Shri Shantadurga temple at Dhargalim

The Shri Shantadurga temple at Dhargal is located 14 kms from Mapusa and 27 km from Panjim in Pernem. The temple has extremely beautiful natural surroundings and is known to have been built in 1550 A.D. It is housed in a vast compound and has a deepastambha in front and a gopuram atop the sanctum.

Shantadurga or Santeri is worshipped as a 'Gramadevi' in many villages and is a manifestation of Durga adopted by Goans. Also known as the goddess of peace, Shantadurga is believed to have stopped the quarrel between Shiva and Vishnu. The 'Zatra' of this Goddess is celebrated in month of December.

The Shantadurga temple at Dhargalim is one of the few temples in Bardez that has survived the campaign of destruction of Hindu temples in Portuguese territories.The Goddess of this Shri Shantadurga temple is known to have been moved from the house of Shree Kichkar of Taliwada, Mapusa to Sanquelim which was a part of the Maratha kingdom of Sawantwadi at that time. It was later shifted to its present site at Dhargalim which was then a principality of the Sawantwadi kingdom.

The Shantadurga temple at Dhargalim is known to have been built of mud and palm leaves as laterite or granite were rarely used in the earlier times. It has other three storeys with Mahadeva and Ganapati in one, Dadd in the second and Ravalnatha in the third. At different spots one will also see niches with deities Purmar, Santeri, Dadd and Ravalnatha.