Saptokoteshwar and Destruction of Temples

According to the myth of Saptokoteshwar; the Saptharishis, a group of seven seers in Ancient India, were doing penance in order to receive a glance from/of Lord Mahadev. They meditated on the bank of the Narve river for seven crore years. Due to this devotion, Lord Mahadev appeared before them. In honour of his visit, the Saptharishis performed a puja. In return, Lord Madhev inquired into what the Rishis most desired. One of the rishis asked to stay at the bank of the river forever, thus, Lord Mahadev granted them the temple to Shir Saptakoteshwar.

The creation of the Saptakoteshwar temple started in the Kadamba Dynasty (10th-14th AD). The Kadambas were a royal family ruling the coastal area of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.  This Dynasty was devoted to their guardian deity, Saptakoteshwar, who is even depicted on the coinage of that period. 

They originally built the temple around the 12th century Naroa on the island of Diwadi. Unfortunately, the temple was destroyed in muslim conquests during the 14th century and not much remains from the original temple. However, there are pillar remains from the original temple at the Museum of Goa. Additionally, another part that remained intact was the Linga. The Linga of Saptokeshwar is significant due to it being a Dhara Linga, a Linga made out of five metals: gold, silver, copper, iron and bronze. 

The linga was taken to Bicholem by Narayna Surya Rau Sar Dessai, afterwards, it was transferred to its current location. Originally, a cave was carved to accommodate the Linga, however- due to frequent rains- a roof was constructed as well. Eventually, the style of the roof changed from the Kadamba Shikhara (kadamba style roofing) to a simple dome structure. 

The Portuguese conquest of Goa started from 1510 and included the Portuguese's various attempts to suppress religions & cultures in the area. This included banning sacred rituals, like bathing in the Tirtha of the temple, as it would encourage Hinduism. They also banned various other traditional festivities including the practice of Sigmo, which, according to Portuguese sources, involves disinterment of corpses, which irked the Portuguese colonizers.

In the year 1668 A.D. Chatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the maratha empire helped in the construction of the new Saptakoteshwar temple. The stone written in devanagri script states A contribution of 700 gold “hones” was given. It maintains a similar architectural style to the Vijayanagar style in Goa. 

In conclusion, the Saptokeshwar temple serves as a reminder of our country's rich heritage and constant resilience. Its story reaffirms that faith and cultural identity can survive through several trials and tribulations. Works Cited

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Gazetteer of the Union Territory Goa, Daman and Diu: District Gazetteer, Part I, Goa. Edited by V. T. Gune, Government Central Press, 1979.

Bhomkar, Dipika. “Revisiting the Antiquity of Shri Saptakoteshwar in Goa.” Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology, vol. 8, no. 2, 2020, pp. 680–689.

Pereira, Rui Gomes. Hindu Temples and Deities. Translated by Antonio Victor Couto, edited by A. Gomes Pereira, Printwell Press, 1978.

Shastri, B. S. “Some Aspects of the First Conquest of Goa by the Portuguese.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 39, 1978, pp. 385–392. Indian History Congress, https://www.jstor.org/stable/44139374.

Henn, Alexander. “Shrines of Goa: Iconographic Formation and Popular Appeal.” South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, no. 18, 2018, https://doi.org/10.4000/samaj.4533.

Fleet, J. F. “Some Further Inscriptions Relating to the Kadamba Kings of Goa.” Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 9, no. 27, 1870, pp. 262–313.