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Mahalaxmi Temple, Panaji
One of the capital city's most discerning
asset is the Mahalaxmi Temple. Located on the Dada Vaidya
road (Rua de Saudade during the Portuguese times), the Mahalaxmi
deity is the chief object of veneration for all Panjimites,
irrespective of caste, class, sex or creed.
The city, blessed by three historic ecclesiastical
monuments - the Jamma Masjid, the Church of Immaculate Conception
and the Mahalaxmi temple - surprisingly standing on the same
road pose a perfect symmetry of communal harmony and camaraderie.
This 182 year old temple has a fascinating
history. In the 16th century the Havig Brahmins from Karwar-Kumtha
areas who lived on alms and charity of others worshipped the
Mahalaxmi deity and wherever they went in search of alms they
carried this deity along. In the 16th century, they moved
to Goa along with this diety and reached Taleigo village of
which Panjim was then a mere ward, along the river Gomati
(Mandovi).
The Havig Brahmins whose whole day was spent
begging for alms had sought shelter in the precincts of the
Vetal temple of Taleigao. But when they learnt of the conversion
policy of the Portuguese, fearing desecration of their revered
Mahalaxmi idol made of marble, they moved away from Taleigao
and as they were moving on they found a horse stable which
actually belonged to the Portuguese government.
A gentleman called Raghavendra Kamat Mhamai
who worked for the Portuguese military found that this place
selected by the Havig Brahmins to hide their deity was unsafe
and hence moved it to his palatial house opposite the Adilshahi
palace (Secretariat) in the heart of Panjim city. Still fearing
for the safety and security of the deity, he moved it to Mayem
village of the Bicholim Taluka where it remained till 1817.
Sometime later in 1817, Narayan Kamat Mhamai
of Panaji dreamt of the deity and the next day itself he along
with others went to Mayem and brought the diety to Panjim
and hid it at a place where stands the People's High School
today. That corner at the People's High School is still venerated
where the deity was kept hidden.
He later moved it to his house and started
worshipping it there. He expressed his desire to a friend
Mr. Sinari of building a temple to consecrate this diety.
They seeked the permission of the liberal Portuguese governor
Conde De Rio Pardo, which was granted to them on 2nd July
1818.
On 10 July 1818, the deity was consecrated
there and the foundation stone of the Mahalaxmi temple was
laid. Refusing to be cowed down by the heavy monsoon downpours
of Goa, the pious devotees led by the late Shri Narayan Kumar
Mhamai, Mr. Sinari and others consecrated the Mahalaxmi deity
in the backyard of Panjim city on 10 July 1818.
By 1819, the temple was completed. The original
deity today lies in a small box in the rear wall of the temple
which faces the present day main idol of Goddess Mahalaxmi.
The magnificent subhamandap of the temple has been added later
and today the recently completed new building of the temple
stands proudly as a superb addition to the landmarks of Panjim
city.
See Also Other Temples:
| Anant
Narsinha Temple, Veling | Devkikrishna
Temple, Marcel |
| Mahalsa Temple, Mardol
| Mahalaxmi
Temple, Bandivade |
| Mahalaxmi
Temple, Panaji | Mallikarjun
Temple, Shristhal |
| Manguesh Temple,
Priol | Naguesh
Temple, Nagueshi |
| Ramnath Temple, Ramnathi
| Saptakoteshwar
Temple, Narwe |
| Mahadeva Temple,
Tambdi Surla |
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