Temples allegedly destroyed by Portuguese in Goa

Temples allegedly destroyed by Portuguese in Goa

Subject : History

Section: art and culture

Context: Goa Minister for Archives and Archaeology said that an expert committee formed by the archaeology department has collected information of over 1,000 temples that were allegedly destroyed during the Portuguese rule in Goa.

The Committee has recommended the state government to construct a single memorial for all the temples, stating that it is not “feasible” to reconstruct them all.

• The report of the committee, submitted to the government, revealed that most of the sites where temples were destroyed were in Tiswadi, Bardez and Salcete talukas.
• The panel has recommended that the government construct a memorial temple, since it may not be feasible or practical to reconstruct so many temples.
• Recommendation has been made to reconstruct the Saptakoteshwar temple at Divar island. The shrine was built on the island during the Kadamba dynasty and demolished in the 16th Century by the Portuguese.

Saptakoteshwar Temple:

Saptakoteshwar used to be one of the major deities of the Kadamba dynasty dating back to the 12th century. The temple was built by the King for his wife Kamaldevi. 

History of Saptakoteshwar Temple:

• The original Saptakoteshwar Temple was located in Narve on Divar Island and was built by Kadambas. The Kadamba Kingdom was conquered by the Bahmani Sultan Alauddin Hasan Gangu in 1352, which resulted in the destruction of several temples.
• In 1367, King Harihara conquered Hassan Gangu’s troops and restored the temple to all its former glory.
• However, after 200 years, the temple came under attack once again by the Portuguese conquerors.
• After a war between Shivaji & the Portuguese, the temple was rebuilt in 1688. The stone plaque mentioning this order is installed at the entrance gate.

Religious Significance:

• The name Saptakoteshwar refers to Sapt meaning seven and Koteshwar meaning lord of crores. The most important festival celebrated in the Temple is Gokulashtami, referred to as a day when Lord Shiva incarnated to give boons to the seven sages.
• People also take a dip in the sacred tank named Panchaganga Tirtha with a belief that all their sins and illness will be removed. The name Panchaganga Tirtha signifies the meeting point of five holy rivers.

Legend:

Legend has it that seven holy sages set off to worship Lord Shiva at a place where five holy rivers met the sea. After undergoing penance for seven years, they were blessed with the appearance of Lord Shiva, who agreed to grant all their wishes.

Architectural Features of Saptakoteshwar Temple:

• The Saptakoteshwar Temple is built in the medieval style of architecture.
• There is a small entrance marked with bells, while the main five pillared hall is decorated with arches.
• Intricate designs adorn the ceiling while the Sanctorum wall is composed of plain wood. 
• The temple has a kalash dome mounted on an octagonal drum sloping tiled roofs, and a tall lamp tower or Deepastambha.
• The mandapa of the temple is built in a distinctly European style, which is quite interesting.
• Brahminical laterite and stone caves surround the temple.
• In the area close to the temple, there once existed a Jain Math, whose ruins are visible even today. 

Kadambas of Goa:

• The Kadambas of Goa were a dynasty during the Late Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, who ruled Goa from the 10th to the 14th century CE.
• They took over the territories of the Shilaharas and ruled them at first from Chandor, later making Gopakapattana their capital.
• According to the Talagunda inscription found in Shimoga in Karnataka, the Kadambas have descended from Mayurasharma.
• During the rule of the Kadambas, the name and fame of Goapuri reached its zenith.
• Goa’s religion, culture, trade and arts flourished and the dynasty built many Shiva temples. 
• They married the royalty of Saurashtra and even local chieftains.
• The kings patronized the Vedic religion and performed major fire sacrifices (yagna) and Ashvamedha yagna.
• They popularized Hinduism and patronized Jainism.
• The languages of Kadamba administration were Sanskrit and Kannada. 
• They introduced the Kannada language to Goa, where it exercised a profound influence on the local language.
• The Nagari, Kadamba, Halekannada and Goykanadi scripts were very popular.
• It is known from another inscription that Tribhuvanamalla established a Brahmapuri at Gopaka.
• Brahmapuris were ancient universities run by Brahmins, where Vedas, astrology, philosophy, medicine, and other subjects were taught.
• Kadambas ruled Goa for more than 400 years, until 1345 CE.

Goa Government-owned bus service is named after the Kadambas Dynasty and is known as Kadamba Transport Corporation. The royal lion emblem of the Kadambas is used as a logo on its buses.