Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla

Last updated
Mahadev Temple
Shri Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla, Goa.jpg
Shri Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla, Goa
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
Deity Mahadeva (Shiva)
Location
LocationTambdi Surla, Goa
Country India
Architecture
Style Kadamba
Date established12th century CE

Mahadeva Temple, Tambdi Surla is a 13th-century Hindu temple in the Kadamba style dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the main deities in Hinduism, and is an active place of Hindu worship. It is an ASI protected Monument of National Importance in Goa. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is reminiscent of the temples at Aihole in neighbouring Karnataka.

Contents

History

Mahadeva Temple sign, Archaeological Survey of India Mahadeva Temple sign.jpg
Mahadeva Temple sign, Archaeological Survey of India

The temple was built in the Kadamba style from basalt, carried across the mountains from the Deccan plateau and carved by craftsmen. It is considered to be the only specimen of Kadamba architecture in basalt stone preserved and available in Goa. The temple survived the Islamic invasions and the Goa Inquisition,due to its remote location in a clearing deep in the forest at the foot of the Western Ghats which surround the site.

Mahadev Temple,
Tambdi Surla Tambdi Surla Mahadev temple.JPG
Mahadev Temple,
Tambdi Surla

Religious significance and decoration

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is reminiscent of the temples at Aihole in neighbouring Karnataka. There is a linga (symbol of Lord Shiva) mounted on a pedestal inside the inner sanctum, and local legend has it that a huge king cobra is in permanent residence in the dimly lit interior.

The temple consists of garbhagriha, antarala and a pillared Nandi mandapa built of basalt. The four pillars, embellished with intricate carvings of elephants and chains support a stone ceiling decorated with finely carved Ashtoken lotus flowers. [1] [2]

The intricate carvings created by skilled craftsmen adorn the interior and the sides of the building. Bas-relief figures of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma, with their respective consorts appear on panels at the sides of the temple. Unusually, the mandap (pillared hall) is covered with a roof of plain grey sloping slabs. The temple faces east so that the first rays of the rising sun shine on the deity. There is a small mandap and the inner sanctum is surmounted by a three-tired tower whose top is incomplete or has been dismantled sometime in the distant past. [3]

There is a headless Nandi (bull, Shiva's vehicle) in the centre of the mandap, surrounded by four matching columns. The symbol of the Kadamba kingdom, an elephant trampling a horse is carved on the base of one of the columns. The river Ragado, (via village Keri, Sattari) flows nearby and is reachable for ritual bathing by a flight of stone steps.

The festival of Mahashivratri is celebrated with pomp and gaiety at the temple by local people residing in surrounding villages. The temple is built in a place which is quite inaccessible and away from the main settlements of the time. The temple is small compared to the average Goan temple.

Location

Map of Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, showing Tambdi Surla Mollem NP map.jpg
Map of Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, showing Tambdi Surla

The temple is at 15°26′20″N74°15′8″E / 15.43889°N 74.25222°E / 15.43889; 74.25222 near a small village called Tambdi Surla located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) east of Bolcornem village, in the north east region of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park. Nearby village is Molem.

Mahadev Temple is approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) from the capital city of Panaji. It is accessible from the north via minor roads 22 kilometres (14 mi) south from the main town of Valpoi in Sattari Taluka. The temple is at the foot of the Anmod Ghat, which connects Goa to the state of Karnataka.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pattadakal</span> World Heritage site with 7th- and 8th-century temples in India

Pattadakal, also called Raktapura, is a complex of 7th and 8th century CE Hindu and Jain temples in northern Karnataka, India. Located on the west bank of the Malaprabha River in Bagalkot district, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 23 kilometres (14 mi) from Badami and about 9.7 kilometres (6 mi) from Aihole, both of which are historically significant centres of Chalukya monuments. The monument is a protected site under Indian law and is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kadamba dynasty</span> 4th-6th century Indian dynasty

The Kadambas were an ancient royal family from modern Karnataka, India, that ruled northern Karnataka and the Konkan from Banavasi in present-day Uttara Kannada district in India. The kingdom was founded by Mayurasharma in c. 345, and at later times showed the potential of developing into imperial proportions. An indication of their imperial ambitions is provided by the titles and epithets assumed by its rulers, and the marital relations they kept with other kingdoms and empires, such as the Vakatakas and Guptas of northern India. Mayurasharma defeated the armies of the Pallavas of Kanchi possibly with the help of some native tribes and claimed sovereignty. The Kadamba power reached its peak during the rule of Kakusthavarma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aihole</span> Historic site in Karnataka, India

