The town of Ponda can easily be considered the heart of
Hinduism in Goa. For when the Hindus abandoned their coastal settlements
and moved inland during the Inquisition, a majority of them settled in
Ponda. Ponda is now a transportation hub and some of the best temples
in Goa are located here. A few small factories and industrial estates
have sprung up on the outskirts of the town due to its proximity to some
of Goa’s largest iron ore mines. It has fewer hotels as compared
to Panaji and Margao and most restaurants serve vegetarian cuisine.
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The Safa Masjid is Goa's best-preserved sixteen-century Muslim monument.
It was constructed by Adil Shah in 1560 and is also known as Safa Shahouri
Masjid. It has a beautiful backdrop of wooded low hills rising in the
background.
The Shri Mangesh Temple is set atop a hill at Priol, northwest of Ponda
leading to Old Goa. The temple has a seven-storey lamp tower (which
is a unique trait of Hindu temples in Goa), a Nandi bull (Lord Shiva's
conveyance), as well as shrines to Parvati and Lord Ganesha. During
the festival of Mangesh Jatra, the rath (temple chariot) is pulled by
several devotees.
The Mahalsa Narayani Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu's consort Laxmi,
though some people believe it is the Lord Vishnu's female form Mohini.
A lamp tower, which is seven floors high can also be found here. Garuda,
the great bird that was Lord Vishnu's conveyance sits atop a pillar,
which rests on the back of a turtle. There are intricately carved columns
and painting of the 10 avatars or incarnations of Vishnu.
The Shantadurga Temple is dedicated to Durga. Shant means peace and
Durga supposedly mediated a dispute between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu,
bringing peace to the world; in the temple she is depicted in between
the two deities. The interior has polished marble and several chandeliers
provide that light. The deity of Shantadurga with Lord Vishnu and Lord
Shiva on either side is behind a silver screen. This is one of the largest
Hindu temples in Goa.
The Nagesh Temple is dedicated to a form of Lord Shiva, Nagesh, the
God of serpents. There is an inscription here dating the temple back
to 1413, which was renovated some time in the 18th century. This temple
also has a lamp tower, five floors high. There are woodcarvings depicting
scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. There is a Nandi bull, Lord
Shiva's vahana or conveyance as well as shrines to Lord Ganesha and
Laxmi-Narayan.
South of here lies the Mahalaxmi Temple. It is said to be the original
form of the principal deity of the Shakti sect. A Marathi inscription
dates this temple back to 1413.
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