Mahadeva Temple, Tambdi Surla is a 13th-century

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

in the Kadamba style dedicated to Lord

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

, one of the main deities in Hinduism, and is an active place of

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

worship. It is an ASI protected Monument of National Importance in Goa. The temple is dedicated to Lord

and is reminiscent of the temples at

Aihole Aihole (ಐಹೊಳೆ), also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in Karnataka, India that dates from the sixth century through the twelfth century C ...

in neighbouring Karnataka.

History

The temple was built in the Kadamba style from

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

, carried across the mountains from the

Deccan plateau The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura Range, Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound ...

and carved by craftsmen. It is considered to be the only specimen of Kadamba architecture in basalt stone preserved and available in Goa. The temple survived the Islamic invasions and the

Goa Inquisition The Goa Inquisition (, ) was an extension of the Portuguese Inquisition in Portuguese India. Its objective was to enforce Catholic orthodoxy and allegiance to the Apostolic See of the Pontifex. The inquisition primarily focused on the New Chr ...

, due to its remote location in a clearing deep in the forest at the foot of the Western Ghats which surround the site. Tambdi Surla Mahadev temple

Religious significance and decoration

The temple is dedicated to Lord

and is reminiscent of the temples at

in neighbouring Karnataka. There is a

linga A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...

(symbol of Lord Shiva) mounted on a pedestal inside the inner sanctum, and local legend has it that a huge

king cobra The king cobra (''Ophiophagus hannah'') is a species complex of snakes Endemism, endemic to Asia. With an average of and a record length of , it is the world's longest venomous snake and among the heaviest. Under the genus ''Ophiophagus'', i ...

is in permanent residence in the dimly lit interior. The temple consists of

garbhagriha A ''garbhagriha'' () is the innermost sanctuary of Hindu and Jain temples, often referred to as the "holy of holies" or " sanctum sanctorum". The term ''garbhagriha'' (literally, "womb chamber") comes from the Sanskrit words ''garbha'' for ...

antarala ''Antarala'' (Sanskrit: अन्तराल; ) is a small antechamber or foyer between the ''garbhagriha A ''garbhagriha'' () is the innermost sanctuary of Hindu and Jain temples, often referred to as the "holy of holies" or " sanctum ...

and a pillared

Nandi Nandi may refer to: People * Nandy (surname), Indian surname * Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe * Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi * Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afr ...

mandapa A ''mandapa'' or ''mantapa'' () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture and Jain temple architecture. ''Mandapas'' are described as "open" or "closed" dependin ...

built of

. The four pillars, embellished with intricate carvings of elephants and chains support a stone ceiling decorated with finely carved Ashtoken lotus flowers.Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla
The intricate carvings created by skilled craftsmen adorn the interior and the sides of the building. Bas-relief figures of Lord Shiva, Lord

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

and Lord

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

, with their respective

consorts __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–early ...

appear on panels at the sides of the temple. Unusually, the mandap (pillared hall) is covered with a roof of plain grey sloping slabs. The temple faces east so that the first rays of the rising sun shine on the deity. There is a small mandap and the inner sanctum is surmounted by a three-tired tower whose top is incomplete or has been dismantled sometime in the distant past. There is a headless

(bull, Shiva's vehicle) in the centre of the mandap, surrounded by four matching columns. The symbol of the Kadamba kingdom, an elephant trampling a horse is carved on the base of one of the columns. The river Ragado, (via village Keri, Sattari) flows nearby and is reachable for ritual bathing by a flight of stone steps. The festival of

Mahashivratri Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - ...

is celebrated with pomp and gaiety at the temple by local people residing in surrounding villages. The temple is built in a place which is quite inaccessible and away from the main settlements of the time. The temple is small compared to the average Goan temple.

Location

The temple is at near a small village called Tambdi Surla located east of Bolcornem village, in the north east region of the

Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park is a protected area located in the Western Ghats of West India, in Dharbandora taluk, Goa State, along the eastern border with Karnataka. The area is situated near the town of Molem, east ...

. Nearby village is

Molem Mollem (pronounced mole; the alphabet m is silent) is a small village in Goa, South India on National Highway 4 near the border with Karnataka in the foothills of the Sahyadri Mountain range at the beginning of Anmod Ghat. It comes under the ...

. Mahadev Temple is approximately from the capital city of

Panaji Panaji (; , , )also known as Panjim, is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district. Previously, it was the territorial capital of the former Portuguese India. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi river est ...

. It is accessible from the north via minor roads south from the main town of

Valpoi Valpoi or Valpoy (''Vallpoi'', pronounced ) is a city and a municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It is the headquarters of the Sattari Taluk. The Western Ghats are to the east of the town. Demographics Indi ...

Sattari Sattari (Konkani: ''Sot'tori''; IPA: ) is a ''taluka'' of North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. There are 77 villages and 2 towns in Sattari Taluka. The headquarters of Sattari taluka is Valpoi municipal council. It lies in the north ...

Taluka. The temple is at the foot of the

Anmod Anmod is a village in Karnataka state of India at the Goa-Karnataka border. Anmod village lies on Belgaum- Goa road route. The Goa state can be reached by descending Anmod Ghat from Karnataka. The NH 748 or 4B highway from Goa up to Goa Karn ...

Ghat, which connects Goa to the state of

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

Gallery

File:Mahadev Temple in Tambdi Surla .jpg, View from Outside File:The Lingam.jpg, The Lingam File:Celings inside a Tambdi Surla temple.jpg, HDR image of carvings on the ceiling of Mahadev Temple. File:Intricate King Cobra Rock Carvings .jpg, Intricate King Cobra Rock Carvings File:Carvings Inside Mahadev Temple .jpg, Carvings Inside Mahadev Temple File:Visitors Enjoying The View at Mahadev Temple.jpg, Visitors Relaxing File:Mollem National Park, Tambdi Surla Temple.jpg, Rear of the temple File:Mukhamantapa.jpg, Carved stone pillars forming Mukhamantapa Bharabhumi Temple, Tambdi Surla, Goa" widths="800px" heights="320px" perrow="1"> File:Bharabhumi Tambdi Surla.jpg, Bharabhumi Temple, Tambdi Surla, Goa

References

{{Hindu temples in Goa Shiva temples in Goa 13th-century Hindu temples Hindu temples in South Goa district