Kashi of Konkan Reborn: Stone miracle rises at Fatorpa

Time of India

04-05-2025

DIVINE SYMMETRY: The temple has been planned like a yantra, with shatavargas — 6 principles of proportions — yielding harmony
The new
Shree Saptakoteshwar Temple
is the first full granite stone structure built in modern Goa according to the principles enshrined in the original Kadamba-era style
Stretching 45 feet heavenwards and reclaiming 1,000sqm for an architectural renaissance, the new Shree Saptakoteshwar Temple at Fatorpa revives the nearly lost tradition of stone temple construction in Goa.
The temple is the first full granite stone structure built in modern Goa according to the principles enshrined in the original Kadamba-era style. The groundbreaking achievement has overcome formidable engineering challenges.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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The original Saptakoteshwar temple on Divar island was constructed around AD1155 by
Kadamba queen Kamaladevi
. It was revered as the 'Kashi of the Konkan'. It was attacked remorselessly by invaders and the Portuguese. Devotees eventually fled with the deity to Fatorpa, where this new structure now stands.
Blueprint for 1,000 years
The reconstruction project began with an empty treasury in 2004, with ground broken in 2005, and was completed in early March this year.
'During reconstruction, a bold decision was made to build the temple in the stone style to make it last for a thousand years,' said
Abhijit Sadhale
, who designed this architectural landmark with his father Kamlakar from Ponda.
The design is blessed with inspiration from the ancient Mahadev Temple at Tambdi Surla, one of the few surviving Kadamba-era icons. However, Sadhale noted the differences. 'The
Tambdi Surla
temple is Nirandhar, meaning a shrine without a circumambulatory path around the 'garbhagriha' (the sanctum sanctorum),' he said. 'Whereas the Saptakoteshwar temple is a Sandhar temple with a covered pathway, which is especially important in a rainy region.'
The Saptakoteshwar temple's construction presented unique technical conundrums requiring innovative solutions. Unlike many contemporary stone temples built on reinforced cement concrete (RCC) platforms, this structure employs a dry-lock system with no RCC foundations.
Lack of data: A boon
'The jointing material we have used — lime or cement — is only to fill the spaces between the stones,' Sadhale said.
The temple measures 157ft by 75ft with intricately carved elements throughout. The absence of any reference material spurred the boon of original thinking.
'We often gave craftsmen 1:1 drawings (full-scale sketches). Then we realised even that was a problem,' Sadhale said. 'So, we made temporary clay or cement models for them to understand the actual proportions.'
One of the temple's most striking features is the dipastambha (a pillar usually bedecked with lamps), masterfully carved from a single stone measuring 23ft, crowned with a four-foot bronze trident, reaching a total height of 27ft. The temple includes a unique Ayudhapurusha pillar symbolising the five weapons of Lord Shiva.
The central sabha of the new temple features a rangashila mandap (the site of rituals and holy events), with a lotus-shaped ceiling. The temple is supported by 24 stone pillars adorned with artistic carvings, with eight inner pillars made of black stone, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship.
Civilisation's blessing
'We are not copying history. We look at the Saptakoteshwar temple in a continuous line of evolution of temple architecture,' Sadhale said. 'Though it draws reference from the Tambdi Surla temple, it also develops on that and makes it more culturally and contextually relevant to the present period.'
For Sadhale, the project transcends mere construction. 'I look at it as an important milestone in Goa's history of architecture. A temple must belong to the ground in terms of its community history, cultural context, historical connections, and architectural style,' he said.
Sadhale added, 'From the mandir stapatya (temple architecture) point of view, it is designed like a yantra, with shatavargas — the six principles of proportions — yielding harmony.'
This is not a dead reference point in history but a living force of the uninterrupted flow of our civilisation, Sadhale said. 'This will not only infuse interest in continuing the older traditions but will also establish their relevance in contemporary building skills,' he said.