her sister Mahalakshmi (which was then located in Colva, now in (Bandivade/Bandora). The Goddess sought permission from her husband Shri Mangesh Maharudra, (which was then located in Kushasthali, now in Mangeshi) and took her leave. In order to reach the sea, the Goddess had to cross Murgaon - Shankhavali (modern day Mormugoa -Sancaole). On her way, the Goddess witnessed a very gruesome scene, a demon (asura) named Kalantak/Kalantakasura was harassing the Saraswat Brahmins - impeding their rituals and causing great catastrophe to Shankhavali. The Saraswats of Shankhavali had their Kuldevi as Shri Shantadurga of Keloshi and Lakshmi Narasimha as their Kuldev. One of the Brahmin peasant who was troubled witnessed the Goddesss and knelt before her and prayed to save Shankhavali and its inhabitants. He promised to build a temple in her honour. Shantadurga with her divine powers transformed her self into a Mahishasurmardhini mounted on an elephant and commanded the demon to stop. A fierce war was fought between the demon and the Goddess. Shantadurga was victorious, the inhabitants of Shankhavali graced the Goddess and called her 'Vijaya' - Hence a temple in her honour was built which was called Vijay Shantadurga or Vijayadurga. The Goddess then commanded the Saraswats of Shankhavali to consider this victorious avatar into their Kuldaivat Panchayasthan. Therefore, the Saraswats of Shankhavali in any auspicious occasions invoked Shantadurga Shankhavali, Vijayadurga and Lakshmi Narasimha along with all the kulpurushas to acquire their blessings.
Shantadurga of Sankhavali is never seated on a carnivore (tiger or lion), but instead an elephant which is associated and assumed to be her mount.
The aggressive form of the Keloshi/Kavale Shantadurga is worshiped in present day Gothana- Velinga (Goa) and called Shri Shantadurga Sankhwaleshwari. The temples of these Deities are of not much prominence as that of Shri Shantadurga (Kavlem), Shri Mangesh Maharudra, or Shri Mahalasa Narayani, therefore these temples are never mentioned in the tourist lists of Goan Tourism. The temple has recently banned entry of foreigners into the temple citing objectionable dressing and conduct as the reason.
Shri Shantadurga Shankhavaleshwari is located in present day Veling, Gothan (Goa) and Shri Vijayadurga is located in Curti, Kerim (Goa). These Deities were once located in modern day Sancaole (Sankhwal), Salcette Taluka but due to the forceful Portuguese inquisition and mass destruction of the Saraswat temples, the deities were shifted from their present locations. It is said that the Saraswats who migrated with the idol of the Goddess from Sancaole, halted in Agapur - Durbhat which is located on the banks of Zuari (Aghnashini). They had decided on to build a temple, but dur to the predictions made by the divine oracle, the idol had to be shifted to Kerim, it's present location.
As it is quite common amongst the Konkani Saraswats to refer their deities colloqially, subsequently these goddesses too have a pen name bestowed upon them, for instance 'Shanteri' as referred to Shantadurga all over Goa and 'Vaijari' specifically to Vijaydurga. Hence at times the Kanarite Saraswats often refer their Kuladevta as "Shanteri Vaijari Nrusimha".
Together with Shri Lakshmi Narasimha being the Chief deity and other Gotra Kulpurushas(ancestral deity), they form the Sankhval/Shankhavali Panchayasthan. The mahajans or kulavis with surnames Nayak, Bhandary, Bhandarkar, Padiyar, Rao, Puranik etc. have Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha along with Shri Shantadurga and Shri Vijaydurga as their Kuldevta. Whereas, the mahajans or kulavis with surnames Bhat, Kamat/h, Prabhu, Shenoy and Shenvi's only have Shri Shantadurga and Shri Vijayadurga as their Kuladevta. For the Karhade Brahmin sect, Shri Shantadurga and Lakshmi Nrusimha are not included into their Kuldaivat Panchayatna, instead, they offer their prayers and rituals solely to Shri Vijayadurga.

 

 

Vimleshwar Temple, Goa

Vimaleshwar Temple is located in Rivona[1] village of Sanguem taluka in the state of Goa, India. Vimaleshwar is a form of Shiva and is worshiped in the form of a Shivalinga. It is a "Swayambhu" shivlinga.
The main devotees of the temple are people belonging to Konkani community like Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, Daivajnas and Marathas. The Prabhu Dessai family of Rivona (GSBs) and the Daivajna with surname 'Rivonkar' or 'Revankar' are members of the temple

 

Other Temples

 

Goa

  • Shree Dev Godhaneshwar Temple, Mapusa








Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(Continued...)                                                                                                                              



(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )
Posted by gopalakrishna Wednesday, December 19, 2012
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