Saptakoteshwar Temple, North Goa

Contents

1 Architecture
2 Legend / Local stories
3 Photo Gallery
4 How to Reach:
5 Address
6 Contact Details

The Saptakoteshwar temple at Narve is considered to be one of the six great sites of temples of Lord Shiva in the Konkan area. The village of Narve is located about 35 kilometers from Panaji and can be reached via an interesting route which requires a a ferryboat from the island of Divar.

This is also an ancient temple, Saptakoteshwar having been the deity of the Kings of the Kadamba dynasty around the twelfth century. Coins found from this era mention the name of the deity along with that of the King Jayakeshi.

In 1352, when the Kadamba kingdom was conquered by the Bahamani Sultan Allauddin Hasan Gangu and Goa was under the rule of the Sultan for about fourteen years. A number of temples were destroyed during this period and the Linga (symbol of Lord Shiva) at the Saptakoteshwar temple was also dug up by the troops.

In 1367, the army of Vijayanagar King Hariharraya defeated the Bahamani Sultan’s troops in Goa and managed to restore most of the temples to their former glory including that of Saptakoteshwar.