Description:
This ancient temple built in the 12th century by the Kadamba dynasty is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Approximately 65 km from Panaji in a small village of Tambi Surla the temple has survived the Muslim and Portuguese invasions because of its remote placement. Built in Jain style, the temple is considered to be the only specimen of Kadamba-Yadava architecture in basalt stone preserved and available in Goa. The size of the temple is quite small as compared to the size of the average Goan temple and the top part of the temple has never been completed. The temple is located at the foot of the Anmod Ghat, which connects Goa to the state of Karnataka. It is a small, beautifully carved and perfectly proportioned black basalt temple with Lord Shiva in the Lingam form. The intricate carvings created by the craftsmen adorn the interior and the sides of the building. The temple faces east so that the rays of the rising sun fall on the deity at the crack of dawn. Bas-relief figures of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma, with their respective consorts appear on panels at the sides of the temple.
