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

This is the launch of a new series – the photographic documentation of the ancient Vetal idols of Goa. A few images have been included in earlier posts; those and the ones to follow are now consolidated at this link.

In the village of Amona, the idol is fitted with a gleaming shell and wrapped in colourful vestments.

Vetal of Amona, Goa
5D, 24-105L

The ancient deity of Vetal, its iconography and associated rituals, are important elements of, and unique to, Goa‘s Hindu tradition. The deity was most likely worshipped by the Austric Gauda tribe, Goa‘s earliest settlers, and later embraced by the Nath Panthis between the 10th & 13th C. Eventually it came to be absorbed into the larger Hindu pantheon. Details of the Vetal mythos are here.

A mere 50 or so out of the hundreds of ancient Vetal sites in Goa survived the iconoclasm by the Portuguese. Every single site in the Bardez and Tiswadi talukas was destroyed. For instance, before the foreign invasion, the village of Taleigao was a strong centre of Vetal worship, but I doubt you will find a single current resident of the area with any memory of this past.

The Vetal praxis serves to define the circumference of Goa‘s cultural influence which extends beyond its current geographic borders. Vetal worship is prevalent in the Sindhudurg district of southern Maharashthra and unsurprisingly, the people there have strong emotional and cultural bonds to Goa.

Traditionally the images of Vetal were cast out in the open with provision for a simple roof overhead. After all, as the village protector, he was expected to be out on his nightly patrol. To this day, offerings of footwear are made at his temples. Buffalo sacrifice was once common but is now far less so. Fowl and goat are still routinely offered (but don’t tell that to the malcontents from PETA).

The evolution of the depiction of the Vetal image itself is interesting. Traditionally, he preferred to go au naturel, and so the idols were displayed that way. But nowadays the ‘naked truth’ makes people somewhat uncomfortable, and therefore in several temples he has reluctantly taken to wearing the dhoti. (Reminds me of Bertrand Russell who wrote that whoever coined the phrase “the naked truth” must have perceived the connection that nakedness is shocking to most people, and so is truth.)

During the years 2006-2008, I set off on Vetal‘s spoor and checked off 45 of the surviving old sites in Goa (around 5 still to go). I scored many delightful images, confirming the televangelical geezer Pat Robertson‘s view that we Hindus are indeed worshippers of the devil (nothing gives me more pleasure than spending quality time with the devil).

Vetal temple at Amona
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.

Deep in Goa‘s hinterland, in the tiny village of Vichundrem in Sanguem taluka, lie the ruins of an ancient temple of Narayandev, dating most likely to the 11th C.

The good news is that this remarkable historical site is still under the jurisdiction of Goans, and not the Delhi babus from the rubbish Archaeological Survey of India. The bad news is that the wretched criminals – aka Goan miners – have now gotten so close to it that there is a likelihood of these ancient treasures ending up tossed into a barge laden with iron ore bound for Shanghai.

I had been to this site twice before in 2007 and 2008. Last month I made another sortie. An excursion into the forest during the monsoons is always a delight, and it was pouring heavily when we got there. The heroics of my driver-assistant Babu Naik, who first cleared the thick foliage and then sheltered my camera equipment, made it possible for me to score a few frames.

There is some disagreement among researchers regarding this site. The accepted view is that it was a Kadamba-era temple of Narayandev. But a few argue that the image is of Padmanabha and that the temple is of Chalukyan vintage – that would peg it back at least 2 centuries, to around 9th C. Although Narayan and Padmanabha are both representations of Vishnu, differences in their iconography obtain.

Update: I just remembered – there is an old Marathi abhanga of Tukaram that invokes both Padmanabha and Narayana together. It was made popular by the Goan maestro Suresh Haldankar (1926-2000) in this 1950s recording. For a newer rendition by Raghunandan Panshikar, go here. (Panshikar’s family is from Goa, too – from the village of Panshi in Pernem.)

11th C Narayandev temple ruins in Vichundrem, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 24L II

Temple ruins (notice the Narayandev sculpture)
5D Mark II, TS-E 24L II

Ancient image of Narayandev
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 Makro Planar

Ancient image of Garuda
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 Makro Planar

A salient characteristic of the old temples and churches in Goa is their location – many are ensconced in exquisite surroundings. This shrine in the remote village of Maangaal (also spelled Mangal) in Goa‘s Quepem taluka sits in the middle of a cultivated paddy field.

I meandered into this luscious setting on an atmospheric monsoon morning this July. The shrine is dedicated to what are known as the Paik gods, subsidiary Hindu deities depicted as swordsmen on horses. The Paiks are worshipped by the Velip tribe common to these parts. Notice the terraced field in the foreground of the first image.

