Shri Damodar Temple Zambaulim or Shri Damodara Sansthaan is a

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 ...

on the bank of the Kushawati River near the village of Zambaulim 22 km from the city of

Margao Margao (, ) is the commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It stands on the banks of the river Sal. It is the district headquarters of South Goa, and administrative headquarters of Salcete sub-district. It is Goa's second largest ci ...

on the border of Quepem region ( Quepem taluk) in the south of

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

. The temple houses a celebrated murti, or image, of

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 ...

incarnated as Damodar.

History

The deity was originally based in a temple in Mathagam, now Madgaon or Margao, where the Holy Spirit Church now stands. Due to the temple destruction campaign started by the Portuguese rulers in Sasashti Taluka in the year 1567, the Mahajans from Madgaon shifted the local deities ( Ramnath, Damodar, Laxmi-Narayan, Chamundeshwari, Mahakali, Mahesh, etc.) to Zambaulim. The Desais of Rivona helped the Mahajans and gave them land for the construction of temples as well as Vatan which is being paid even today. At the time of the Portuguese conquest

was in a flourishing condition and contained many well constructed buildings, the most remarkable of which was Damodar temple. It is described by an old Portuguese chronicler as being so large and strongly built that the Muhammadans, when they invaded

Salcete Salcete or Salcette (Konkani: ''Saxtti''/''Xaxtti'') is a subdivision of the district of South Goa, in the state of Goa, situated by the west coast of India. The Sal River and its backwaters dominate the landscape of Salcete. Historically, ...

, occupied it as a good military post. According to a tradition, this temple was consecrated to the memory of a native of

, by name Makaji Damodar, who having met a tragic death on the spot with his newly married spouse received the honours of a god. There were besides nine other temples in the same village, all of which were destroyed by Diogo Rodrigues, captain of Rachol, who was rewarded with the revenues of the lands belonging to them. Christianity was introduced into

by the Jesuit Fathers about the year 1560; and in 1565 a church of Holy Ghost was erected there, on the ruins of the temple, at the desire of the first Archbishop, Dom

Gaspar Jorge de Leão Pereira Gaspar Jorge de Leão Pereira, or simply Gaspar de Leão Pereira or Gaspar de Leão (Lagos – Goa, 15 August 1576) was the first Archbishop of Goa. After the diocese of Goa was elevated to an archdiocese, he was appointed Archbishop of Goa, P ...

, the idol of Damodar being removed to Zambaulim.

Description

Besides the murti of Damodar, revered by Hindus, Chamundeshwari (the fierce form of Shakti, a tutelary deity),

Mahakali Mahakali () is the Hindu goddess of time and death in the goddess-centric tradition of Shaktism. She is also known as the supreme being in various tantras and Puranas. Similar to Kali, Mahakali is a fierce goddess associated with universal po ...

(the Hindu goddess of time and death, considered to be the consort of

the god of consciousness, and as the basis of reality and existence) and Mahesha (another incarnation of Shiva) are also honoured at this place. The Damodar temple belongs to the GSB community ( Gowda Saraswath Brahmins). Accommodation facilities are available in the temple complex for the community members.

Observances

The main festival celebrated in Damodar Temple is

Shigmo Shimgo, or Shishirotsava is a spring festival celebrated in the Indian state of Goa, where it is one of the major festivals of the Hindu community. It is also celebrated by Konkani diaspora and Indian festival of Holi is part of it. Etymology ...

, the Goan Hindu spring festival of colours, which lasts for one week only. During the festival the Panair takes place and the folkloric show within which all participants exchange s (powders of different colours) with each other and organise various feasts and tablefuls. The temple also celebrates

Kartik Poornima Kartika Purnima (), also known as Kartika Pournami, is a Hinduism, Hindu, Sikhism, Sikh, and Jain cultural festival that is celebrated on ''purnima'' (full moon day), the 15th day of the lunar month Kārtika (month), Kartika. It falls on No ...

Ashwin Ashvin or Ashwin or Ashwan (; ; Malay/ Indonesian: ''Aswin''; Thai: ''Asawin''), also known as Aswayuja, is the seventh month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, the solar Tamil calendar, where it is known as Aippasi, and the solar Indian nation ...

Poornima, and

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 - ...

Gallery

File:Shri Damodar Temple entrence 2 Zambaulim.jpg, Entrance of the temple premises File:Shri Damodar temple entrance Zambaulim.jpg, Front side view of the temple entrance File:Shri Damodar Temple Zambaulim, Goa.jpg, Side view of temple File:Interior of Shri Damodar Temple Zambaulim, Goa.jpg, Interior of the temple File:Lord Damodar goa.jpg, Lord Damodar

Notes and references

{{Hindu temples in Goa Hindu temples in South Goa district Shiva temples in Goa