Goacarnival.com tells about the Goa Temples,Temples in Goa,Temples of Goa,Goa India Temples,Goa Temples Tours,India Goa Temples,India Goa Temples,Temple Visit in Goa,carnival of Goa, about the history of temples in Goa, about how the Goan temples came into existence, about how the goan temples survived the Portuguese rule
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GOA TEMPLES
Temples in Goa have been through a rough phase. After the Portuguese conquered Goa, many Goan temples were destroyed and in their place unique forms of Portuguese architecture were erected. However, the Saraswat Hindu Temples in Goa managed to survive the Portugal regime. Uprooted from place to place, the presiding deities of these temples in India's Goa were preserved and worshipped, at times, even in the houses of the pujaris, till they were ultimately ensconced in their present day abodes.ABOUT GOA SARSWAT TEMPLES
Some old temples of Goa which are noted for their natural beauty and simple architecture have certain basic features, as in the days of yore, of being surrounded by betel nut trees, coconut groves and lakes of pure water. When you enter any of these temples of Goa you are welcomed by the sentinels-the great pillars of light.
Among the oldest Saraswat Temples in Goa are the Mangeshi temple of Priol, the Shanta Durga Temple at Kavele, the Ganapati temple at Khandole, the Maha Laxmi temple at Bandewade and the Sri Nagesh Maharudra Temple at Bandora. Of these, unlike all other ancient deities of Goa, the Sri Nagesh Maharudra did not move from Bandora (Bandiwade) even during the period of the Portuguese acquisition.
Atrunja Taluka in Goa is now called 'Ponda'. It is a land of valleys and mountains. An ideal abode for the Gods amidst coconut and arecanut groves, Phonda is full of Hindu temples, the Sri Ganapati temple at Khandole village being one of the most prominent and oldest of them here.
A peculiar feature of the Saraswat temples of Goa is the priority given there to the local Christian devotees who are said to flock to these temples. Irrespective of having embraced Christianity, many of the present day Christians still hold on to their pre-conversion surnames and still sponsor and support the deities of their Hindu brethren. It is a measure of how deep their roots run, despite all the Portuguese influence that had been thrust upon them.