Rural shrine in Maangaal, Goa
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 Makro Planar

Shrine in the middle of the paddy field
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 Makro Planar

These are scenes from the beautiful village of Kundaim in Goa‘s Ponda taluka.

First rays of the morning sun
5D Mark II, 135L

Banana plantation
5D Mark II, 135L

Nature's pretzel
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Laxminarayan temple
5D, 24-105L

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 Brahmāṇi temple is set in a quiet forested area in the remote village of Toldem in Goa‘s Sanguem taluka. These images were taken one early morning in February 2008.

Brahmāṇi temple in Toldem, Goa
5D, 35L

The temple in the late 1960s (photo by Dr. Gritli Mitterwallner)

Relief work on the plinth
5D, 35L

Erotic artwork
5D, 24-105L

Detail of relief
5D, 35L

The ancient Indian tradition of anthill worship is widespread among the Hindus of Goa. In the Goan praxis, the anthill is regarded as a manifestation of the Earth Goddess, and She is given names such as Sateri (Santeri), Bhoomika, Ela, and so on. The name of one Goan village – Bhoma, cognate of Bhoomi (Earth) – derives from the worship of an anthill. The word for anthill in Konkani is ro’in.

The most impressive of these anthills in active worship in Goa is found in the village of Virnoda. It is said to be very old (How old? Nobody knows for sure, so feel free to start with 200 years and add your own factor), and I reckon it to be 8-9 feet high. The TS-E 17L lens with its shift function came in handy here. As is the case in most places of this kind, you have to make do with the lighting conditions available.

Sacred anthill in Virnoda, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

The next three photographs are from the Sateri temple in Morjim. The structure lies in a state of disuse and disrepair, and the weathered look adds to its mystique. Notice the kaavi art (sgraffito) both on the interior and exterior walls. The image of the mural in close-up exudes a rich visage, like a painting on canvas.

Antill worshipped as Goddess Sateri in Morjim, Goa
5D, 24-105L

Façade of Sateri temple in Morjim
5D, 24-105L

Mural at Sateri temple
5D, 24-105L

Keri is a small village in Goa, around 15 kms east of the capital Panjim. It is sometimes spelled Querim, the trailing ‘m’ denoting the nasal phonetic characteristic of Konkani syllables. Since there are at least 3 other villages in Goa bearing the same name, the ambiguity is removed by calling it Keri-Ponda, after the taluka in which it is located..

Kesarbai refers to the legendary musician Kesarbai Kerkar who was born and raised in Keri. Go here for an introduction to this rara avis and her extraordinary artistry. Kesarbai‘s recording of Raga Bhairavi was among the selections of music put on the Voyager Golden Record carried aboard the Voyager spacecraft launched by NASA in 1977, now a wanderer in the far reaches of interstellar space.

The predominantly Hindu settlement of Keri is the archetypal hinterland Goan village. Ringed by hills, fortified by forests, graced by beautiful temples, soothed by birdsong, it still clings to the zeitgeist of a Goa that is fast disappearing. Idylls like these are on their last legs given the march of destruction development.

In this photo essay I concern myself with some ‘objects’ encountered on a couple of rainy mornings in Keri earlier in July.

Kesarbai was born in this house that is now occupied by her brother’s progeny. This framing minimizes intrusion of the thicket of electric power lines crisscrossing its façade.

Kesarbai Kerkar's house in Keri, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

Fresh rain and cloud cover accentuate the colours of the beautiful temple of Goddess Vijayadurga. Notice the deep reds of the kaavi artwork (sgraffito) beneath the sloping roof of the mandap. Unfortunately, most of the detail is lost in the reduced image size required for web display.

Temple of Goddess Vijayadurga
5D Mark II, 24-105L

The old temple of Vetal, now in the crosshairs of some villagers who want to demolish it and erect a new pile of concrete doo-doo in its stead (‘development’ !). What it really needs is restoration. One can only pray for divine intervention.

Vetal temple
5D Mark II, 24-105L

This ancient image of Vetal is imposing, probably the tallest (over 7 feet) in active worship in Goa.

Vetal of Keri
5D Mark II, 24-105L

One of the carved wooden pillars in the Vetal temple
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Off to school with grandma
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II

Raghoba Naik runs a traditional convenience stall by the Vetal temple. He is a type that seems to exist only in works of fiction, someone who has very little yet who owns the world. The oft-heard Atithi Devo Bhava has become a meaningless cant in India, but not in Raghoba‘s world. No outsider to the village is released without a cup of tea and snacks. It would be considered an act of rank discourtesy to ask about payment for the goodies.

Raghoba Naik at his stall
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Raghoba Naik of Keri
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II