Mahadeva Temple at Tambdi Surla, Goa (Travel Narrative‪)‬

In the Sanguem district of Goa, nestled amongst the dense greenery of the Anmod Ghats, is the small but beautiful Mahadeva Temple at Tambdi Surla (figure 2). (1) This temple, in its remote and picturesque setting, is in worship. When we visited the temple, Fugadi Dhalo Mahotsava was in progress on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya (third day of the second lunar month). Nearly 80 groups of women had gathered to compete in the traditional folk dance events. It was an exquisite blend of serene natural beauty and the excited chatter of women participants in exuberantly colourful traditional garb with assorted flowers in their hair, obviously enjoying the whole experience. The temple lent a pious atmosphere to the scene, bathed as it was in innocence and pleasure of the young women (figures 3 and 4). No inscriptional evidence is available about this Mahadeva Temple. The late Anant Ramkrishna Sinai Dhume is credited with rediscovering the temple in 1935 during Portuguese rule. Dr V.T. Gune, former Director, Goa Historical Archives, calls the temple "the only remaining specimen of temple architecture of the Kadamba period" in Goa. (2) The temple was probably constructed under the patronage of the Kadamba ruler Shivachitta Permadideva (r. 12th century) and his pious queen Kamaladevi who had built temples in Karnataka at Degamve which, according to an inscription there (1176 CE) (3) were constructed by Tippoja, the son of Sutradhara Holoja. (Sutradhara is the master architect who designs the temple under the guidance of the preceptor priest.)