Mapusa TEMPLE

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Saptakoteshwar Temple

Saptakoteshwar Temple is located 26km from mapusa, Sri Saptakoteshwara was the patron deity of the Kadambas who had built a beautiful temple dedicated to this deity at the Diwar Island. It was used as a pulley for drawing the well water, the marks still distinct on the rope. The origin of the Saptakoteshwar temple dates back to the 12th century. The presiding deity of the temple is Saptakoteshwar, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

Legend has it that Shiva appeared at this place to grant the wishes of seven holy sages who prayed for seven crore years. The other side of the river bank was annexed by an ally of the Sultan of Bijapur, this chieftain played an important role in the rehabilitation of the linga on the river bank that was visibly hidden amidst a narrow valley.

The frequent raids on Goa in the 14th Century mostly by the Sultans of Delhi and the Bahmanis, was one of the main reasons for the destruction of Hindu temples in Goa. During that period Saptakoteshwar was the patron deity of the kings of Kadamba dynasty. The image of Sri Saptakoteshwara was shifted to Naroa by the devotees then. It was Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who ordered renovation of the temple in 1668.

In 1352, when Bahamani Sultan Hassan Gangu usurped the Kadamba kingdom, his armies vandalized the linga of the Saptakoteshwar temple. The remnants of the temple ruins are still visible in the chapel attached to the cemetery of the church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade or the Our Lady of Compassion Church at Divar. The temple was finally rebuilt at Narve by the orders of great Maratha king Shivaji.

The Shiva temples built at Tambdisurla and Naven-Bicholim are testifying to the rulers' devotional zeal and their care for public zeal. Legend has it that Shiva appeared at this place to grant the wishes of seven holy sages who prayed for seven crore years.