Shri Saptakoteshwar Temple
Narve, Goa · Lord Shiva · Shiva Temple
A Kadamb-era Shiva tirtha near Divar, restored under Maratha patronage and listed among Goa’s principal temples.
At Narve (Naroa) in Bicholim taluka, the Shri Saptakoteshwar Temple honours Shiva as Saptakoteshwar, a name tied in regional tradition to the seven sages and to the Kadambas who made the shrine a royal tirtha near the confluence of the Mandovi and Zuari channels. Goa Tourism lists it among the state’s principal temples and notes its restoration under Maratha patronage after the medieval temple at Divar was lost to colonial destruction — a story also documented in the department’s Goapuri & Velha Goa publications.
History
Goa Tourism’s temple pages describe Saptakoteshwar as a Shiva shrine once patronised by the Kadamba kings and later restored by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, located near the Divar region as a symbol of Goa’s continuing Hindu heritage. The Goapuri & Velha Goa ebook series recounts how the original Kadamb-era temple on Divar — whose linga tradition held was a saptaling of seven metals — was dismantled as Old Goa rose, while stones from the site entered later colonial building campaigns.
The present temple at Narve sits beside a sacred tank fed by a spring, near the tirtha formed where the Naroa stream meets the river system that linked Goa’s old capitals to the island of Divar. Access today typically involves a road journey through Bicholim and, for many visitors, a ferry crossing from Divar — a route the Goa state portal highlights when describing Narve as about 35 km from Panaji.
Stories
The Lingam of Seven Metals
According to the Sahyadri Khanda of the Skanda Purana, the seven sages established this shrine at Naroa on Divar island. Tradition says they made a lingam of seven metals, and after long worship Shiva appeared and agreed to stay as Saptakoteshwar, Lord of the seven sages.
Kadamba Family Deity
Saptakoteshwar was the family deity of the Kadamba kings of Goa. Gold coins of several Kadamba rulers found at Chandor and other places carry an inscription naming the grace of Saptakoteshwar.
Destroyed, Hidden, Rebuilt
Records say the lingam was dug up around 1352 under the Bahmani sultan, and the temple was restored after Vijayanagara forces retook Goa in 1367. In 1560 the Portuguese pulled down the temple on Divar. Tradition says a local chieftain later saved the lingam, and a new temple was raised at Narve.
Good to know
Listed on the Goa Tourism temples portal and the notified Goa tourist places schedule
Historic Kadamb–Maratha Shiva heritage near Divar / Narve
Sacred tank and confluence-side tirtha setting in north Goa
Getting there
Nearest airport: Goa (Dabolim / Manohar International), ~35 km from Narve per state listings. Road access via Bicholim; many itineraries include the Divar ferry. Nearest major railheads are Karmali and Thivim on the Konkan line.
Best time to visit: Nov – Feb