Shri Shantadurga Saunsthan is a private temple complex belonging to the Goud Saraswat Brahman Samaj located from

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 estuar ...

at the foothill of Kavalem village in Ponda Taluka,

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 located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to th ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. Shrimad Swamiji of Shri

Kavale Math Shri Gaudapadacharya Math ( sa, श्री संस्थान गौडपदाचार्य मठ, '), also known as (), located in Kavale, Ponda, Goa, is the oldest matha of the Smarthan Saraswat Brahman Samaj. It was founded b ...

is spiritual head Of Shree Shantadurga Saunsthan, Kavale (Shrimat Shivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya of Shri

is spiritual chief Of Shree Shantadurga Saunsthan). Shree Shantadurga is the Kuldevi (family deity) of many Goud Saraswat Brahman. On 4 December 2016, (Margashirsh Shuddh Panchmi). Shree Shantadurga Devasthan, Kavale has completed its 450th year of existence.

Deity

The temple is dedicated to Shantadurga, the goddess who mediates between

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

and

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...

. The deity is also called 'Santeri' colloquially. Purana talks of a battle between Shiva and Vishnu The battle was so fierce that the God

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

prayed to Goddess Adishakti

Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi ...

to intervene, which she did in the form of Shantadurga. Shantadurga placed Vishnu on her right hand and Shiva on her left hand and settled the fight. Shantadurga is holding two serpents, one in each hand, representing Vishnu and Shiva. Shrimat Shivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya of Shri

is spiritual head of Shree Shantadurga Saunsthan, Kavale.

Temple

The original temple at

Quelossim Quelossim is a village in Mormugao taluka, South Goa, India. This village was known as ''Kardalipura'' in ancient times and had a beautiful temple dedicated to the Mother-Goddess Shri Shantadurga and Shri Kavale Math which was shifted to Kaval ...

(Keloshi) in Salcete was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1566. The goddess was shifted to Kavalem and worship was continued there. The site on which the original Temple of Shantadurga stood at Quelossim (Keloshi) is known as "Deoolbhata" and it is in the possession of the Shree Shantadurga Saunsthan Committee, Kavale. The current temple was constructed during the reign of

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...

Chattrapati Shahu Chhatrapati Shahu Bhosale I (Pronunciation: �aːɦuː CE) was the fifth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire founded by his grandfather, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Born into the Bhonsle family, he was the son of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maha ...

Maharaj of Satara during the period from 1713 AD to 1738 AD. Naroram Mantri(Rege) originally from Kochara village in the Vengurla Taluka,(Konkan) was a ''Mantri'' (Minister) in Chattrapati Shahu Maharaj(Grandson of Chh.Shivaji Maharaj & Son of Dharmaveer Chh.Sambhaji Maharaj)Ashtapradhan Mandal at Satara Due to his efforts, the village of Kavalem was bequeathed to the Temple by Shrimant

Baji Rao I Baji Rao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740), born as Visaji, also known as Bajirao Ballal (Pronunciation: ad͡ʒiɾaːʋ bəlːaːɭ, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul ...

Peshwa in 1738. The Temple reconstruction started around 1730s. The temple complex is on the slope of the foothills of a mountain chain, surrounded by lush vegetation. There is a main temple and three smaller temples of other deities which have been built on three sides of the temple. The temple consists of a collection of pyramidal roofs with a dome. The pillars and floors are made of Kashmir stone. The temple has a huge

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful e ...

, a Deep Jyoti Stambh and ''agrashalas'' (guest houses). Many renovations have been completed over the years to the main temple and the temples of the other deities as well as to the ''agrashala''. The temple has recently banned entry of foreigners, into the temple citing objectionable dressing and conduct as the reason.

Architectural Styles

This Temple is built in Saraswat Architectural style. Its pyramidical shape 'shikaras' rising on the roofs of the facade (entrance hall) and the 'Sabhamandap' (the main hall), its roman-arched windows, some of which have the stained-glass window panes of deep red, yellow, blue, green colours, its chandeliers, its gate posts, balustraded flat dome, the maroon-peach-white colour paint of the temple gives the temple a serene beautiful look. The highlight of the temple is its golden palanquin (palkhi) in which the deity is carried on festive occasions (only 5 Mahapanchmi).

Gallery

Image:Entrance to ShantaDurga Temple.jpg, Entrance to the Shri ShantaDurga Saunsthan. Image:Shantadurga goa.jpg, The Deepa Stambha of the temple File:Shanta Durga Temple Complex Lake.jpg, Shanta Durga Temple Complex Lake Image:Shantadurga temple.jpg, Shanta Durga Temple Image:Shanta Durga Temple - Majestic Deepa Stambha (Lamp Tower).jpg, Shanta Durga Temple - Majestic Deepa Stambha (Lamp Tower) File:Inside the Shantadurga Temple, Ponda, Goa.jpg, An Elaborate Rangoli inside the Temple during Shatakalash puja. File:Shri Shantadurga Temple.jpg, Shri Shantadurga Temple from front File:Deepasthamba at the Shantadurga Temple in Kavale, Ponda, Goa.jpg, Deepastambha at Shri Shantadurga Temple

Notes

External links