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Saptakoteshwar Temple (mandir)
Acclaimed as one of the six revered temples of Lord Shiva within the
Konkan space, the Saptokoteshwar temple has a chequered history
courting back to the 12th century. During that interval
Saptakoteshwar was the patron deity of the kings of Kadamba dynasty.
In 1352, when Bahamani Sultan Hassan Gangu usurped the Kadamba
kingdom, his armies vandalized the linga of the Saptakoteshwar
temple.
In 1367, Vijayanagar King Hariharraya conquered Hassan Gangu's
troops and restored the misplaced glory of Saptakoteshwar temple.
After a relaxed of about 200 years, the temple idol (linga) had to
be eliminated once once more to escape the marauding armies of the
Portuguese conquerors. The temple was finally rebuilt at Narve by
the orders of great Maratha king Shivaji.
The presiding deity of the temple is Saptakoteshwar, an incarnation
of Lord Shiva. Legend has it that Shiva appeared at this place to
grant the desires of seven holy sages who prayed for seven crore
years. This incarnation of the Lord is known as Saptakoteshwar (sapt
means seven and koteshwar means lord of crores). The Gokulashtami
pageant of the temple attracts hundreds of devotees from Goa and
different elements of India.
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