Kuldevi Mahalasa Narayani
Mahalasa Narayani is my family deity. Before marriage, the main reason for visiting Goa was to seek the blessings of our Kuldevi. Once that was done, we would explore a bit of Goa. With Mahalasa Mata’s grace, she became my Kuldevi from my husband’s side as well. My in-laws reside in Panaji, just 25 kilometers away from her temple. My affection for Mahalasa Mata grew even stronger after she became our family deity through my in-laws. Initially, I visited Mardol two or three times a year, but now, I visit countless times. Even aside from being our family deity, there is something captivating about Mahalasa’s temple, especially seeing her adorned in different ornaments every day, which keeps drawing me back.
History of Mahalasa Narayani Temple
Originally, Mahalasa was from Varenyapur, now known as Verna village. During the Portuguese rule, many deities were moved to safer locations, and Mahalasa was relocated to Mardol.
According to the Sahyadri Khand of the Skanda Purana, Parashurama brought ten Saraswat families from Trihotra in the north to the land of Gomantak. These families brought their Kuldevi with them, including Mangeshi, Mahalasa, Mahalakshmi, Mahadev, Shantadurga, Nagesh, and Saptakoteshwar. Later, more Saraswat families arrived with their respective Kuldevi, making a total of sixty-six families, six of which settled in Varennypur, now Verna.
Adjacent to Mahalasa’s temple in Mardol is the Shanteri Devi temple. It is said that Shanteri Devi, originally from Mardol, gave space to Mahalasa from Verna to settle beside her. Devotees who believe in this legend first visit Shanteri before Mahalasa. The daily aarti (ritual) is also performed first for Shanteri Devi. Following this, aarti is conducted in the small temples behind Mahalasa’s temple, dedicated to Grampurush, Bhagwati, Chatushashti Yogini, Kalbhairav, Shri Dadh, and then Mahalasa.
Who is Mahalasa Narayani?
Many tourists are curious about who Mahalasa Narayani is. Some mistake her for Khandoba’s wife Mahalasa, while others think she is Mahalakshmi due to the similarity in names.
To understand who Mahalasa Narayani is, we must look back at the event of Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean). When the pot of Amrita (nectar of immortality) emerged, a battle ensued between the gods and demons. To help the gods, Vishnu took the form of the enchantingly beautiful Mohini. The demons were mesmerized by her beauty, and taking advantage of this, Mohini distributed the Amrita among the gods. When Rahu disguised himself as a god to drink the nectar, Mohini beheaded him.
The Mahalasa of Mardol is this very Mohini. The four-armed Mahalasa, wearing a sacred thread, holds a trident in one of her rear hands and the pot of Amrita in the other. In her front right hand, she holds a sword and the hair of the kneeling demon Virochan, while her left hand holds Rahu’s severed head, with a tiger drinking the blood dripping from it. She stands on the back of the fallen demon.
The Structure of Mahalsa Narayani Temple
The Mahalasa Narayani temple in Mardol is nearly 450 years old. While the main structure of the original temple remains intact, there have been some internal changes over time. The entrance door of the Garbhgruha and the walls on either side and above it are adorned with silver plates. The main door of the Garbhgruha is plated with gold, and the temple’s spire is also golden, with a brass dome beneath it. Copper has been used for the roofing, and the pyramid-shaped roof above the doors on both sides of the courtyard is also made of copper. The use of gold, copper, and brass in the temple’s architecture contributes significantly to the positive energy within the temple.
The current front assembly hall, Hanuman temple, Navagraha temple, and Yajna Mandap were built later. The temple, which boasts a beautiful courtyard, has a highly captivating main entrance. At this entrance, there is a beautifully carved statue of the four-armed Mahalsa. Above the entrance is a small room for musicians to play the shehnai and drums. Upon entering through the main entrance, one is greeted by a tall metal Deepmala (lamp tower) that is lit during festivals. Behind this lamp tower, in front of the main Mahalsa temple, is a small Hanuman temple, and beside it is a grand Deepastambha (lamp pillar). Between the lamp pillar and the Hanuman temple, there is a beautiful flagpole.
The large assembly hall inside the temple has stone pillars on either side and at the front. Above the entrance to the hall is a carved statue of Sheshashayi Vishnu. In the center of the front wall is a beautifully carved statue of the four-armed Mahalasa.
From here, we enter the “Nagarakhana,” where the ceremonial drums, cymbals, and Mahalsa’s palanquin are kept. During the aarti (ritual worship), the drums and other instruments are played from this area. On both sides of this “Nagarakhana,” there are stairs that lead to the balconies of the outer assembly hall. Moving forward, we enter the courtyard (chauk) in front of the temple’s sanctum. On either side of the doorway leading to the courtyard, there are large windows. The courtyard (chauk) is flanked by beautifully carved wooden pillars, with a wooden ceiling above. Additionally, the courtyard is adorned with intricately carved wooden statues of various deities on all four sides. Unlike most other temples where large windows can be found on both sides, this temple features long wooden planks on either side, resembling a ledge. Behind these planks, there are wooden grills through which light and air flow into the courtyard.
On either side of the silver door leading to the sanctum are images of Lakshmi and Saraswati, as well as auspicious symbols carved into the silver plating. Above the door is a depiction of the Amritmanthan (churning of the ocean). Nearby, slightly outside, are statues of Jai and Vijay (the divine gatekeepers). Beyond this door, there is another door, and then the entrance to the sanctum itself. Inside this gold-plated, intricately decorated entrance, you can have a divine glimpse of the adorned and enchanting Mahalsa Devi.
If you wish to see the original Shaligram (sacred stone) idol, you can do so in the morning until around 9:30 AM, before the rituals like the abhishekam (anointing) are completed. After that, the deity is adorned with various ornaments. Each day, the deity is decorated in different ways, and the beauty of these decorations is so captivating that no matter how long you gaze upon the deity, it never feels like enough. The creativity of the priest who devoutly adorns the deity every day deserves boundless appreciation.
The Mysterious Bell of the Temple
One of the most fascinating features of the Mahalasa Narayani temple is the massive brass bell, which has its clapper (the part that rings) removed. During the Portuguese rule, this bell was used to deliver justice. The story behind the bell is that anyone who gave false testimony while ringing it would die within three days. As a result, even during the Portuguese regime, testimonies given in the temple were considered valid in court. Whenever someone wanted to give testimony, the clapper would be attached to the bell. Today, this bell can still be seen in the temple.
Temple Complex
The entire temple complex is charming. There are rooms on both sides for devotees to stay, a canteen, some houses for priests, an office, and a hall for weddings and other ceremonies. To the right of the temple is the newly renovated, beautiful Shanteri Devi temple. To the left, past the canteen, is the road leading to the temple of the simhpurush of the Kaushik Gotra, with a hall and more rooms built in recent years.
Outside the temple entrance, there is a small Dattatreya temple under an Audumbar tree, which is small but beautiful. The road outside the temple is lined with small hotels and shops.
Various Programs at the Temple
Throughout the year, various programs are held at the temple, including the annual Jayanchi Pooja in Shravan, the Makhara in Ashwin Navratri, the Deepotsav in Kartik, the Rath Yatra on Champa Shashti in Margashirsha, the five-day fair in Magh, the Mahashivratri festival, and the Rangpanchami festival in Phalguna. Additionally, Mahalasa’s palanquin procession takes place every Sunday, Shanteri’s palanquin procession on Panchami, and daily aartis for both Shanteri and Mahalsa in the afternoon and evening.
If you haven’t visited the beautiful Mahalasa temple in Mardol yet, you should plan a visit soon.
