The family deity of many Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, Mangesh (Shiva) was moved in the 1560s from Kushasthali (Cortalim) in Portuguese-ruled Salcete to Mangeshi in Ponda, beyond Portuguese control, when temples were being destroyed. The present temple, with its seven-storey lamp tower, dates from the 18th century.
HistoryDocumented history
Goa's 'New Conquests' (Ponda and beyond, added to Portuguese territory only in the 18th century) became a refuge for many deities fleeing the 'Old Conquests'. Mangueshi's temple mixes Hindu forms with Goan touches such as tiled roofs, chandeliers and a domed tower.
Sthala PuranaTradition
Shiva, after losing everything at dice to Parvati, came to Goa and hid. Parvati searched for him; he took the form of a tiger to frighten her, and she cried 'Mam Gireesh' ('Protect me, lord of the mountains'). Shiva returned to his own form, and the name became Manguirish.
Aitihyas and storiesTradition and folklore
The Mangeshkar family of musicians, including Lata Mangeshkar, took their name from this village, their ancestral home.
PhilosophyInterpretation
A god carried to safety by his people shows that the sacred lives in a community, not only in a building.
Meaning todayInterpretation
Mangueshi records a chapter of colonial religious persecution that is little known outside Goa, and shows the resilience of Goan Hindu culture.
Timeline
- 1560sdestroyeddocumentedPortuguese colonial authoritiesTemples in Salcete were demolished during the Christianisation campaigns; the original shrine at Kushasthali was lost.
- c. 1560relocateddocumentedThe linga was carried across the Zuari to Priol, then under the Sonda / Adil Shahi rulers.
- 18th c.constructedprobablePatronage linked to the MarathasPresent temple built; the Peshwa's grant of Priol village is recorded in 1739.
Videos
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Sources
- Wikipedia: Shri Mangueshi Templetertiary
This entry is a draft. Traditional stories are presented as tradition, not as historical fact.