Temples
in Goa
Anant
Narsinha Temple, Veling
The
small village of Savoi-Verem in Ponda taluka is the site of the only temple
dedicated to Lord Anant in the state of Goa. The temple is about 45 kms away
from the capital city of Panaji.
This temple unlike other temples
in Goa, has only a tiled pyramid as roof and surprisingly no domes. The
walls too, are only plain with plastering. But the insides are in stark
contrast to the outside. There is a presence of all the seven colors of the
rainbow in all the intricate wooden carvings.
The Ananta temple is
dedicated to Lord Vishnu, appearing here in his incarnation as Ananta, the
serpent. Although no definite date is available for its original
construction, the temple appears to be quite ancient. The current building
is circa 1923 and has pillars with intricate wooden carvings and plated with
silver.
The idol of the deity is carved in black stone and Lord
Vishnu is shown here in his Anantashayya (a sleeping position where the Lord
rests on the multi-headed snake king Seshnaga, whose heads shelter the head
of the Lord like an umbrella). This is the only temple in Goa showing Lord
Vishnu in this special posture.
The sprawling temple complex also
consists of temples of other deities - Shantadurga, Kamini, Narayan and
Grampurush.
A number of festivals are celebrated at the temple
including Shibikotsav in which the palakhi (palanquin) of Lord Ananta is
carried by devotees on their shoulders around the temple complex.
Goa
City Guide
