Shantadurga Temple, Goa

Introduction

A traditional Hindu temple generally has common characteristics which are at times influenced by region, mode of worship and culture. The main deity is generally placed in a Central shrine or Garbha Griha or sanctum sanctorum. From the main shrine, a Shikhar or tower arises which is traditionally pyramid shaped. Around the entrance to the Garbha Griha, there are usually two or more smaller shrines housing other deities or ‘Parivar Devatas’. The passage around the Garbha Griha is generally kept free for ‘Pradakshina’ or circumambulation around the shrine which are performed an odd number of times by devotees in reverence and devotion. The Garbha Griha is accessed via a large hall or Mandapa with pillars and religious scenes or motifs carved from mythology pertaining to the deity. The Mandapa opens to a ‘Prakara’ or outer courtyard which may have the vehicle of the deity, sacred tree or sacred water tank. This will lead to the ‘Dharmashalas’ or residences of the priests, pilgrims and devotees.

The Temples of Goa

The temples of Goa are known as Devool or Sansthan in Konkani and were the centre of activities for social, economic and cultural gatherings in the days of yore. The original temple architecture comprised of temples which were built out of black stone in the Kadambi and Hemadpanti style. Later on with the ruling of various dynasties, the temples were built in a mixture of Nagari, Maratha, Islamic and Portuguese architecture. In a Goan temple, the dome covering the main shrine instead of the traditional Shikhar and the ‘Naubat Khana’ ( the small tower over the entrance to the courtyard where the temple drummer beats the drum to the chant of religious hymns) are both said to be an influence of Mughal architecture. The curvilinear roofs of the Mandapa and balustrade facades are said to be the influence of Portuguese architecture. The lamp tower or ‘Deep Sthamba’ rising anywhere from two to six storeys high is said to be influenced by Maratha architecture. The patrons of the temple were called Mahajanas who were also responsible for the upkeep of the temples. They are devoted to the Panchyatan mode of worship devised by Adi Shankara which followed the Smartha Sampradaya of Hinduism. The temples are usually in white or light colours and are usually covered with clay tiles with the Kalasha made of gold. It consists of the worship of five deities namely Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya and Ganesh. Depending on the Ishta Devata of the household who is placed at the centre, the other four are placed in a square around it. The temples too follow this tradition with the main deity in the central sanctum and the others installed in smaller shrines. The main entrance (Praveshdwar) of the temple has a water tank or Tali, a Nagar Khana and a Deep Sthamba which are distinctive features of Goan temples. The temples have wooden Chowk pillars with exquisite carvings depicting scenes from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. The main idol is made of black stone or of Shaligrama and the Garbhagriha is usually studded with silver. There are two Murtis or idols in Goan temples, namely the Mula Murti which is of ancient origin and to which Alankar or adornment is done and the Utsav Murti which is displayed in the temple premises. The Utsav Murtis are made of gold, silver or alloys. There is also an alloy Prasad Murti displayed. The roof displays paintings and chandeliers and the entrance of the Chowk have huge bells hung. Other related buildings in Goan temples are Bhojanshala, Agrashala or rest houses for devotees, Yagashala, Vahanshala and other offices.  All Goan temples celebrate the following festivals namely Palakhi Utsav, Navratri, Tarangotsav, Dasarotsav, Samvatsar (Saunsar) Pavdo, Gulalotsav, Shigmo or spring festival.

Ancient Goan temples

There are ancient cave temples in many places of Goa like Khandepar, Paroda Hill, Narve, Netravalli and others which were architecturally simple without any ornamental value and carved out of red laterite. Ancient cultures generally worshipped the five elements of nature and the flora and fauna. Gradually from cave temples, a full fledged temple could be traced to the Bhoj Kings who ruled Goa between the 4^th and 6^th century AD.

Shanta Durga Temple

One of the most famous temples of Goa is the Shantadurga temple which is at the foothills of Kavalem village in Ponda taluka of Goa. This temple is dedicated to Shantadurga, the form of Goddess Durga revered in Goa, the name literally meaning ‘deity of peace’. She is a form of the ancient Mother Goddess known as Santeri who is worshipped in all villages of Goa as an ant hill. There are many Shantadurga temples in Goa at Kavale, Fatorpa, Quepem, Marcela, Veroda, Gothan, Dhargal, Sangolda, Balli, Asnora and Bicholim but the one (out of three) in Ponda is the most renowned one.

Legend behind the temple

Once there was a confrontation between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu at Mount Gomanchala. Shiva was ready to use the Pashupati Astra which would prove detrimental for the entire universe. This distressed all the Gods and Lord Brahma prayed to Goddess Durga (Adishakti) to intervene and stop the war. Goddess Durga then sent Parvati in the form of Shantadurga or Santeri who brought about reconciliation between them by stopping Vishnu with her left hand and Shiva with her right hand thus bringing peace to the world.

