Hindu Pilgrimages in Goa
Noroa River, the Arvalem Waterfall, and the Brahma Camandolu or Water Pot of Brahma - the creator, in the old Goa Hills are the main Hindu pilgrimage spots in Goa. One more sacred place is Sidhanath Mountain in Borim Village. Amongst the myriad temples found here, there is a vast representation of the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, which testifies to the catholicity of the people's beliefs as well as their mutual tolerance. Indeed, Goa is could be loved just for this rare quality which one feels imperceptibly on even a short visit. The welcome is genuine and holds back nothing. Live and let live is a potent vibration in the atmosphere. The more the avenues to the beyond the better it is for the people here. Little wonder that despotic tactics never lasted beyond a brief spell in Goa, while experimenters in new ways of living have found their haven here
Goa Temples
In Goa start your temple tour with the principal temples like Brahma Temple in the village of Brahma Carambolim. Dating from 5 AD, it is one of the few temples dedicated to Brahma to be found anywhere. The Shri Bhagavati Temple in Pernem celebrates the Goddess Bhagavati Ashtabhuja, or eight-handed Goddess, one of the forms of Durga. Shri Datta Mandir at Sanquelim is known for the miraculous cure for mental troubles, which the deity, the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar, is said to offer. Shri Damodar Temple on the banks of the river Kushavati is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus and Christians alike. The waters of the river near the temple precincts are a cure for all ailments. Shri Damodar is known simply as Danubab by the faithful and he is, till today, the patron deity of Margao. The idyllic surroundings of Zambaulin make the visit quite memorable.
The Shri Chandreshwar Temple atop the Chandranath Hill dates from the pre-Christian era, when this region formed part of the Boja capital of Chandrapur today's Chandor). The famous Shiva Linga is lit up by moonlight on the full moon night, and is said to become mystically bathed in water. Sri Chandreshwar or God of the Moon is so placed so to offer the visitor a wonderful view of the green valley below.
Like many of Goa's temples, the Devaki-Krishna Temple at Marchel was moved here from two previous locations, to be safe from oppression. The beautiful and unusual image in black stone is of the baby Krishna on his mother, Devaki's hip. Could the Baby Jesus and his Mother, Mary, represented in so many of the neighboring churches here have given this temple its inspiration, or is it simply an astonishing coincidence of the overlapping of Western and Eastern traditions?
Shri Gomanteshwar Temple at Brahmapuri, in old Goa, dates back to the Kadamba Kings who ruled Goa in the 5th century AD |
 
