A tank near the ancient Saptakoteshwar temple has suddenly become
the centre of controversy. Located on the island of Divar, the
tank has been the scene of frenetic activity with some college
teachers associated with rightwing political forces undertaking
excavatory operations to establish the antiquity of the tank even
as the state archives department maintains that it is a protected
site.
Those associated with the excavation said they do not want any
confrontation with the archives department but would like the state
government to expedite further search operation at the site. "The
historical import of the site has been documented in text books by
well-known authors. Our work has revealed there is more that can be
unearthed to make facts about the pilgrimage site available," said
B.V. Apte who teaches English at P.E.S college.
Mr Apte says they have done anything wrong by involving students as
part of a NSS camp to dig at the site. "There is no board at the
venue and the place was in ruins with mud and random vegetation
eclipsing the tank. Not only have we been able to establish the
rare architecture but we have also recovered rare artifacts of the
temple scattered at a nearby hilltop," he added.
Mr Apte is the co-ordinator of Konkan-Kashi project which is
supported by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). About eight years
old, the project aims at establishing the civilisation which
existed in the area before the advent of Muslim and the Portuguese
rulers.
It is also learnt that taking into account the "historical
significance" of the area, the VHP is contemplating on developing
the bank of Mandovi river - around 500 metres from the tank site to
revive it as a pilgrimage centre, Mr Apte revealed.
Directing his wrath at the NSS camp conducted recently at the tank
site, the director of state archives, P.P. Shirodkar said, "They
did not take my permission despite knowing that the place is
protected tinder a notification and an entry made in the official
gazette on August 26,1982. I could have take action but have opted
for a lenient stand. The archives plans to carry out work before
the end of the current financial year," added Mr Shirodkar.
He further stated that "there is no Kashi in this part of the
country. But the historical importance of the site is quite
significant. I have even written an article on it," Mr Shirodkar
clarified.
"When the archives does not deny the historical import of the site
why has it not carried out investigations all these years," argues
Bhusan Bhave, an activist of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad
and a lecturer of Konkani at the college.
"The finding is unique and can be rated as the best piece of
architecture along the western coast. The carvings in laterite is
anyway difficult and to discover 50 odd devekoshtas (niches
depicting temple replicas ) is very exciting," remarked Nandkumar
Kamat, a scientist in the Botany department at Goa university.
Mr Kamat who has authored some books on history would like to
"adopt a scientific approach in stead of getting involved in the
controversy." According to him the evidence at the tank site
reveals "a strong Jain influence along with Shaivite religious
practice carried out possibly between 979 AD to 1360 AD."
In a reference to the famous Saptakoteshwar temple in his book Goan
temples and deities, Rui Gomez Pereira writes," The original temple
was constructed in the 12th century by the kings of Kadamba
dynasty. It was destroyed by the sultan of the Deccan in the
middle of the 14th century and reconstructed at the same locality
by Madhav Mantri of Vijaynagar at the close of the same century.
It was again destroyed by the Portuguese in 1540-1541."
A Jesuit priest Fr Francisco Sousa documented the religious
importance of "Divar" in his book Oriente Conquistado (Conquest of
the orient) around the latter quarter of the 16th or early 17th
century. "Divar," testifies that Fr. Sousa 11 was as much
venerated by the Hindu Brahmins as the Holy land by us, on account
of a temple of many indulgences and pilgrimages..."
Rui Gomez Pereira details further stating, "The linga of the
temple, made of five metals - gold, silver, copper, iron and
bronze" was later relocated in Bicholim. And on the foundations of
the same temple a prayer and catechism house was constructed in
1563, which was later transformed into the chapel of Our Lady of
Cande laria."
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