| The temple is
dedicated to Lord Mangueshi, an incarnation
of Shiva. He is a kuldevta of many Hindus in Goa including
the Saraswat Brahmins. He is also referred to as Saib (The
Lord of Goa) by Hindus.
The Mangesh Linga is said to have been consecrated on the
mountain of Mangireesh (Mongir) on the banks of river Bhagirathi
by Lord Brahma , from where the Saraswat Brahmins brought
it to
Trihotrapuri in Bihar. They carried the linga to Gomantaka
and settled at Mathagrama, the presentday Madgaon, establishing
their most sacred and ancient temple of Mangesh on the banks
of the river Gomati or Zuari as it is called today. Lord Mangesh
is worshipped here in the shape of a Shiva linga. According
to the legends Lord Shiva had manifested in to a tiger to
scare Parvati. Paravati who was paranoid at the sight of the
tiger went in search of Lord Shiva. Parvati was supposed to
say "Trahi maam Gireesh" but instead out of nervousness
she said: "Trahimangeesh".
Shri Mangueshi is the Kuldevta (family deity) of many Goud
Saraswat Brahmins, Karhade Brahmins ,and Bhandaris. This temple
actually had its origins in Kushasthali Cortalim, a village
in Saxty (Salcette) which fell to the invading Portuguese
in 1543.In the year 1560, the Portuguese started Christian
conversions in Salsette taluka, the Saraswats of Vatsa Gotra
felt insecure and shifted the Mangesh Linga from the original
site at the Kushasthali or Cortalim on the banks of river
Aghanashini (Zuari) to its present location at Mangeshi in
Priol village of Atrunja Taluka, on May 1, 1560 A.D. (according
to Hindu calendar - 1482 sakha) then ruled by the Hindu kings
of Sonde of Antruz mahal (Ponda), to prevent certain destruction.
After remaining in the house of a temple priest for sometime,
Sri Mangesh deity was finally installed in its present site
at Priol.
The original site was a very simple structure, and the current
structure was only built under Maratha rule, some 150 years
after it had been moved. The Peshwas donated the village of
Mangeshi to the temple in 1739 on the suggestion of their
Sardar, Shri Ramchandra Malhar Sukhtankar, who was a staunt
follower of Shri Mangesh. Ironically, just a few years after
it was built, this area too fell into Portuguese hand in 1764,
but by now, the Portuguese had lost their initial religious
zeal and had become quite tolerant of other religions, and
so, this structure remained untouched.
The 400-year-old Shri Mangesh temple dedicated to Shiva stands
out with its simple and yet
exquisitely elegant structure. The temple is noted for the
pillars which are considered to be the most beautiful among
the temples in Goa. There is a prominent Nandi Bull which
is considered to be the Vahana (Vehicle) of Shiva. A beautiful
seven-storeyed deepstambha (lamp tower), stands at the gates
in the temple complex.
The templ e also has a magnificent water tank, which is believe
to be the oldest part of the temple.
The Sabha Griha is a spacious hall which accommodates over
500. The decor includes the chandeliers of the nineteenth
century. The central part of the Sabha Griha leads to the
Garbha Griha where image of Mangesh resides. The temple has
shrines of Parvati and Ganesha. The other deities in the temple
are Nandikeshvar, Gajana, Bhagavati and the Gramapurusha Deva
Sharma of the Vatsa gotra. Other features to see here are
the ancient stone devatas housed in the subsidiary shrines
to the rear of the main building are Mulakeshwsar, Virabhadra,
Lakshminarayana, Shanta Durga and Kala Bhairav.
|
