Shri Mangueshi Temple
Shri Manguesh Devasthan
Goa's most famous Hindu temple, with white walls, a red-tiled roof and a seven-tier lamp tower, blending Portuguese and Hindu styles.
Shri Mangueshi Temple is dedicated to Mangesh, a form of Shiva. In the 16th century, when the Portuguese carried out religious persecution along the coast, devotees moved the deity from Cortalim to the Ponda hills, which were then outside Portuguese rule. The present temple was completed in the 18th century. The white main hall has a red-tiled dome and hanging lamps. In the courtyard, the seven-tier lamp tower (deepastambha) is most spectacular during festivals, when it is lit. The architecture incorporates Portuguese church elements. Entry is free. Visitors must remove their shoes and cover their shoulders and knees to enter, and photography is prohibited in the inner sanctum. The temple is about 22 km from Panaji and is often combined in one day with Shri Shantadurga Temple and a spice plantation.
Opening hours
About 06:00–22:00
Nearby sights
- Spice Plantations of Ponda
- Shri Shantadurga Temple
- Churches and Convents of Old Goa
- Divar Island
- Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
- Fontainhas, Panaji
- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church
- Dona Paula