Navdurga Temple, Madkai

The Navdurga Temple at Madkai in Goa, also called Shree Navdurga Devasthan, is known for its stone idol of the goddess, whose neck leans to the left. A local tale explains the pose: a devotee from Karnataka who had vowed champa flowers worth a thousand rupees found only one blossom left, paid that sum for it, and asked whether his vow was accepted, at which the neck tilted in assent.

Hindus moved the deity here from Ganshi during Portuguese rule to protect her. Local stories say the site in the Duthal ward was fixed by where a coconut landed, thrown by a possessed villager of the Kamat family. The temple stands at the base of a hill, facing west. A palanquin festival takes place every night, and the seven-day Jatrotsav in Kartik, with plays, processions and a boat festival at dawn, is the main celebration.