NAROA: The village of Naroa in
Bicholim taluka
is in celebration mode. On November 27 this year, its historic
Saptakoteshwar temple
will complete 350 years of its renovation by the Maratha warrior king
Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
. The
year-long festivities
commenced in Naroa on Friday.
History has it that when he was ruling over the territory that included Bicholim, Shivaji paid a visit to the temple. Noticing its dilapidated condition, he decided to renovate it. The renovation work was completed on April 6 and every year, the temple committee celebrates the date with various religious and cultural events.
Located amid Naroa’s iconic lush green fields, the temple is a traditionally built structure. On the top of the temple’s doorway is a
Sanskrit Nagari inscription
mentioning the commencement date of the construction of the temple by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, dated November 13, 1668.
Saptakoteshwar is the most popular incarnation of Lord Shiva in Goa. Its over 1,000-year-old history can be traced back though coins and inscriptions dating back to the Kadamba dynasty.
Interestingly, the original temple dedicated to Saptakoteshwar was located at Divar in Tiswadi taluka. The religious persecution of the Bahamani rulers during the 1355-66 period resulted in devotees hiding the Shivlinga in the fields. During the Vijaynagar period, in 1391, Madhava Matri re-established the Shivling in the temple. However, during the Portuguese regime, the Saptakoteshwar temple was destroyed and a chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora Candelaria constructed on the temple ruins. This was when the devotees relocated the Shivlinga to a temple in Bicholim. As Bicholim was a part of the Maratha kingdom established by Shivaji, there was check on religious persecution.
Sachin Madge, the historian from Dhuler-Mapusa, told TOI, “The Linga of Saptakoteshwar has always inspired Goans to fight for the protection of their religion and culture.”