Mangueshi Temple

Shri Mangueshi Temple stands at Mangueshi in Priol, Ponda taluk, about 21 kilometres from Panaji. Its deity, a form of Shiva, is the family god of Saraswat Brahmins, and it ranks among the largest and most visited temples in Goa. A local legend explains the name: Shiva, disguised as a tiger, frightened Parvati, who cried out to the lord of the mountains, and her words became Manguesh.

The lingam was first enshrined at Kushasthali, now Cortalim, in Mormugao. After the Portuguese took Goa in 1510 and began destroying temples, the families who maintained it secretly carried the lingam overnight to Adil Shahi territory, and temple records date its re-installation at Priol to 1560. The temple falls under the spiritual head of Kavale Math and has had a dress code since 2011.