The Deepastambha is a characteristic feature found in the courtyards of Goa‘s Hindu temples. The word is formed by conjoining the Sanskrit words Deepa (lamp) and Stambha (pillar), and thus means “Pillar of Lamps.” This photograph of the Deepastambha at the Mahalsa temple in Mardol was taken at daybreak. A more modest Deepasthamba...
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva constitute the Trimurthi of the Hindu pantheon. Of the three, Brahma the Creator is the odd one out: He has less than 10 temples dedicated to Him alone in the whole of India. The puranas ascribe this anomaly to a curse inflicted on Him by Lord Shiva. The Brahma temple in...
We begin the New Year by invoking Ganesha. The Ganapati temple in the tiny Goan village of Khandola (also spelled Candola) is important to Goans and to Goan history. The original temple was located on the island of Divar at the site of what is today the cemetery adjoining the Church of Our Lady of...
