Tourism
of Goa
Places
of Worship in Goa
Temples
in Goa The
temples of Goa are in essence like most Hindu temples in India, based around
a deity which is worshipped. The architecture of Goan temples is a little
different mostly because of historical reasons.
The basic
Hindu temple architecture
The fundamental design of any Hindu
temple is organized around the central shrine or the "Garbagriha"
or the "sanctum sanctorum" that houses the main deity. A tower or "Shikara"
arises from the main shrine and is traditionally pyramidal shaped. There are
usually two or more smaller shrines housing other deities known as "Parivar
Devatas" around the entrance to the Garbagriha.
There is
always a surrounding free area or a passage around the Garbagriha that is
kept free for a an essential Puja ritual known as "Pradakshina"
performed by almost every devotee. This is the ritualistic left sided
circum-ambulation around the shrine usually an odd number of times.
The
"Garbagriha" is accessed via a large hall with pillars and walls
either carved with religious motifs or scenes from the mythology pertaining
to the deity. This hall is usually known as the "Mandapa".
The
"Mandapa" opens to the outer courtyard or "Prakara"
where usually a statue of a mythical animal or Vehicle of the deity is
placed. There may also be a sacred plant the "Tulsi" or one of the
sacred trees usually either a Pepul or a Banyan tree with some small
artifacts or statues of more deities at its base.
The courtyard
also might open into a large water tank or the side of a river or stream or
"Tirthastan". This is where devotees take their ritualistic
cleansing bath before entering the temple on festival or auspicious days.
The
courtyard sometimes also is common to the residence of the head priest and
also other halls where devotees stay commonly known as "Dharmasalas"
and sometimes perform ceremonies like marriages and thread ceremonies.
The
Goan Hindu Temple architecture
The Goan modification lies in the
assimilation of local building traditions into this rigid architectural
style giving it a special local flavor. One of the special features of Goan
temples is the Lamp Tower or "Deepmal" or the "Deepa Stambha"
rising anywhere from two to six storied high. This is said to be a Maratha
influence.
On festival days the "Deepmal" or the "Deepa
Stambha" or the Lamp tower is decorated with hundreds of oil lamps and
the effect is spectacular.
Another distinctive feature of a
traditional Goan temple is the the Dome that covers the main shrine instead
of the traditional Shikara . This is said to have been a muslim or Mughal
architectural influence. See an example below.
Another muslim or
Mughal influence is said to be the "Naubat Khana" or the small
tower over the entrance to the courtyard where the temple drummer sits and
beats the drum to the music of religious hymns especially on auspicious
days.
The curvilinear roofs of the Mandapa is said to be of
Christian / Portuguese architectural influence. See some examples below.
The oldest temple in Goa is said to be the rock cut caves at
Aravalem known as "Pandava Caves" dedicated to Lord Shiva and
dating back to the 1st century AD.
A classical example of the
other oldest pre-Portuguese era temple is the Temple of Shiva at Tambdi
Surla dating back to the Kadamba period circa 13-14th century AD. It is the
only temple of its period in existence because all of the rest were
destroyed by the subsequent Muslim and Portuguese onslaught.
Temples
in Goa under Portuguese rule
Goan temples today are more modern as
compared to most of India's ancient temples, mostly because these are second
homes to most deities that were re-established outside of Portuguese
controlled areas during the early days of Portuguese invasion and the
dreaded Inquisition.
The edict of 1540 gave the Portuguese Viceroy
the authority to destroy all Hindu temples and shrines within the area of
Portuguese control, "not leaving a single one on any of the islands"
He was also ordered to confiscate temple estates for the maintenance of
churches that were ordered to be built on their sites. This was meticulously
carried out by many loyalists including the famous "Temple destroyer"
Diogo Rodriguez, buried at Rachol. In the areas under the Old Conquests, all
traces of any temples have vanished without a trace. They even forbade
Hindus to cross the border to worship at shrines and temples outside of
their areas.
The first temple to be approved for construction by
the Portuguese in their 300+ years of control was the Mahalaxmi temple in
Panaji, approved in 1818 after bitter opposition.
A list of the
more well-known temples is given below. Click on a
name to see more details about the particular temple.
Shri
Bhagavati
