Ponda Goa

Ponda is a taluka located in North Goa and you can reach this place by moving a distance of 28 km from Panaji. The wonderful time to visit this part of the world is between October and April.

Famous ten temples

Ten temples are famous in this part of the world and these were constructed between 17th and 18th centuries. Many temples in Ponda are new because they have faced the renovation after their destruction by the Portuguese in the past centuries. One of the specialties about this temple town is that from here, you can visit some of the very famous environmental spots in this part of the world. You can visit the wildlife sanctuaries of Goa. The two famous wildlife sanctuaries here are Bhagvaan Mahavir Wildlife sanctuary and Bondla wildlife sanctuary.

Transformation into an administrative center

When Portuguese took over this part of the world in the year 1791 AD, it got transformed into an administrative center. They took this region from the king of Sonda. This region was annexed along with the other regions like Sanguem, Canacona and Quepem. Not only is Ponda a leading industrial city as of today but it is also a tourist hub attracting not only tourists of India but also from various parts of world.

Principal attractions

Shantadurga temple

Explore the historic Shantadurga temple which is among the largest temples in Goa. This is the temple built for goddess Durga and was constructed in the year 1738 AD.? In this temple, you will find other principal deities like Shiva and lord Vishnu. In the interior of the temple, you will find the polished marble.

Mangesh temple

The Mangesh temple is an attractive temple of Hindu religion and was built in the 18th century in the Goan Hindu style of architecture. This is a Shiva temple and is among the principal attractions in the region. This is in fact a holy shrine of India and one will love to visit for the procession when the chariot of the temple is taken out for the procession.

Mahalasa temple

This is a temple dedicated to Laxmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. As per Hinduism, this is the deity of wealth and prosperity. Some people say that it is temple of Mohini, the female form of Lord Vishnu and you also have garuda, the mythical bird.

Mahalakshmi temple and Nagesh temple

The Marathi inscription dates back to the initial years of 15th century AD in Mahalakashmi temple and in the Nagesh temple, you will find the multiple storeyed lamp tower. This is the temple of Lord Shiva.

Safa Masjid

Safa Masjid dates back to the 16th century and this is a well preserved mosque. Adil Shah built it in 1560 AD. From here, you can visit Dudsagar waterfalls for excursion and Bhagvan Mahavir Sanctuary.