Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla

The Mahadev temple of Tambdi Surla is the oldest temple of Goa, that survived from the Portuguese as it was set next to a stream in the middle of the small clearing, hidden in the dense jungle. The Tambdi Surla temple dedicated to Lord Shiva has a pillared porch and three stepped entrances. The temple is built in the Hemadpanthi style from the finest weather-resistant grey-black basalt. It is considered to be the only specimen of Kadamba-Yadavaarchitecture in basalt stone preserved and available in Goa. The temple has been declared as a protected historical monument by the Archaeological Survey of Idia

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. In February/ March on the festival of Mahashivratri hundreds of devotees assemble here. The area around the temple has soft green grass that dries up in summer but is rejuvenated every monsoon.

The temple was built by Hemadri, the minister of the Yadava King Ramachandra. The Jain style construction has led to debates about the origins of the temple, since the Kadamba Dynasty ruled Goa between the tenth and fourteenth centuries. The temple is built in the Hemadpanthi style from basalt, carried across the mountains from the Deccan plateau and carved craftsmen. It is considered to be the only specimen of Kadamba-Yadava architecture in basalt stone preserved and available in Goa. The temple survived 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.