Goa is one of the smallest states in India and is located in the west coast of India and shares its boundary with Maharashtra, Arabian Sea and Karnataka. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations and is known for its exotic beaches, heritage buildings and architectures and is preferred by most foreign and domestic tourists. Goa is not only known for its beautiful beaches and islands but there are also various temples and dances, which reflects the culture and heritage of the state.

Whenever you think of Goa, the first thing that strikes your mind is about the wonderful beaches and ancient heritage buildings, churches etc. But apart from that Goa also has some of the famous Hindu temples, both contemporary and ancient which you can drop in during your stay in Goa. Temples and Dances always have a close connection, as most of the dance forms originated from temples. Let’s have a look what Goa has to offer to us.

Temples in Goa

During Portuguese rule, most of the Hindu temples were destroyed and most of the deities were kept in makeshift temple cloisters and in undisclosed location, in order to protect it from the Portuguese clutches. It was around 1818, when the Portuguese allowed the Hindus to build the first official temple in Goa. The temples in Goa have a typical architectural style, which consists of a main shrine and the deity is placed there. Apart from the main shrine, another tower or “Shikara” arises from there, which resembles a pyramid and there are similar shrines which houses different other deities. But if you have look at the recent Hindu temples in Goa, you will see some difference in the architectural style, as compared to the ancient architectural style. Some of the temples in Goa are mentioned below:

Mahalaxmi Temple

Mahalaxmi Temple is located in the capital city of Panaji and is one of the sacred temples for the Hindus. The temple houses the deity of goddess laxmi, which is regarded as the goddess of wealth and is regarded as one of the deities which are of primal importance of the people of Panaji. It is one of the first temples which were built after Portuguese were invaded by Alfonse de Albuquerque. This place is always crowded, especially during weekends.

Mangueshi Temple

During your sightseeing tours in Goa, you can drop in at Mangueshi Temple which is located in the outskirts of the capital city. Mangueshi Temple was built by one of the survivors during the Portuguese invasion and it was originally located Cortalim, which is popularly known as Kushasthali.

Naguesh Temple

Among various ancient Hindu temples in Goa, the Naguesh temple is one such place. The temple belongs to Lord Naguesh, which is an incarnation of Lord Shiva. You will find an old stone remnant near the temple, the origin of which dates back to 1413. The temple belonged to that era, and was ruled by Veer Pratap Devraya, belonging to Vijayanagar Empire.

Saptakoteshwar Temple

Saptakoteshwar Temple is one of the six temples belonging to Lord Shiva, in Konkan. The temples history dates back to 12th century and during that time Saptakoteshwar was the main deity of the rulers of Kadamba dynasty. The main shrine of the temple was destroyed in 1352 during the reign of Bahamani Sultan Hassan Gangu.

Some of the other temples in Goa which you can visit during your viist to Goa are given below:

• Brahma Temple
• Sri Datta Mandir
• Sri Bhagavati Temple
• Shri Chanreshwar Temple

• Dhalo
  
  Dhalo is one of the popular folk dances of Goa which is performed mostly by rural women and is usually performed in groups, consisting of young girls and women, by forming semi circle and holding each others waist. This dance is full of fun and the music consists of drumbeats and beats from various other traditional music instruments.
  
  
• Dashavatara
  
  Among various famous dances in Goa, Dashavatara is a dance performance which is based on the ten different incarnations of Lord Vishnu, which is known as ten rupas.
  
  
• Kunbi
  
  Kunbi is one of the earliest folk dance forms and is performed by the Kunbis, who were the early settlers in Goa. The dance is more of a social alliance rather than a religious dance performance. This dance is also performed by women, wearing colorful traditional attire.
  
  
• Dekhni
  
  Apart from Hindus, Goa also has a Christian population, and Dekhni is performed by those Christians who were originally Hindu and was converted into Christianity during the Portuguese rule. This is one of the traditional dance forms which also involve singing along with the dance. One of the notable features of this dance is the music and rhythm which is very melodious and is a mix of both western and Indian genre.