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/Mahalasa Narayani Temple
State Temple
Mahalasa Narayani Temple
महाल्सा नारायणी मंदिर
Location
Mardol, Goa
Darshan
–
Deity
🪔Goddess Mahalasa (Mohini)
Entry
Free entry
Mahalasa is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Mohini, the divine enchantress. It is a rare temple where Vishnu is worshipped in a female form. Like many Goan temples, the deity was moved here from an older site (Verna) in the 16th century to escape Portuguese destruction.
Mythology
During the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), when the demons stole the nectar of immortality (Amrit), Lord Vishnu took the mesmerizing female form of Mohini to trick the demons and distribute the nectar to the gods. In Goa, she is worshipped as Mahalasa Narayani.