Mallikarjun Mandir, Goa, IN

Deities: Lord Shiva
Location: Shristhal village, Goa
Built in: 16th century
Built by: Kshatriya Samaj
Significance: Dedicated to Lord Mallikarjun, an incarnation of Lord Shiva
Best time to visit: October & February

The ancient temple of Shri Mallikarjun is located near the small village of Sristhal, in the southernmost taluka of Canacona. Sristhal is about 5 km drive away from the taluka headquarters of Chaudi which is about 75 kms from Panaji.

The temple lies in an enchanting location in a valley, completely surrounded by blue mountains and greenery. The temple itself is at least 200 years old, as per the writing on a plaque near the temple dome. The temple is believed to have been constructed during the Middle of the 16th century by ancestors of the Kshatriya Samaj. It was renovated in the year 1778.

There are some extremely beautiful carved wooden pillars inside the temple building the likes of which are not found in any other temple in Goa. The carving has been done by skilled craftsmen who were brought here from the southern Indian states.

The six pillars in the mandap (hall) have scenes from the Puranas and Mahabharat carved on them. There are beautifully carved profiles of dwarpal (doorkeeper) on either side of the door leading to the inner sanctum.

The temple is dedicated to Shri Mallikarjun Jyotirlinga, who is yet another incarnation of Lord Shiva and he is also known as Adavat Sinhasanadhishwar Mahapati Canacona among the locals.

Legend:
As the legend goes, Vrishabha, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva performed penance here. Shiva and Parvati apeared in the form of Mallikharjuna and Bhramaramba. A massive fort, with six meter high walls encloses the temple. A cluster of minor shrines within the temple compound include the Sahasra Linga, Panchapandava temples and Vatavriksha.

Hiranyakashipu of Kretayuga is believed to have conducted pujas here. It is said that Srirama and Sita visited the shrine and installed Sahasra Lingas (thousand lingas). The place is also associated with Pandavas who installed idols of Shiva. Several devotees have attained salvation by performing pujas here while several saints have sanctified the place by doing penance. The greatness of the place has been described in "Srisaila Kandam" of Skanda Puranam.

Festival:
Annual Jatra, Veeramel festival held during the month of April. The annual festival or Jatra held at the temple is quite unique among the temple festivals of Goa. Early morning on the day of the festival, the idol of the deity is taken out in a procession which travels for almost 2-3 hours to reach the nearby Kindle bag beach. A number of rituals including a special bath for the deity are held at the beach, after which the deity returns to the temple. Hundreds of devotees have a holy bath at the same time on the seashore.

Besides the annual Jatra, the temple is also famous for some unique occasions on which some special rituals are held.

How to reach:
The Mallikarjun Temple is located 5 km from Chaudi, the headquarters of Canacona taluka. You can hire taxis or autos to reach the temple.

Visit www.etirth.com for more information on Temples, Ashrams, Gurus, Festival and Daily Panchangam (Hindu ephemeris).

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