Aihole (ಐಹೊಳೆ), also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in Karnataka, India that dates from the sixth century through the twelfth century CE. Most of the surviving monuments at the site date from the 7th to 10th centuries. Located around an eponymous small village surrounded by farmlands and sandstone hills, Aihole is a major archaeological site, featuring over 120 stone and cave temples spread along the Malaprabha river valley, in Bagalakote district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trikuteshwara Temple, Gadag</span>

Trikuteshwara temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. The carved temple is in the town of Gadag, 50 km southeast of Hubli-Dharwad, in Karnataka, India. It is dedicated to Shiva and has three lingas mounted on the same stone. There is a shrine dedicated to Saraswathi in this temple and it has carved columns.

Prabhas Patan, historically named Dev Patan, is a locality in Veraval, Gujarat. As the site of the Somnath temple and its associated Jyotirlinga, it is an important place of Hindu pilgrimage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halasi</span> Former capital of Kadambas in Karnataka, India

Halasi is a town in Khanapur Taluk, Belgaum District in Karnataka, India. It is 14 km from Khanapur and about 25 km from Kittur. As known from inscriptions, the ancient name of the town was Palāśikā. A centre of the early Kadamba Dynasty, it was a minor capital of the Goa Kadambas (980-1025). The town is notable for a series of medieval temples. The most famous are the Varāha Narasiṃha temple and Suvarṇeśvara temple in the town, and a third temple of Rāmeśvara. On a hill about 1.9 km. south-west of the town is a pilgrimage place known as Rāmatītha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badami cave temples</span> 6th-8th century Hindu and Jain cave temples in Karnataka, India

The Badami cave temples are a complex of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples located in Badami, a town in the Bagalkot district in northern part of Karnataka, India. The caves are important examples of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya architecture, and the earliest date from the 6th century. Badami is a modern name and was previously known as "Vataapi", the capital of the early Chalukya dynasty, which ruled much of Karnataka from the 6th to the 8th century. Badami is situated on the west bank of a man-made lake ringed by an earthen wall with stone steps; it is surrounded on the north and south by forts built during Early Chalukya and in later times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi</span> Hindu temple in India

Veerabhadra temple is a Hindu temple located in the Lepakshi, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to the Virabhadra, a fierce form of the god Shiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Karnataka</span>

Karnataka, the sixth largest state in India, has been ranked as the third most popular state in the country for tourism in 2014. It is home to 507 of the 3600 centrally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh. The State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums protects an additional 752 monuments and another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park</span> National Park in Goa, India

Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park is a 240 square kilometres (93 sq mi) protected area located in the Western Ghats of West India, in Dharbandora taluk, Goa State, along the eastern border with Karnataka. The area is situated near the town of Molem, 57 kilometres (35 mi) east of Panaji, the state capital of Goa. National Highway 4A divides it into two parts and the Mormugao - Londa railway line passes through the area. It is located between 15°15"30' to 15°29"30' N and 74°10"15' to 74°20"15' E. It contains several important temples dating to the Kadambas of Goa, and home to waterfalls, such as Dudhsagar Falls and Tambdi Falls. The parkland is also home to a community of nomadic buffalo herders known as the Dhangar.

Bettadapura is a village located in Mysore district, in the Indian state of Karnataka. The name is derived from two Kannada words, "Betta" and "pura". Betta means "hill" and pura means "town". As per census survey of India 2011, the location code number assigned to Bettadapura is 618171.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamala Narayana Temple</span>

Kamala Narayana Temple is at Degaon in Belgaum District, Karnataka, India. The temple was built by the Kadamba dynasty. Kamal Narayan Temple was constructed by Tippoja, the chief architect of Kamala Devi, the Queen of the Kadamba king Sivachitta Permadi in the 12th century. This temple built in 1174. A.D. The principal deity is Lord Narayana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Karnataka</span>

