The temple was built by Hemadri,
the minister of the Yadava King Ramachandra. The Jain style
construction has led to debates about the origins of the temple, since
the Kadamba Dynasty ruled Goa between the
tenth and fourteenth centuries. The temple is built in the Hemadpanthi style
from basalt, carried across the mountains from the Deccan plateau and carved craftsmen. It is considered to be
the only specimen of Kadamba-Yadava architecture in basalt stone preserved and
available in Goa. The temple survived invasions and the Goa Inquisition due to its remote location in a clearing deep
in the forest at the foot of theWestern Ghats which surround the site.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and
is reminiscent of the temples at Aihole in
neighbouring Karnataka. There is a linga (symbol of Lord
Shiva) mounted on a pedestal inside the inner sanctum, and local legend has it
that a huge king cobra is in permanent residence
in the dimly lit interior.
The temple consists of garbhagriha, antarala and
a pillared Nandi mandapa built
of basalt. The four pillars, embellished with intricate
carvings of elephants and chains support a stone ceiling decorated with finely
carved Ashtoken lotus flowers.[1][2]
The intricate carvings created by skilled craftsmen adorn the interior
and the sides of the building. Bas-relief figures of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and
Lord Brahma, with their respective consorts appear on panels at the sides of the temple.
Unusually, the mandap (pillared hall) is covered with a roof of plain grey
sloping slabs. The temple faces east so that the first rays of the rising sun
shine on the deity. There is a small mandap and the inner sanctum is surmounted
by a three-tired tower whose top is incomplete or has been dismantled sometime
in the distant past.
There is a headless Nandi (bull, Shiva's vehicle) in the centre of the
mandap, surrounded by four matching columns. The symbol of the Kadamba kingdom,
an elephant trampling a horse is carved on the base of one of the columns. The
river Surla flows nearby and is reachable for ritual bathing by a flight of
stone steps.
The festival of Mahashivratri is celebrated with pomp and gaiety at the
temple by local people residing in surrounding villages. The temple is built in
a place which is quite inaccessible and away from the main settlements of the
time. The temple is small compared to the average Goan temple.
Map of Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary
and Mollem National Park, showing Tambdi Surla
The temple is at 15°26′20″N 74°15′8″E near a small village
called Tambdi Surla located
13 kilometres (8.1 mi) east of Bolcornem village, in the north east region
of the Bhagwan Mahaveer
Sanctuary and Mollem National Park.
Mahadev Temple is approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) from the
capital city of Panaji. It is accessible from the north
via minor roads 22 kilometres (14 mi) south from the main town of Valpoi in Sattari Taluka.
The temple is at the foot of the Anmod Ghat, which
connects Goa to the state of Karnataka.
·
Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla, Goa
·
Mahadev
Tambdi Surla
·
View from
Outside
·
The
Lingam
·
Intricate
King Cobra Rock Carvings
·
The
Carved Ceiling
·
Carvings
Inside Mahadev Temple
·
Visitors
Relaxing
·
Rear of
the temple
·
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