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This is one of the most prominent Hindu temples in Goa and is dedicated to Lord Mangueshi, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The deity is originally from Cortalim and was moved to Priol to avoid – like so many others - the destruction by Portuguese forces in the early days of its rule in the 16th century.
After many renovations its style today is uniquely Goan. The oldest part of the temple complex is the water tank ("Tirthastan") at the front of the courtyard, where devotees perform ritualistic cleansing baths before entering the temple on festival days.
We inquired about the many yellow concrete buildings around the temple & were told that these are 12 "Agrashalas" or residences, which are used for pilgrims at the temple.
TIP: You may find that some of the priest's aids approach you & start giving you a tour with a lot of information about the different buildings, statues & rituals. Just keep in mind that when he's finished he will expect to be paid! I didn't mind as he was very nice & he spoke fluent English, so I gave him a generous 500 Rupees.
Depending on whether you accept one of these "free-lance tour guides" or not, around 30 min is enough time to have a look around the grounds & inside the temples.
NOTE: Photography is NOT allowed inside the temples. Please show respect and only photograph the outside of the temples.
One of the special features of Goan temples - giving it a special local flavour - is the Lamp Tower or "Deepmal" or "Deepa Stambha" rising anywhere from 2-6 storeys high. On festival days the Lamp tower is decorated with hundreds of oil lamps & results in a spectacular effect of beauty & mesmerizing tranquillity.
NOTE: Outside the temple local women sell orange flower necklaces, which you later place in the temple as an offering. If you like, take a few (make sure not to get ripped-off though) but I wouldn’t advise putting them around your neck... ours had plenty of little bugs in them ;-) Leave a Comment Directions: This temple is situated at Priol. Ponda Taluka, 23-km From Panaji.
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This temple was my favourite: small, intimate, quiet and surrounded by beautiful lush forest. The Saptakoteshwar temple at Narve is considered to be one of the 6 great sites of temples dedicated to the "God of seven worlds": Lord Saptakoteshwara, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
The deity originally was based in a temple on Divar Island off Old Goa, and after Goa fell to the Muslims it was buried but later rediscovered and a temple constructed for it on Divar Island. It was moved to its present site after the temple on Divar island was destroyed by the Portuguese. Shivaji (a Maratha king) ordered its renovation at its present site in 1688 whilst trying to oust the Portuguese.
Around 30 minutes is enough time to have a look around the grounds & inside the temple buildings.
TIP: At the entrance local women sell orange flower necklaces, which you later place in the temple as an offering. If you like, take a few (make sure not to get ripped-off though) but if you're squeamish I wouldn’t advise putting them around your neck… ours had plenty of little bugs in them... :-)
NOTE: Photography is NOT allowed inside the temples. Please show respect and only photograph the outside of the temples.
There are quite a few temples in Goa that attract numerous devotees & visitors every year. Their simple architecture and natural beauty have an attractive effect.
It is noteworthy that when the Portuguese came into power they had tried to destroy these temples. The Saraswat Hindu Temples in Goa are the few that had survived the attack.
One of the special features of Goan temples - giving it a special local flavour - is the Lamp Tower or "Deepmal" or "Deepa Stambha" rising anywhere from 2-6 storeys high. On festival days the Lamp tower is decorated with hundreds of oil lamps & results in a spectacular effect of beauty & mesmerizing tranquillity. Leave a Comment Directions: Situated at Narve, a small village located in the north, about 35 kms from Panaji near Bicholim.
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This world heritage monument was built in 1695. It contains the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier; a pupil of the soldier-turned-saint, Ignatius Loyola (the founder of the Order of Jesuits), who died while on a sea voyage to China on December 2nd 1552. The church is located in Old Goa, about 10km from the city of Panjim.
The main altar in the church of Bom Jesus is known for its artistic woodwork in Boroque style. The church itself is a fine example of Jesuit architecture.
Even though we toured the basilica during daylight hours, it was still quite dark inside, which can make it difficult to take pictures (this probably has a welcome effect on the cash flow at the gift shop, where you can purchase books, small statues, religious items and of course: postcards of the interior of the church). However, I wasn't too bothered by this obvious "tourist-trap" and happily purchased some postcards which were cheap (between 2 - 5 Rupees).
This church is one of the richest in Goa, with marble flooring, precious stones & grand golden framed paintings. Apart from the elaborate gilded altars, the interior of the church is otherwise quite simple & basic.
Even if you're not interested in historic sight-seeing, I do recommend dragging yourself away from the beaches for a day & taking a tour around Old Goa.
We found a super taxi driver who showed us 4 different Hindu temples, 1 Buddhist temple and both the famous churches all in 1 day! Leave a Comment Address: Old Goa, 10 kilometres east of PanajiDirections: Opposite the "Se Cathedral" church
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 Our Lady of Hope side
altar, Se Cathedral, Goa by JessH,
4 more photos
We were told that this is one of the most ancient & celebrated religious buildings of Goa.
Construction on the church began in 1562 and was completed in 1619. This 16th century monument to the Roman Catholic rule is the largest church in India & reportedly even all of Asia. The Cathedral is named after St. Catherine of Alexandria. On her "feast day" in 1510 Alfonso Albuquerque defeated the Muslim army & took possession of the city of Goa. Hence it is also known as St. Catherine's Cathedral. The main altar is very impressive & beautifull... it's huge!
There are quite 8 chapels alongside the aisles with many (15?) beautifully different altars. A detailed screen holds "The Miraculous Cross", which stood in a Goan village until a vision of Christ appeared on it. Said to heal the sick it is now kept in a box; a small opening on the side allows devotees to touch it. Near the altar of St. Joseph is a slab covering the bones of Dom Gaspar de Leao Pereira, First Archbishop of Goa.
The building is Portuguese-Gothic in style with a Tuscan exterior & Corinthian interior. The church is 250 feet long & 181 feet wide. Underground dungeons near the Cathedral at the Palace of the Inquisition were in use until 1774. The Palace and its dungeons today are in ruins. There is also a small museum/art gallery within the church with old paintings (small entrance fee). Leave a Comment Address: Old Goa, 10 kilometres east of PanajiDirections: Opposite the Bom Jesus Basilica in old Goa.
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 by BluBluBluLeave a Comment
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This beautiful Gothic & modern place of worship is located at Saligao. The foundation stone was laid on in 1867 the upon completion the chapel was raised in 1873.
The shrine of the Nossa Senhora Mai de deus ("the miraculous statue of Mae de Deus = Mother of God") was brought over from the ruins of the convent of Mae de Deus at Daugim, Old Goa.
When we stopped at the church after a busy day of sight-seeing we were lucky enough to catch the end of a wedding ceremony taking place. (click on photo)
You don't need more that 15-20 min to have a look in and around the church and to take-in the tranquil & lush surroundings amidst trees & nature.
It's a nice place to finish a day of sight-seeing, sit in the grass and just breeeaaath... :-) Leave a Comment Directions: Saligao, 13kms from Panaji, on the way towards Mapusa (most taxi drivers know)
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In Old Goa there are tons of Churches....
Se Cathedral is the largest and was built in 1652. Its gothic...and huge!
Church of St Francis Assisi has great gilded woodwork and is built on the site of Goa's first chuch.
The Basilica of Bom Jesus is famous for containing the tomb od St Francis Xavier.
Theres tons of other churches but that was as much as I could stomach! Leave a Comment Directions: All are in Old Goa.
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A little inland from Panjim, the present-day capital of Goa, is the complex of historic buildings known as Old Goa. This is a UNESCO world heritage site, famous for its opulent buildings and churches, regarded as some of the best examples of Portuguese colonial architecture in India. We took a taxi from Baga in order to explore.
The main building we went to was the Basilica of Bom Jesus, the most revered of all the old churches here. It contains the relics of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Goa, and is a focus for Christian pilgrims from all over India and beyond. It was built between 1594 and 1605. It is fairly simply in style but impressively large. The focus of attention is of course the tomb of St. Francis Xavier, and on top of it the silver casket which contains his relics. This dates from the mid 17th century and is ornately carved. Some panels though have been removed to allow pilgrims (and tourists) to view the relics inside. My photo (no 2) is very dark but may give you an idea of how it looks.
When we were in the Basilica some workmen were carrying out repairs to the side walls so there was some scaffolding on place, but this didn’t mar our appreciation of the structure. On the contrary; we enjoyed watching them at work and admiring their craftsmanship.
Opposite the Basilica, on the other side of the main road, is the Cathedral, an impressive colonial style building whose pale walls seemed to gleam in the hot sun. This is the largest church in Goa, India and reportedly all of Asia. It took about 90 years to build, being completed in 1652, and is the third cathedral on this site. Prior to that, it is thought that a Hindu temple or perhaps a mosque occupied this spot.
Apart from the churches little remains of Old Goa, which lost its position as capital of the state in 1843. Since then many of the buildings have sadly been allowed to fall into disrepair, but the grandeur and sheer number of the churches gives the visitor at least a sense of how important a city this once was. Directions: Any taxi driver will bring you here and if asked will be happy (for a fee) to wait until you are ready to return to your resort. Negotiate the cost before setting out, of course.
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 by grets
Impossible to get to without your own transport, but wonderfully isolated and desreted. There were two worshippers there whe we visited and no tourists in sight (apart from us). We visited on the way to Bondla. Leave a Comment Address: Tambdisurla
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 Ganesha by Janni67
Ganesha is an extremely popular god in India. He is the Lord and a destroyer of obstacles. People mostly worship him asking for siddhi, success in undertakings, and buddhi, intelligence. He is worshipped before any venture is started. He is also the god of education, knowledge and wisdom, literature, and the fine arts.
There are different stories on how Ganesha got his name and became a god. Perhaps the most popular story regarding Ganesha's origin is the one derived from the Shiva Purana. And here it comes:
Mother Parvati once wanted to take a bath and created a boy from the dirt of her own body, asking him to stand as a guard outside while she bathed. In the meantime Lord Shiva returned home to find a stranger at his door, preventing him from entering. In anger, Shiva cut off the boy's head, upon which Parvati was stricken with great grief. In order to console her, Shiva sent out his troops to fetch the head of anyone found sleeping with his head pointing to the north. They found an elephant sleeping and brought back its head (!) Shiva then attached the elephantine head to the body of the boy and revived him. He named the boy Ganapati or commander of His troops, and granted him a boon that anyone would have to worship him (Ganesha) before beginning any undertaking. Leave a Comment
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