Nagesha Temple

The name of the temple literally means “Lord of the Naga Serpents”. The temple dedicated to the god Shiva is interesting with many images of scenes from the Indian epic Ramayana.

Unlike other Ponda temples, the Nageshi temple has existed since time immemorial. There are stone sculptures of Parvati (Shiva’s husband) and their son, the elephant-headed Ganesha, which date back to the 7th-8th centuries AD. On the stone next to the temple there is an inscription informing us that during the reign of Vijayanagara Devaraya, in 1413, this land was given to the deity of this Hindu sanctuary. It is one of the few temples that has not been damaged by the Portuguese. The main feature of the temple are artfully carved from wood paintings with scenes from the Ramayana. They are decorated on both sides of the main hall.

In the courtyard of the temple there is a pond with a very interesting feature: if you stand in a certain place, you can see the reflection of the statue of Nagesha, which is located inside the temple.