In the scriptures

The Skanda Purana has a later inclusion called the Sahyadrikhanda which is said to contain the legend of the origin of the Chitpavan Brahmins of Goa.  It contains the Shantadurga Pradurbhavah which is the second chapter of the Sanskrit Nagavya Mahatmya and which refers to the sage Shantamuni who was a resident of Nagavya (modern Nagoa).The Goddess appeared before Shantamuni and hence may have been referred to as Shantadurga. Verses in the Sahyadrikhanda refer to the Goddess as Shantadevi. According to the story, Lord Shiva was defeated by Parvati in a game of dice and hence he went to Gomanchala near Kushasthali for penance. He then heard the cries of the Saraswat Brahmin Loma Sharma who was caught by a crocodile in the river Aghanashini. Shiva then saved him and he begged Shiva to remain in Kushasthali. Later when Parvati arrived looking out for Shiva, Loma Sharma requested her to remain in the nearby village of Keloshi. Another verse mentions the disappearance of the Goddess into an ant hill.  Hence, the ant hills are worshipped as they symbolically represent the Goddess who is also known as Santeri by the tribes of Konkan. Later on with the passage of time, the Brahmins following Vedic traditions adopted the deities of the tribals and introduced Sanskrit names and forms of worship. Thus, almost all temples of Goa worship Shantadurga either as an idol, ant hill or Kalash. Before the invasions by the Muslims and Portuguese, Shantadurga was worshipped by several names such as Durgavati, Durgadevi, Mahamaya, Navdurga, Katyayani, Aryadevi, Chamundeshwari, Bhagvati-Bhumika, Vijayi, Vaizari and Oizari.

Iconography

Most of the Shantadurga temples in Goa have stone sculptures of the Mahishasuramardhini aspect of Shakti while some of the images are made of stone or metal with four hands holding any of the following, namely sword (khadga), bowl of nectar (panapatra), shield (khetaka), trident (Trishula),  hand drum (damaru), lotus (Padma) and snakes (Nagas). The deity is also portrayed with her hands in AbhayaMudra (symbolising protection) and Varadamudra (the gesture of granting boon). In some temples, an ant hill or Kalasha is worshipped as a symbol of the deity.

Origin

The original temple was constructed in Keloshi in Salsette but was destroyed by the Portuguese in the 15^th century. The idol was then shifted to Kavalem and the current temple was constructed during the reign of Chatrapati Shahu (grandson of Shivaji) by one of his ministers in the 17^th century AD.

The temple complex

The temple is at the foothills of a mountain surrounded by lush vegetation. There is a main temple and three smaller temples of other deities have been built on three sides of the temple. The temple is a fusion of Indo Portuguese architecture with pyramid shaped roofs with a dome. The pillars and roofs are made of Kashmir stone. The main hall or Sabhamandap has Roman arched windows some of which have stained glass panes of yellow, red and blue colours. The colours of the temple in maroon, white and peach imparts to it a beautiful and serene look. The main attraction is the Nayanmanohar Deepasthamba or the majestic lamp tower with the tiny lamps lighting up the atmosphere. The Garbhagriha of the temple contains the beautiful idol of Goddess Shantadurga made from Panchadhatu or five elements with four hands and on either sides of the idol are small six inch idols of Lord Shiva (Shivalinga) and Lord Vishnu. The deity is shown holding two serpents, one in each hand representing Shiva and Vishnu. Initially a small laterite mud shrine was built and the deity was installed there which was later converted into a beautiful temple during the reign of Shahu Maharaj. The vestibule or Antarala has a beautifully carved silver gateway with beautiful grape motifs. The golden Kalash which crowns the Ghumti atop the dome is one of the highest in Goa. Towards the left of the main Mahadwar of the temple lies the temple tank. A small shrine is dedicated at the entrance of the temple below to the person instrumental (Loha Sharma) in building the temple. The Nagarkhana which is generally used for instrumental and music purposes is at the entrance of the temple.

Pujas and festivals

A significant ritual of the temple is the Abhishek or holy pouring of curd, milk and honey on the deity Goddess Shantadurga and the Shivalinga. The Palakhi Utsav in which the Goddess is taken in procession in a golden palanquin is held every Panchami and this annual Jatra of the Goddess is celebrated with great fervour in a grand manner. The list of festivals celebrated in the temple are –

Vaishakh-Akshyatatya Palakhi Utsav

Jyestha -Shri Lakshminarayan Pratishtotsav

Shravan-Nag Panchami

Bhadrapad-Muktabharani Vratotsav, Anant Vratotsav

Ashwin- Navratri, Dasara, Kojagiri Palaki Utsav, Deepavali Utsav Palakhi

Kartik-Tulsi Pooja (vivah), Aavali Bhojan, Navkaron Utsav

Margarishi- Palakhi Utsav, Aavali Bhojan

Magh -Jatroutsav, Khand Rath, Palakhi Utsav, Sarvajanik Maharoudra, Nitya Pooja, Mahashivratri Rathoutsav

Phalgun- Shri Patt Pratishoutsav, Palakhi Utsav, Pournima Shimgo Utsav

How to Reach

By Air

The nearest airport is Dabolim Airport (the Goa international airport) at 11 km and Panaji and Margoa are the closest cities.

By Rail

The Vasco Da Gama railway station is at a distance of 34 km while the Margoa station is at a distance of 20 km from the temple.

By Road

The Panjim Kadamba bus stand is at a distance of 28 km and the temple is closer to the North Goa region.

Accommodation

The temple has an Agrashala or guest house with 98 self contained flats for accommodating devotees. The Devasthan also provides a marriage hall with facilities for providing lunch along with a Puja Vidhi hall and a Santarpan hall used during the Santarpan Utsav and for Puja Prasad. There is also a canteen or Khanaval providing pure veg food.

Conclusion

The temples of Goa are unique from other Indian temples due to their distinct architecture, location and spacious environment. Set amidst the lush emerald hills close to the carpet of verdant paddy fields and coconut trees, pilgrims soak in the peace and serenity bestowed by Goddess Shantadurga. Such temples stand testimony to the faith and devotion of the people and their peace and ambience attracts pilgrims from all over the world.