Mahadev Temple /Kadamba Shri Mahadeva Temple/कदंब श्री महादेव मंदिर, Tambdisurla / तांबडीसुर्ला, Sanguem, Surla, Goa.

This visit to the Mahadev Temple or Kadamba Shri Mahadeva Temple, Tambdisurla, Goa, was a part of the Goa Heritage walk to the temples and Heritage sites, organised by Aatrupadai, from 5^th December 2025 to 7^th December 2025. Thanks to திருச்சி பார்த்தி for organising the Heritage walk.

The temple is located in the Molem wildlife sanctuary on the left bank of a natural stream. Locally known as 'Vizar Sakalacho Whal' amidst lush green settings.

Moolavar: Shree Mahadev

Some of the salient features of this temple are…..

The temple is facing east and stands on a simple moulded plinth. A beheaded Rishabam is in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar Shiva Linga is on a round avudayar.

In the sabha mandapam, Vinayagar, Natarajar, and Maha Vishnu. 

ARCHITECTURE

It consists of Garbhagriha, an antarala, and a pillared mukha mandapa where a stone sculpture of Rishabam is at the mukha mandapa is accessible from three sides with balustrade entrances towards the east, north and south. The raw material used for the construction of the temple is chloritic schist, which is a soft stone on which intricate carvings are possible

 

The mukha mandapa is embellished with four carved lathe-turned pillars and Kakshasana on three sides and is externally decorated with rosettes. A relief scene of an elephant trampling a horse is carved on an eastern pillar, which is very prominent. The capitals of pillars are carved with the nagabandhas, and the ceiling is decorated with intricately carved lotus flowers of the ashtakon variety.

The perforated stone latticed screen with Devakostas decorates the entrance of the Garbhagriha, and the lathe-turned pillars of the mandapa suggest a strong influence of the Hoysala art.

The four Devakostas facing the east, south and north, having miniature decorated pillars on either side, resemble the pillars of mukha mandapa. The pinnacle is decorated with a miniature Kadamba shikhara.

The exterior wall of the Garbhagriha is simple and raised from the moulded adhistana, ridged by simple ardha sthambas. The two-tiered kadamba-nagra vimana was embellished with sculptures like Lakshmi-Narayan and Vishnu Janardhan, besides Gajalakshmi flanked by Ganesh and Saraswati on the northern side, and dancing Siva and Siva-Parvati on the western side, and Bhairava and Brahma on the southern side. The antarala and garbhagriha of the temple have a remarkable resemblance to the Kalleshwar temple at Balambid in Dharwad district and the Jain temple at Belgaum in Karnataka. All these temples have plain walls without niches, with a two-tiered Shikhara

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The temple reflects the later Chalukyan and Hoysala architectural features and expresses synchronisation of faith revealed through the presence of Vaishnavite deities, although the temple is dedicated to Siva, thus imparting a unique place in the Goa Kadamba temple architecture and is datable to the 13th century CE.

Ref:

Archaeological Survey of India display board.

LOCATION OF THE MONUMENT: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA--