Sri Nagesh Maharudra Temple, South Goa

The Saraswats also established the Sri Nagesh Maharudra deity at Bhandiwade. Unlike the other deities, this one found a safe abode right from the start and did not have to be shifted from place to place. The temple, which faces west, has a beautiful tank in front, with a Nandi bull in black granite standing at its entrance. At some distance are also visible the smaller temples of Poorvachari, Betal and Raval Nath. The Palace of the Sunda King stands in the neighborhood.

A peculiar feature of the Saraswat temples of Goa is the priority given there to the local Christian devotees who are said to flock to these temples. Irrespective of having embraced Christianity, many of the present-day Christians still hold on to their pre-conversion surnames and still sponsor and support the deities of their Hindu brethren. It is a measure of how deep their roots run, despite all the Portuguese influence that had been thrust upon them.