Legend has it that a group of sages on the island of Divar in Goa undertook penance to propitiate Shiva. It took seven crore (sapta-kot) years for the Great Yogi to take notice of their exertions. When He finally showed up, the sages petitioned Him to take up residence in the village of Naroa (also called Narve). Thus came about the great temple of Saptakoteshwar in Naroa-Divar, one that enjoys a special place in the Goan psyche for its singular role in our land’s turbulent history.

Saptakoteshwar weathered intrusions first by the Bahmani sultans, and later by the Portuguese who destroyed it. The first mass conversion of Goan Hindus to Christianity took place here on August 15, 1560, cleverly engineered by the Portuguese on the day of Gokulashtami, traditionally the most important celebration at the temple. The provenance of one of Goa‘s popular folk tunes, Hanv Saiba poltodi vaita, can be traced to this event.

At the original temple site in Naroa-Divar today stands the Chapel of Our Lady of Candelaria, and nearby lie the remains of the temple tank. The ancient linga has its own tale of woes to tell, even serving as a pulley for a nearby well. Finally it made its way across the river to be reinstalled at a new site which came to be known as New Naroa, today’s Narve in Bicholim taluka. The temple was restored by Shivaji in 1668.

Saptakoteshwar Temple at Narve, Goa
5D, 24-105L

Saptakoteshwar
5D, 24-105L

Saptakoteshwar Temple by Mario Miranda
(Reproduced with permission of the Mario Gallery)

Temple musician Dattaram Ramkrishna Narvekar
5D, 24-105L

In Hindu tradition, Nagesh is a manifestation of Lord Shiva, and one of the 12 jyotirlingas. The ancient shrine of Nagesh in the village of Bandivade (also known as Bandode) in Goa probably dates as far back as the 5th C. Its interior location saved it from the depredations of the early Portuguese conquests.

Historically as well as in regards to current religious practice, the temple at Nageshi, as the campus is called, occupies a special place in the hearts of Goans. The structure first assumed its present form around 1780.

Note: Goans often spell Nagesh as Naguesh (same thing with Mangesh and Manguesh).

Nageshi (2011)
5D Mark II, TS-E 24L II

Nageshi (c. 1958)
Scanned from Postais Antigos do Estado da Índia by João Loureiro

Front view
5D, 24-105L

Nagesh-bab
5D, 24-105L

Temple tank
5D, 24-105L

Deepastambha (Tower of Lamps)
5D, 24-105L

PS: The archival image in this post is scanned from Postais Antigos do Estado da Índia by João Loureiro (Fundação Macau, 1998). In the book it is credited to Centro de Informação e Turismo – Pangim.

Goa is home to an ancient Hindu tradition, something most Indians are unaware of. Of all the Goan temples, none is more central to that tradition than the one at Mangeshi, the eponymous ward in the village of Priol, deep in Goa‘s hinterland. Mangesh is the Goan name for Lord Shiva.

Upon their arrival in Goa in the 16th C, the Portuguese destroyed hundreds of Hindu temples in a savage frenzy of religious violence. Among them were the three great temples to Shiva: Saptakoteshwar, Ramnath, and Mangesh. The old lingas had to be retrieved and squirreled away for reconsecration in the relative safety of the jungle. The reinstall at Mangeshi took place circa 1560.

Each of these temples holds sway in the Goan imagination to this day, and the affiliation transcends religious divides. It is not uncommon to see young married Catholic couples at Mangeshi, for the Great Yogi is also the acknowledged Head of the Dept. of Fertility.

Mangeshi‘s cachet does not derive solely from its historical and religious significance. For long it has sheltered and nourished aspirants in music and dance, and from its mandapa have emerged some of the most distinguished names in Indian music. Dinanath Mangeshkar was born here and grew up in the shadow of the temple. His daughters Lata and Asha are known worldwide for their contributions. The great Indian classical master, composer & scholar Jitendra Abhisheki was born here, and his family has traditionally served as priests at the temple. Kesarbai Kerkar, from the nearby village of Keri, had her musical awakening here through the kirtans and bhajans she absorbed as a child.

Before it was powderized, the original temple of Mangesh was located in the village of Cortalim (also known as Kuththali or Kushasthali). The origins of the deity lie in antiquity. The Gavdas, a tribe of the earliest settlers in Goa, are said to have worshipped the form and still enjoy special dibs during rituals at the temple. The legend of Mangesh is in essence a tale of the love between Shiva and Parvati.

Given the limited space available on the premises, a Tilt-Shift lens was necessary to keep the vertical lines vertical in the photographs of the temple and its deepastambha. Canon’s remarkable TS-E 24L II lens was equal to the task.

A long view of the hilly, forested Mangeshi area on a misty monsoon morning.

Mangeshi
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II

Mangesh temple
5D Mark II, TS-E 24L II

The deepastambha (tower of lamps) is a characteristic feature of Goan temples.

Deepastambha at Mangesh temple
5D Mark II, TS-E 24L II

This new form of Sri Mangesh cast in solid gold illustrates the avidya of modern Hindus. They don’t even know what it is that they are worshipping. Shiva is the exemplar of vairagya but the Goan boneheads have transformed him into a glittering tinseltown hero, no doubt an unintended reflection of their own attachment to coin.

Sri Mangesh
5D, 85L II

This is a photograph of an old photograph (1925). Note that Mangesh is also spelled as Manguexa or Manguesh. The (orange) tower in the foreground is the naubatkhana where the shehnai and other musical instruments are played during temple ceremonies.

Temple tank circa 1925 (© Souza & Paul)
Reproduced in "Postais Antigos do Estado da Índia" by João Loureiro

Temple tank today
5D Mark II, TS-E 24L II

This 16th C sculpture of Kalbhairav occupies a small shrine outside in the temple compound.

Kalbhairav outside the temple
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

The Hindu festival of Mahashivaratri will be celebrated on February 12 this year.

The 12th C temple of Mahadeva (another name for Shiva) set in a remote forest at Tambdi Surla is Goa‘s oldest surviving temple. It remains a place of active worship to this day.

This photograph was taken in 2007 in the thick of the monsoon season. When I got to Tambdi Surla that morning a heavy downpour had just subsided. The ambience was magical and this framing suggested itself quite naturally. The slight colour cast of green on the temple structure is not a processing artifact; it is a consequence of the wet temple reflecting the surrounding foliage.

12th C Mahadeva Temple at Tambdi Surla, Goa
5D, 24-105L

See this earlier entry for another view of the temple.