Deity
The temple is dedicated to Lord Mangueshi, an incarnation of Shiva. He is a kuldevta of many Hindus in Goa specially of Saraswat Brahmins. He is also referred to as Saib (The Lord of Goa) by Hindus.
The Mangesh Linga is said to have been consecrated on the mountain of Mangireesh (Mongir) on the banks of river Bhagirathi by Lord Brahma, from where the Saraswat Brahmins brought it to Trihotrapuri in Bihar. They carried the linga to Gomantaka and settled at Kushasthali, the present-day Cortalim, establishing their most sacred and ancient temple of Mangesh on the banks of the river Gomati or Zuari as it is called today. Lord Mangesh is worshipped here in the shape of a Shiva linga. According to the legends Lord Shiva had manifested in to a tiger to scare Parvati. Paravati who was paranoid at the sight of the tiger went in search of Lord Shiva. Parvati was supposed to say "Trahi maam Gireesh" but instead out of nervousness she said: "Trahimangeesh".
Shri Mangueshi is the Kuldevta (family deity) of many Konkani Saraswat Bramhins.
Read more about this topic: Mangueshi Temple
Famous quotes containing the word deity:
“Whenever the deity contrives misfortunes for a man, he first harms their understanding.”
—Sophocles (497–406/5 B.C.)
“Dog. A kind of additional or subsidiary Deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world’s worship.”
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914)
“Man disavows, and Deity disowns me:
Hell might afford my miseries a shelter;
Therefore hell keeps her ever-hungry mouths all
Bolted against me.”
—William Cowper (1731–1800)