Shanta Durga Temple, Kavalem – Legends

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.