Goa, the 25th state of the Indian Union occupies an important place in tourism. The state has a rich and cultural heritage whose history dates back to the Mauryan age of the 3rd Century BC. After that from the beginning of the second century BC many Hindu dynasties ruled Goa for about seven hundred years with intervals. These temples in Goa have an important role to play in the socio cultural life of the state. The Portuguese rule in Goa saw the destruction and displacement of many temples in the state. However, a few of the temples that exist still today displays the rich heritage of the past. We at Touristplacesinindia.com offers you complete information on all that you want to know about the Temples of Goa.

The temples of Goa like any Hindu temples have a Central shrine which houses the main deity with a dome arising out from the main shrine.. The architectural style of the Goa temples gives it a special local flavor like the Lamp Tower� or the �Deep Stambha� and the dome that covers the main shrine instead of �Shikara�. The temples of Goa also have Mughal influence with �Naubat Khana� or the small tower over the entrance to the courtyard. The main shrine is accessed through a hall known as �Mandapa� which is said to have Christian and Portuguese influence. The oldest temple at Goa is said to be the caves at Aravalem dedicated to Lord Shiva which dates back to the 1st Century AD. These caves are known as the �Pandava Caves�. The site has a beautiful waterfall which rises from a height of about 70 feet. The interesting feature of this waterfall is that during the monsoon it turns into a thunderous fall and its color changes to muddy brown. Another important temple whose history tades back to the 13th Century AD is the temple of Shiva at Tambdi Surla. It is the only temple of that period that still exists today as the rest were destroyed during the Portuguese onslaught.

Most of the temples that still exist in Goa were established in the regions which were outside the control of the Portuguese. The first temple which was approved for construction by the Portuguese during their rule was the Mahalakshmi Temple at Panaji in 1818 AD. Some of the temples, which were moved from their original sites during the Early Portuguese rule include the Shree Kamakshi Temple at Shiroda, Shree Shantadurga Temple at Dhargal, Shree Navdurga Temple at Borim, Shree Mangueshi Temple at Mangueshi, Shree Laxmi Narsimha Temple at Nagueshi, Shree Ramnath Temple at Bandode and the Shree Shantadurga Temple at Kavlem.

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Tourist Map of Goa