Shanta Durga Temple, Kavalem –
Legends
Settling
the fight between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu:
As per local folklore, once there was a battle between
Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The battle was so fierce that Lord Brahma prayed
to Parvati to
intervene, which she did in the form of Shanta Durga. Shanta Durga placed
Vishnu on her right hand and Shiva on her left hand and settled the fight. The deity Shanta Durga, therefore, is shown
holding two serpents, one in each hand, representing Vishnu and Shiva.
Loma Sharma saved by Lord Shiva:
Once, Lord Shiva was defeated by
his consort Parvati in a game of dice. He had left mount Kailash and gone to
Gomanchala near Kushasthali for Tapasya (penance). It is here that he heard the
cries of the Saraswat Brahmin, Loma Sharma, caught by a crocodile in the river
Aghanashini. When Shiva saved Loma Sharma, he prayed to the Lord to remain in
Kushasthali. Similarly, when Parvati arrived looking for Shiva, she was also
requested to stay at the nearby village of Keloshi (Kadalivana Quelossim).
Shanta Durga from Trihotrapuri:
The Shanta Durga is believed to
have been carried by Loma Sharma of Kaushik Gotra when the Saraswats came to
Goa from Trihotrapuri (present-day Trihut division) in the Mithila region of
Bihar.
Shanta Durga of Keloshi:
As per local folklore, Shanta
Durga of Keloshi had gone to Sancoale a village in Mormugoa to kill a demon
named Kalantaka who was harassing the Brahmins.
As a reward, she was given the name of Vijaya. The Vijaya
Durga shrine was located in Sancoale along with Shanta Durga
and Lakshmi
Narasimha but was later shifted to a place called Kerim in
Ponda Taluka during the Portuguese invasions.
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