Only 4km outside Ponda, and a stone’s throw from Naguesh Temple, is the relatively uninspiring Mahalaxmi Temple. The goddess Mahalaxmi, looked upon as the mother of the world, was particularly worshipped by the Shilahara rulers and by the Kadambas, and thus has featured prominently in the Hindu pantheon in southern India. Here she wears a lingam (phallic symbol of Shiva) on her head, symbolising her connection with Shiva.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
7.96 MILES
Famous throughout the Roman Catholic world, the imposing Basilica de Bom Jesus contains the tomb and mortal remains of St Francis Xavier, the so-called…
8.1 MILES
At over 76m long and 55m wide, the cavernous Sé Cathedral is the largest church in Asia. Building commenced in 1562, on the orders of King Dom Sebastiao…
Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
11.9 MILES
Panaji’s spiritual, as well as geographical, centre is this elevated, pearly white church, built in 1619 over an older, smaller 1540 chapel, and stacked…
10.06 MILES
Artist and restorer Victor Hugo Gomes first noticed the slow extinction of traditional objects – from farming tools to kitchen utensils to altarpieces –…
10.8 MILES
Braganza House, built in the 17th century and stretching along one whole side of Chandor’s village square, is the biggest Portuguese mansion of its kind…
12.96 MILES
Opened to the public in 2012 as a cultural centre, Reis Magos Fort overlooks the narrowest point of the Mandovi River estuary, making it easy to…
14.52 MILES
About 8km southeast of Chandor is the busy small town of Quepem. Here the Palácio do Deão, the renovated 18th-century palace built by the town’s founder,…
22.8 MILES
Situated in the far southeastern corner of the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa’s most impressive waterfall splashes down just west of the border…
Nearby Panaji & Central Goa attractions
0.27 MILES
In the village of Bandode is the small and peaceful Naguesh Temple. The most striking part of the temple is the ancient water tank, with its overhanging…
0.47 MILES
Though undoubtedly one of Ponda’s less-attractive temples, Shri Ramnath is notable for the impressive and extravagant silver screen on the door to the…
0.77 MILES
Surrounded by forest and paddy fields, the Shri Shantadurga Temple is one of the most famous shrines in Goa and is consequently packed with those who come…
1.38 MILES
The Safa Shahouri Masjid, Goa’s oldest remaining mosque, is on Ponda’s northern outskirts. Built by Bijapuri ruler Ali Adil Shah in 1560, it was…
5. Shri Laxmi Narasimha Temple
1.95 MILES
Almost immediately after leaving the village of Mardol on the main road, a side road to the right takes you up a hill towards the little village of…
2.42 MILES
The Mahalsa Temple, 1km down the road from the Shri Manguesh Temple, is in the tiny village of Mardol. This temple’s deity originally resided in an…
7. Butterfly Conservatory of Goa
2.71 MILES
This small butterfly sanctuary, 5km north of Ponda, is home to more than 100 species of free-flying butterflies (it’s not enclosed) in a small patch of…
2.82 MILES
Around 9km north of Ponda, this temple is one of the most visited of Goa’s Hindu temples, admirably combining two key features of Goan Hinduism: first, it…