Goa temple restoration yields 14th-16th century relics at Divar island site

Restoration work at the ancient site of the Saptakoteshwar temple on Goa's Divar island has brought to light relics dating from the 14th to the 16th centuries, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced on Thursday. The discoveries point to the existence of an earlier temple complex and a sacred corridor in the area.

Among the significant finds are a 'Kirtimukh' motif, traditionally carved above temple doorways, and the carved capital of a temple pillar. Fragments of a 'Dev Khostam', a structure used for placing idols, were also recovered from the site.

The relics were found along the old pathway between Koti Tirth and Madhavachi Talli. Sawant, in a post on X, said the variety of stone typologies and temple motifs indicates that the temple underwent successive reconstructions during the Vijayanagar period, following the destruction of an earlier Kadamba-era temple.

The announcement came a day before a programme titled "Udakshanti and Ganga Pujan", organised by the Department of Archives under the 'Kotiteerth Corridor Development Project'. This project aims to develop a pilgrimage site commemorating temples destroyed during Portuguese rule, which began in the 16th century.

Historical records state that the Saptakoteshwar temple at Naroa in Divar existed during the Kadamba dynasty (10th-14th century), with its rock-cut tank known as 'Koti-Tirth'. The temple was destroyed during Bahmani rule and rebuilt in 1391 by a minister in the Vijayanagar kingdom. The Portuguese later destroyed it in the 16th century, and the deity's idol was moved to Bicholim, where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj established a new temple in 1668.

In September last year, Sawant had announced cabinet approval for the Koti Tirth corridor project, which includes constructing a new Saptakoteshwar temple at the historic Divar site. The government has stated that nearly 1,000 temples in Goa were destroyed by the Portuguese, and this project is part of its effort to restore such places of worship. A high-level committee, chaired by the archaeology department secretary, was formed to oversee the corridor's development.

An expert committee formed in 2023 had recommended building a temple memorial in the erstwhile Old Conquests areas, which include the modern talukas of Salcete, Bardez, and Tiswadi, noting that these regions "bore the brunt" of temple destruction during the colonial period.