This visit to the Arvalem Caves, Harvale, Goa,
was a part of the Goa Heritage walk to the temples and Heritage sites, organised by Aatrupadai, from 5th December 2025 to 7th December 2025. Thanks
to திருச்சி பார்த்தி for organising the Heritage walk.
ARVALEM CAVES
Cavated into the
laterite hill, the Arvalem caves consist of two major caves and a residential
chamber. The firmase of excavation includes triple shrines; the first cave of
the triple shrine on the north-west side is a square chamber having a pitha in
the centre, enshrined by a Linga-like shaft of schist stone provided in its
visible top form as a disc, perhaps standing for a solar disc. The rectangular
part below the disc-top contains an inscription "sambapuravasi ravi,"
a name of the donor in the early part of the 7th century ad characters. This indicates
synchronisation of Siva and Surya and matches the name of the donor.
The central shrine has a similar pitha
enshrined by a Linga with a visible cylindrical top and square bottom, which is
similar to the early usage of Linga at Ellora, Elephanta, etc.
The third shrine on the south-east side had a
similar rock-cut pitha also having a similar shaft with the inscription, which
assumes the form of a spearhead, a possible representation of Kartikeya. It
seems to be reasonable to assume the combination of Shiva, Kaumara (Kartikeya), and Surya cults displayed here in the same manner as the Southern Pandyan
caves.
The second phase cave is provided by a pillared
facade fairly well finished and contains a rock-cut laterite pitha in the
centre of which is found a Linga shaft with visible cylindrical part apart from
the above cave shrines, there is one more at the extreme corner of north-west
with a similar pitha enshrined by a linga with inscription on the shaft datable
to the last quarter of the 6th century CE, Brahmi characters.
The Arvelam caves are being maintained by the Archaeological
Survey of India, Goa Circle.
Ref:
Archaeological
Survey of India, Goa Circle display
board.
LOCATION
OF THE CAVE: CLICK HERE
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OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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