Naguesh Mandir, Goa, IN

Deities: Lord Shiva
Location: Bandode, Goa, INDIA
Best time to visit: October to February
STD Code: 0832

One of the ancient Hindu temples in Goa, the Naguesh temple is dedicated to Lord Naguesh, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Courtesy a stone plaque found near the temple, the origins of Sri Naguesh temple can be traced back to 1413, when the region was under the rule of Veer Pratap Devraya of the powerful Vijayanagar Empire. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, is situated in the village of Bandode, about 4 kms to the east of Ponda, Goa.

Unlike most of the Hindu temples in Goa, the Naguesh Temple was spared the threat of persecution by the Portuguese and the temple has been in existence in its original location for centuries. The present structure of temple is the culmination of an extensive renovation process undertaken in 1880.

The temple Sabhamandap has a gallery on both sides that contains intricate wood carvings depicting the events of Ramayana on one side and wooden images of Astadikpal and Gandharva on the other. . In the inner shrine is a “Lingam” a symbol of Lord Siva. In front of the shrine is an image of Nandi bull, in black stone. There are stone idols of Shiv-Paravati and Ganesh inside the temple which actually date back to the seventh and eighth century which has led to the conjecture of the temple being in existence since that time. Worth noting at the temple, are the colorful images of gods and goddesses around the base of the deepstambha (lamp tower). The temple also has a centuries old water tank. Shri Naguesh Temple is a “Swayambhu” shrine of Lord Shankar known for its miraculous myths.

The history is not available at present, except a reference in the folk songs. As the legend goes a cow-boy noticed that a cow from his herd used to visit the place regularly and showered milk. This led to the discovery of Shivlinga.

The temple has a magnificent ancient tali (water reservoir) surrounded by palms. The reservoir is built in such a way that standing at a certain location around the tali; a person can view the reflection of the idol of Lord Naguesh and the lighted lamps in the inner sanctum.

Festival:
The most important festival that is commemorated here during the month of November is the Anguish Satrap. The Mahajans of the temple are of Kaushiks, Vatsa and Bharadwaja Gotras.

Other Pilgrimage in Goa:
Shri Damodar Temple
Shri Datta Mandir
Shri Devkikrishna-Ravalnath
Shri Kalikadevi Temple
Shri Mahalaxmi Temple
Shri Mallikarjun Temple
Shri Navdurga Temple
Shri Ramnath Temple
Shri Saptakoteshwar Temple
Shri Vitthal Mandir.

How to reach:
by Air: The Dabolim airport is the nearest airport to Ponda.
by Rail: The Margao (17 km) railway station is the nearest railhead to Ponda.
by Road: Ponda is connected to state capital Panaji (28 km) by the National Highway 4A. The NH 4A also connects Ponda to the neighboring state of Karnataka.

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

If you love to read visit www.kathavarta.org for Religious stories.

Last but not least, if you want to visit above Holy Pilgrimage, please contact and visit our associate partner www.YatraKhoj.com and e-mail at yatrakhoj@yahoo.com.