Saptakoteshwar Temple, Narve, Goa

Saptakoteshwar Temple, Narve, Goa

Saptakoteshwar Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in the Narve Village in Bicholim Taluk in the North Goa district of Goa, India. The temple is considered to be one of the six great sites of temples of Lord Shiva in the Konkan area. Narve is located on the easternmost tip of picturesque island of Divar.

Legends

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/05/saptakoteshwar-temple-narve-legends.html

History

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/05/saptakoteshwar-temple-narve-history.html

The Temple

The temple is built based on the typical contemporary Goan architecture, having a dome affixed on an octagonal shaped Sanctum Sanctorum with only the Deepa Stambha (Lamp Tower) design being of a distinct variety. It has a small entrance hall with bells. The main five pillared hall is decorated with arches and is intricately painted with chandeliers glorifying the beauty of the ceiling while the sanctorum wall is made of plain wood. Presiding Deity is called as Saptakoteshwar. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Lingam.

The Linga itself is distinctive of a Dharalinga or Mukhalinga type and made of polished stone. There is a shrine for Kalabhairava in front of the temple towards the right side of the Deepa Sthamba and the padukas of Dattatreya carved on the stone can be seen outside of it. Two huge laterite pillar-like structures (similar to Stonehenge) buried deep can be seen a little ahead of Deepa Sthamba. There are ruins of an arched crumbling structure resembling an ancient agrashalas can be found behind the main temple.

There is a man-made tunnel like structure close to the temple. The tunnel is presently silted. There is a sacred tank known as Panchaganga Tirtha can be found near the temple. There are several caves found in the surroundings. Also, ruins of a Jain math and temple can be found near the Temple. It was probably an important Jain temple patronized by the Kadamba rulers before they accepted Saptakoteshwar as their chief deity.

Festivals

Krishna Janma Ashtami is celebrated on a grand scale in this temple. As per records, even in the 16^th century, large crowd of devotees estimated to be over thirty thousand would assemble and bathe in the sacred waters.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 1.5 Kms from Saptakoteshwar Bus Stop, 7 Kms from Bicholim Bus Stand, 16 Kms from Thivim Railway Station, 20 Kms from Karmali Railway Station, 20 Kms from Panjim and 41 Kms from Goa Airport. Narve can be reached from Panjim by a ferryboat from the island of Divar.

Location