Ancient Tambdi Surla Mahadev Temple in Goa
Tambdi Surla is located inside the area of Bhagwan Mahavir National Park in Goa. The Mahadev temple of Tambdi Surla is the oldest temple and is located at the foot of the Anmod Ghat, which connects Goa to the state of Karnataka. It is approximately 65 km from the capital city of Panaji and 12 kilometers from
the border crossing post of Mollem. Tambdi Surla itself is in the midst of forest accessible via a 22 kilometers route from the main town of Valpoi in Sattari Taluka, Goa. Check Details on tripraja
The temple was built by Hemadri, the minister of the Yadava King Ramachandra of Deccan region in India. The Jain style construction has led to debates about the origins of the temple since the Kadamba Dynasty ruled Goa during the Late Classical period on the Indian subcontinent between the tenth and fourteenth centuries.
The temple is built in the Hemadpanthi style from finest weather-resistant grey-black basalt carried across the mountains from the Deccan plateau and carved by highly skilled craftsmen. It is believed to be the only remains of Kadamba-Yadava architecture in basalt stone preserved and available in Goa. The temple survived from Muslim invasions and Portuguese persecution due to its remote location in a clearing deep in the forest at the foot of the Western Ghats which surround the site.
Grey Jungle Fowl
The Mahadev temple of Tambdi Surla is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is reminiscent of the temples at Aihole in neighboring Karnataka. The temple has a pillared porch and three stepped entrances. There is a linga which is a symbol of Lord Shiva, mounted on a pedestal inside the inner sanctum, and local legend
has it that a huge king cobra is in permanent residence in the dimly lit interior of the temple.
The Mahadev temple consists of garbhagriha, antarala and a pillared Nandi mandapa built of basalt. The four pillars of the temple are embellished with intricate carvings of elephants and chains support a stone ceiling decorated with finely carved Ashtoken lotus flowers.
Crimson backed sunbird near the Temple.
The intricate carvings created by skilled craftsmen glorify the interior and the sides of the building. Bas-relief figures of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma, with their respective consorts, beautifully appear on panels at the sides of the temple. Normally, the mandap is covered with a roof of plain grey sloping slabs.
Orange Headed Thrush
The temple faces east so that the first rays of the rising sun fall on the deity. The mandap is very small compared to the size of the average Goan temple and the inner sanctum is surmounted by a three-tiered tower whose top is incomplete or has been dismantled sometime in the distant past.
There is a headless Nandi (Shiva's vehicle) in the center of the mandap, surrounded by four matching columns. The symbol of the Kadamba kingdom, an elephant trampling a horse is also carved on the base of one of the columns which depict the glory of Kadamba Dynasty. The river Surla flows nearby and is
easily reachable for ritual bathing by a flight of stone steps.
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