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Mangeshi Temple
Photo: Aruna at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous temples · Goa

Mangeshi Temple

Shiva as Manguesh, the family deity of Saraswat Brahmins

Checked 19 Oct 2026 with 3 sources2 min read

DirectionsShare

Getting there

  • By road

    The temple stands at Priol in Ponda taluka, about 21 km from Panaji and 26 km from Margao. It is 1 km from Mardol, close to Nagueshi.

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Rules to know

  • A dress code for visitors has applied since 2011, to keep the sanctity of the temple.

Why devotees come here

Mangeshi Temple stands at Priol in Ponda taluka, about 21 km from Panaji. It is dedicated to Shiva as Manguesh, worshipped as a Shiva linga. It is perhaps the most famous of all Goan temples.

Shree Mangueshi is the family deity of Saraswat Brahmins and other gotras. Legend says Shiva left Mount Kailash after losing a game of dice to Parvati and settled in the jungles of Kushasthali, now Cortalim. In the same legend, Shiva turned into a tiger to frighten Parvati when she came searching for him. The name Manguesh is said to have come from the cry "Mam Girisha".

In 1560 devotees moved the linga at night from the original temple to Priol, then under Adil Shah. They did it to keep the linga safe from the Portuguese. The Peshwas gave the village of Mangeshi to the temple in 1739. The last renovation came in 1973, when a golden kalash was fitted on top of the tall dome.

Inside the complex stands a seven-storeyed lamp tower, a deepastambha, built in the Saraswat style, with a prominent Nandi idol nearby. The Sabha Mandapa hall holds over 500 people. The white facade, the octagonal lamp tower and the tank reflect classic Goan temple architecture.

Festivals

  • JanuaryAnnual Jatra

    The temple is lit up with lights, and the deity is carried in a palanquin and paraded in huge chariots.

  • Magha Shukla Saptami to Magha PoornimaMagha Poornima Festival (Jatrotsav)

    It runs from Magha Shukla Saptami to the full moon night of the Magha month.

Tips for your visit

  • Thousands of devotees attend the Jatra in January.
  • The Sabha Mandapa hall inside the complex holds over 500 people.

Darshan at home

Not in the app yet

Mangeshi Temple is not in the Divya Darshan 360 app yet. These Famous temples temples are, with darshan videos you can watch at home:

In the appChamundeshwari Temple, MysuruChamundi Hill, Mysuru, KarnatakaIn the appDakshineswar Kali Temple, KolkataDakshineswar, North 24 Parganas, near Kolkata, West BengalIn the appShirdi Sai Baba Temple, MaharashtraShirdi, Rahata taluka, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra
Get the appAndroid

The app is free, Android only. For darshan as if you are standing there, see the VR box (₹899, or ₹949 cash on delivery).

Questions people ask

Is Mangeshi the same as Mangueshi Temple?

Yes. Mangueshi Temple and the Manguesh Devasthan both refer to the temple of Shiva at Priol.

Is there a dress code?

Yes, a dress code for visitors has applied since 2011. The details were not on the pages checked, so ask the temple before you go.

When is the temple lit up?

During the annual Jatra in January, when the temple is lit up and the deity is paraded in chariots.

Is there a lamp tower at the temple?

Yes. A seven-storeyed deepastambha, or lamp tower, stands inside the temple complex. A prominent Nandi idol is also in the complex.

Which other festivals are celebrated here?

The annual festivals include Rama Navami, Akshaya Tritiya, Navaratri, Dussehra, Diwali and Maha Shivaratri.

How we checked this page

On 19 Oct 2026 we checked every fact on this page against these sources, official ones first. Anything we could not confirm is left out.

  1. Mangueshi Temple, Government of Goa goa.gov.in
  2. Shri Manguesh Temple, Department of Tourism (Government of Goa) goatourism.gov.in
  3. Mangueshi Temple, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org

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