Shri Chandreshwar Bhoothnath Temple is one of the oldest and most well-known temples of Goa, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is stated that Chandreshwar is an incarnation of Lord Shiva and is worshipped as Lord of the Moon. The Temple has stood for more than 1500 years. There is a palanquin procession of the deity held every Monday evening and food is then provided to the worshipers.
Location of Bhoothnath Temple:
The ancient Chandreshwar Temple also known as the Chandranath Temple is situated on the road to Quepem, about 14 km from Margao. It is located on the Chandranath Parvat, a heavily wooded hill on Paroda Parvat.
History of Bhoothnath Temple:
According to an ancient Sanskrit inscription, a temple has stood on this magical spot for nearly 2500 years. However, the present building, dedicated to Shiva, is comparatively modern, dating from the late 1600s. The only part of the shrine that is a vestige of the Vedic age is its cavernous inner sanctum, hollowed from a hug back bolder, around which the site’s seventeenth-century custodians erected a typically Goan-style structure, capped with a red-tile room and domed sanctuary tower.
The temple is associated with the Bhoja dynasty who were the rulers of the region till the 8th century. Also, from the Bhoja’s family deity, Lord Chandreshwar the name of their capital Chandrapur (today’s Chandor) was derived.
Description of Bhoothnath Temple:
One can reach the Chandreshwar temple by the granite stone steps from the hill’s base or by a drive up over a metal-led road. The temple is situated 350 meters above Chandranath Hill. It can be reached by climbing the huge granite steps. The main approach to the temple is a metalled road and you have to enter the temple by alighting these granite steps. The whole place is strangely infested by small rock crabs.
Pilgrims arrive at the main entrance for darshan, or the ritual viewing of the God. A wild-eyed golden Chandreshwar deity, Shiva as “Lord of Moon”, stares out from an ornately decorated sanctum, wrapped in brocaded silk.
The presiding deity of the temple is Shri Bhutnath or Chandreshwar whom the Bhoja kings regarded as the titular deity. The Bhoja kings ruled South Goa before the Christians till the middle of the 8th century. And in fact, they named their capital Chandrapur after the deity.
In the Shri Chandranath Temple at Quepem in Goa, you will find the Shiva Linga carved out from the rock. The surprising and most amazing fact is that on full moon night, water oozes out from the Shiva Linga whenever moonlight falls on it and the temple is so designed that Shiva Linga receives moonlight on every full moon. Scientists suggest a meteorite fell on Chandranath Mountain during the pre-historic period.
Bhootnath:
Next door, a smaller temple is dedicated to Chandreshwar’s attendant deity, Bhootnath who is the lord of ghosts. The temple’s ancient chariot is well known for its wood carvings. The tree temple chariots are housed in a corner building. A palanquin procession of the deity is held every Monday evening wherein food is offered to the devotees.
Festivals dedicated to Bhoothnath Temple:
The main festival here is the five-day Hanuman Jayanti, along with Dushera and Mahashivratri.
Parvathi and elephant-headed Ganesh respectively, sculpted in stone – are housed in small niches to the rear of the shrine. The circumambulatory passage, which has to be walked around in a clockwise direction, hugs the base of the boulder that forms the temple’s heart. A small Nandi Bull lies among there from which the view west out to sea and south across the Assolna estuary to the Cabo Da Rama headland can be seen.
