Description of the attraction
The Mahalsa temple complex, located near the small settlement of Mardol, which is located in the northern part of Goa, was built in honor of God Vishnu, or rather his only female incarnation, Goddess Mohini, or as she is also called Mahalasa Narayani.
It is believed that this temple was originally built in Nepal, and then the idol of the goddess was moved to the city of Aurangabad, in the state of Maharashtra. But after the conquest of these territories by the Mughal army, he was hidden in a secret place in Goa. The modern temple was built during the Portuguese rule. It consists of two main buildings, one of which is the Mahalsa temple itself, and the second is dedicated to Lakshmi-Narayan, who is also worshiped there along with Vishnu. Also on the territory of the complex there is a seven-story tower resembling a tall candle.
The main attraction of the Mahalsa temple complex is a huge copper bell. It is not used in rituals. They used to call him only when they wanted to find out if someone was telling the truth or not. Legend has it that if a person lies while the voice of this bell sounds, the goddess will kill him within three days after that. People believed this so strongly that the method was even officially used in court hearings during the reign of the Portuguese.
Every Sunday, the statue of the goddess is taken out of the temple on a palanquin, decorated with flowers and garlands, and carried around the building. Meanwhile, the assembled people sing songs in honor of Mohini.
Recently, foreigners are not allowed into the temple, explaining that they do not follow the rules of conduct in the temple and do not dress appropriately to visit this place.
