Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla

Welcome back folks, I hope y'all liked my first blog. This blog is about Tambdi Surla, a Mahadev Temple which is an amazing place with beautiful & eye tempting nature around, it was a treat for the photographer inside me. While walking towards the temple we noticed an intriguing house which seemed to be straight out of a thriller movie, beautiful and spooky.

(House at the entrance)

And we met these tiny creatures with whom we have common ancestors aka Monkeys, many of them and trust me they are faster than a bullet when someone offers a snack. The trip was one of the most memorable ones, we had spent a whole day out there. Near the temple there is a tiny house which is taken care by an old man and his son takes care of the temple. He gave us some space to cook as we were carrying our utilities, post that we played cricket and spent our day well, right in the middle of the lush green beauty. Recommended for picnic lovers seeking for a memorable one-day date & travellers who love to explore remote areas to spend some peaceful time.

(Rishab - who cooked tasty food for us)

Story of this place :-

Mahadeva Temple, Tambdi Surla is a 12th-century Shaivite temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and an active place of Hindu worship.

It is considered to be the only specimen of Kadamba architecture in basalt stone(carried all the way from Deccan plateau) preserved and available in Goa. The temple survived invasions and the Goa Inquisition due to its remote location in a clearing deep in the forest at the foot of the Western Ghats which surround the site.

The intricate carvings created by skilled craftsmen adorn the interior and the sides of the building. Bas-relief figures of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma, with their respective consorts appear on panels at the sides of the temple. Unusually, the mandap (pillared hall) is covered with a roof of plain grey sloping slabs. The temple faces east so that the first rays of the rising sun shine on the deity.

There is a headless Nandi (bull, Shiva's vehicle) in the centre of the mandap, surrounded by four matching columns. The symbol of the Kadamba kingdom, an elephant trampling a horse is carved on the base of one of the columns. The river Ragado, (via village Keri, Sattari) flows nearby and is reachable for ritual bathing by a flight of stone steps.

The festival of Mahashivratri is celebrated with pomp and gaiety at the temple by local people residing in surrounding villages. The temple is built in a place which is quite inaccessible and away from the main settlements of the time.

Mahadev Temple is approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) from the capital city of Panaji. It is accessible from the north via minor roads 22 kilometres (14 mi) south from the main town of Valpoi in Sattari Taluka. The temple is at the foot of the Anmod Ghat, which connects Goa to the state of Karnataka.