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Shanta Durga Temple
 This temple is dedicated to the "Goddess of Peace". It is an unusual temple with a pagoda like structure and a roof made up of long slabs of stone. According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Shanta Durga appeared in the midst of a duel between two other gods, Siva and Vishnu to separate the fighters. A temple dedicated to Shanta Durga was originally built at Keloshi in the Mormugoa taluka, but was badly damaged by the Portuguese in 1567 (yep, you guessed it - the Inquisition). As a result, a new temple was built in 1740. Picture courtesy of Tarun Krishnamurty |
 Like many of the other temples around, this temple also features a Lamp tower, a water tank in addition to the main temple structures. The earthy terracotta hues of the temple are in marked contrast to the bright white lamp tower. On the left, we see a close up of the temple's wooden chariot dedicated to the Goddess, with the tower mimicking the temple's lamp tower. This pictures and anecdotal information were obtained from the book "Window on Goa" by Maurice Hall (Quiller Press, London, 1992, 214 p.). It is an excellent book containing a wealth of information and pictures on Goa. You can buy it online from http://www.amazon.com/. For 18 bucks ($ US), this book is a steal! |