Mallikarjuna Temple, Canacona, Goa
Mallikarjuna Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord
Shiva, located in the Sristhal Village in Canacona
Taluk in the South Goa district of Goa, India. The shrine is known to be one of the oldest in Goa and is
situated amidst beautiful natural surroundings in a valley completely
surrounded by mountains. The temple is also known as Adavat
Sinhasanadhishwar Mahapati Canacona among the locals.
Legends
Mallikarjun:
As per legend, a demon named Malla was fighting with one
of the Pandava brothers, Arjuna. Lord Shiva assumed the form of a hunter and
killed Malla to save Arjuna. Hence he came to be called as Mallikarjun.
Lord
Shiva united with his consort Parvati here:
As per legend, the temple was the place where Lord Shiva
united with his consort Parvati after a long period of separation.
Swayambhu Lingam:
The
Linga is believed to be Swayambhu lingam, unearthed
by a member of the Kunbi community
while clearing the forest and it is a phallic shaped uncut stone covered with a
metallic mask.
History
The temple is believed to be constructed during the
middle of the 16th century, as per the writing on a plaque near the
temple dome, by ancestors of the Kshatriya Samaj, descended from the
royal Surve family
from Prachitgad near Shringarpur of Ratnagiri district
of Maharashtra. It was refurbished in the year 1778. There
are about 14 Mallikarjuna shrines spread over Goa. Two ancient shrines of
Mallikarjun existed in Bardez at Assgao and Pomburpa were
demolished by the Portuguese as per available records.
The Temple
The Temple is considered as one of the oldest Temples in
Goa. The six pillars in the mandapa (hall) have scenes from the Puranas and
Mahabharat carved on them. One of the wooden pillars in the mandapa is used as
the oracle pillar
in the temple. There are beautifully carved profiles of Dvarapalas (doorkeeper)
on either side of the door leading to the inner sanctum. Presiding Deity is
called as Mallikarjuna / Adavat Sinhasa Nadhishwar Mahapati. He is housed in
the sanctum in the form of Lingam. The Linga is believed to be Swayambhu lingam.
It is a phallic shaped uncut stone covered with a
metallic mask. His consort is referred to as Devati. There
are about 14 Mallikarjuna shrines spread over Goa. The striking similarity in
these shrines is that all idols are in phallic shape and covered with metallic
masks accompanied by Trishula. These phallic shaped wooden idols are known
as Nirakar(formless) by the local population. These idols probably point to the
era when Natha Sampradaya was prominent in the Western Deccan region. The lingas are believed to be Swaymbhu
lingas.
Festivals
For brief details, please refer below link;
Priests
The daily worship is performed by Brahmin priest
only for a certain designated period and during the rest of the period, the
Kunbi priests namely Velip and Zalmi perform the daily
worship. The ritual of hunting is associated with some of the Mallikarjuna
shrines.
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about 2 Kms from Canacona IDC
Bus Stop, 5 Kms from Canacona Bus Station, 5 Kms from Chaudi, 6 Kms from
Canacona Railway Station, 67 Kms from Goa Airport and 74 Kms from Panjim. The
Temple is situated close to NH 66 near Chaudi.
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