Goa govt to build `representative' temple dedicated to shrines destroyed during Portuguese era

Panaji, Sep 10 (PTI) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday announced that the state government will construct a "representative" temple dedicated to more than 1,000 temples demolished during the colonial Portuguese rule.

The state cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal to build "Koti-Teerth", a mega temple spread across 10,000 square metres, on Diwar Island where the original Saptakoteshwar temple stood once.

The new temple would be dedicated to the temples demolished during the Portuguese era, the CM told reporters.

As per the report of a committee of archeologists and historians formed by the government, more than 1,000 temples were destroyed in Goa during the Portuguese period, he said.

The government did not think it feasible to reconstruct all of them, Sawant said, adding, "Hence, we decided to construct a representative temple at Diwar Island where the historic Saptakoteshwar temple had been razed by the Portuguese." After the demolition, the deity (lingam) of the Saptakoteshwar temple was shifted to Narve village where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built a new temple, he said. PTI RPS KRK