Mangeshi village

Mangeshi (Devanagari:मंगेशी) is a village in Priol, Ponda, Goa, India. Mangueshi/Mangueshim are other variations for the same name.

Entrance path to Mangeshi Temple

View of Shri Mangeshi Temple Lake.jpg

Main Attraction

The temple of Shri Mangesh is set amidst natural beauty and pleasant surroundings. Mangeshi, which is a little village along Goa's Panaji-Ponda road is a point of pilgrimage for hundreds of tourists from all over India and abroad.

The temples of Shree Shantadurga located at Kavale Village and Shree Mangeshi, two of the most revered patron deities in Goa are a must visit for any devotee/ tourist coming to Goa.

View of Shri Mangeshi Devasthan.

History

The original site of Sri Mangeshi temple is Kushasthali or Cortalim in Salcette Taluka. To avoid the increasing Portuguese missionary activities in Goa, the GSB community was afraid for the safety of the temples and idols. Hence the families worshipping Shree Shantadurga and Shree Mangeshi, on a moonless night, leaving their homes and hearths crossed over the Zuari River to a safer region which was under the rule of the Muslim King Adilshah.

After remaining in the house of a temple priest for sometime, the deity idol was finally installed at its present site in the village.

The territory of Ponda was not under Portuguese rule in the 16th Century and hence was seen as a safe haven by the Hindus fleeing persecution by the Jesuits and Portuguese. The forests of Ponda were ideal places for Hindus to form make shift temples with the Idols they had salvaged from the broken temples of Sashti (Salsette).

Shri Mangeshi Temple Rath (Temple Chariot).

Mangeshkar Family

The famous musical family of the Mangeshkar's belong to this village of Mangeshi. Their father, Deenanath Mangeshkar was born(1900) in the village of Mangeshi then in Portuguese India to a temple priest and handmaiden of the deity Mangesh. His mother tongue was Konkani,and he belonged to Gomantak Maratha community of Goa.

The family's last name used to be Hardikar; Deenanath changed it to Mangeshkar in order to identify his family with his native town - Mangeshi.

Shri Mangeshi Temple - Majestic 7 storied Deepa Stambha.

Reaching Mangeshi Village

By Air

Mangeshi is 37.92 km from Dabolim Airport. Goa Dabolim Airport is well connected from all major cities of India & abroad.

By train

• The nearest town of Ponda is located at a distance of 17 km from Karmali railway station.
• The major railway terminus of Madgaon has bus services catering up to Ponda.

By Road

• Local bus services operated by private bus owners ply regularly from Ponda Bus Stand as well as from Kadamba Bus Stand, Panjim.

See also

• Mangueshi Temple
• Kavale
• Shanta Durga temple