Description of the attraction
Not far from the capital of the most popular resort in India - the state of Goa, in the small village of Priol, there is one of the largest and most visited temples in the entire state - the Mangesh Temple.
The temple was erected in honor of the Hindu God Mangeshi - one of the incarnations of Shiva, who is also called Saib, or the God of Goa. It is believed that the main shrine of the temple - Linga Mangeshi - the stone-container of the divine essence, was consecrated by Brahma himself.
The building of the temple is a real work of art. Its main attractions are the remarkable seven-story tower at the gate and graceful columns that have won fame as the most beautiful in the entire state of Goa. The oldest part of the 400-year-old temple complex is a small pond near the main building. The main hall of the temple, which is famous for its amazing 19th century chandeliers, can accommodate about 500 people at a time.
In the temple, pujas are traditionally held several times a day - a kind of sacrifice to deities: morning pujas - Abhishek, Laghurudra and Maharudra, and evening - Maha-Aarti, also one night puja - Panchopchar. Every week on Mondays, a small festival takes place in the temple, when the main idol is taken out of the temple building and carried through the streets, accompanying the procession with music.
Despite its immense popularity, or perhaps precisely because of it, the temple has recently closed its doors to foreign tourists. As the reason, the "administration" of the temple named inappropriate clothing and no less inappropriate behavior of foreign guests.