The antiquity of architecture of Karnataka can be traced to its southern Neolithic and early Iron Age, Having witnessed the architectural ideological and utilitarian transformation from shelter- ritual- religion. Here the nomenclature 'Architecture' is as old as c.2000 B.C.E. The upper or late Neolithic people in order to make their shelters by their own they constructed huts made of wattle and doab, that were buttressed by stone boulders, presumably having conical roof resting on the bamboo or wooden posts into red murram or paved granite chips as revealed in archaeological excavations in sites like Brhamagiri, Sanganakallu, Tekkalakota, Piklihal. Megaliths are the dominant archaeological evidence of the early Iron Age. There are more than 2000 early Iron Age burial sites on record, who laid the foundation for a high non-perishable architecture in the form of various distinct architectural styles of stone-built burials, which are ritualistic in its character. The active religious architecture is evident 345 with that of the Kadamba Dynasty. Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India originally known as the State of Mysore. Over the centuries, architectural monuments within the region displayed a diversity of influences, often relaying much about the artistic trends of the rulers of twelve different dynasties. Its architecture ranges dramatically from majestic monolith, such as the Gomateshwara, to Hindu and Jain places of worship, ruins of ancient cities, mausoleums and palaces of different architectural hue. Mysore Kingdom (Wodeyar) rule has also given an architectural master structure in the St. Philomena's Church at Mysore which was completed in 1956, in addition to many Dravidian style architectural temples. Two of the monuments are listed under the UNESCO World Heritage List of 22 cultural monuments in India. Styles of Indo-Saracenic, Renaissance, Corinthian, Hindu, Indo-Greek and Indo-British style palaces were built in Mysore, the city of palaces. Sikh architecture at Bidar (1512) and also in Bangalore in 1956 can also be cited as having an impact on the architectural composition of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kadamba architecture</span>

Kadamba architecture was a style of temple architecture founded by Mayurasharma in the 4th century AD in Karnataka, India. Kadambas created new style of architecture which was the basis of the Hoysalas style of architecture, developed original school of sculpture, was the forerunner of series of South Indian sculptors. Many temples at Aihole, Badami and Hampi are built in Kadamba style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chalukya Shiva Temple</span> Hindu temple in Karnataka, India

The Chalukya Shiva Temple, dedicated to Shiva, is one of the oldest Hindu temples and is located in the group of monuments at Aihole in the state of Karnataka, India. Formerly dated to the 7th or 8th century, it is now dated to about the 5th century. It is located to the south of the Durga temple, Aihole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durga temple, Aihole</span> 8th-century Hindu temple in Aihole, Karnataka, India

The Durga temple is an early 8th-century Hindu temple located in Aihole, Karnataka, India. Originally dedicated to Surya, it has the most embellished and largest relief panels in Aihole depicting artwork of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Vedic deities. Apart from its fine carvings, it is notable for its apsidal plan – a rare example among early Chalukyan Hindu temple architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kopeshwar Temple</span> Hindu Shiva temple in Khidrapur, Shirale Taluka, Kolhapur District, India

Kopeshwar Temple is at Khidrapur, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. This temple is in Maharashtra It is also accessible from Sangli as well. It was built in the 12th century by Shilahara king Gandaraditya between 1109 and 1178 CE. It is to the east of Kolhapur, ancient & artistic on the bank of the Krishna river. Even though Silaharas were Jain kings, they built and renovated various Hindu temples, thus depicting their respect and love for all religions. Kopeshwar means angry Shiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhoganandishwara Temple</span> Hindi temple complex in India

Bhoganandiswara Temple and Arunachaleswara Temple are a twin Hindu temples complex located in Nandi village in Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka, India. Ornate, beautifully carved and dedicated to Shiva, they have been variously dated between the 9th- to 10th-century CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shivleni Caves</span> Rock-cut cave monuments in India

The Shivleni Caves in Ambajogai, Maharashtra, India are rock-cut cave monuments which date in King Udayaditya from Paramara dynasty of Malwa. Total excavations were hewn out of rock cut and carved deep inside the hill. The caves include sculptures of Hindu deities like Shiva, Saptamatrukas and Ganesha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nameswara Temple, Pillalamarri</span> Hindu Temple in Suryapet district, Telangana

Nameswara Temple, also known as Parvati Mahadeva Nameswara temple, is a Saivite Hindu temple located in Pillalamarri, Suryapet district of Telangana, India. It is a double temple, with the Trikuteswara Temple aligned in parallel to it on the immediate north. The Nameswara temple was constructed on the banks of the Musi river in c. 1202 CE by Namireddi of the Recherla family, who ruled this region and served as the feudatories of Kakatiyas. The genealogy of Namireddi is given in the inscription on the pillar.

References

  1. Archaeological Survey of India, sign at location
  2. Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla Archived 2009-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Manekar, Kamla (2003). Culture and Religious Traditions in Temples of Goa. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. pp. 29–33. ISBN   81-230-1161-X.

15°26′21″N74°15′09″E / 15.4390637°N 74.2524218°E / 15.4390637; 74.2524218