Shri Shivanath Ravalnath— is the Presiding Deity at one of Karwar's most prominent temples. Shri Shivanath Ravalnath is the Kuladevata (family deity) of many around the world.
Shri Shivanath Ravalnath— is the Presiding Deity at one of Karwar's most prominent temples. Shri Shivanath Ravalnath is the Kuladevata (family deity) of many around the world.
The temple of Shri Shivanath Ravalnath is set amidst natural beauty and pleasant surroundings.
Baad, a little village in Karwar is not only a point of pilgrimage for the followers of the Lord, it attracts hundreds of tourists from all over India and abroad.
The Lord Shiva is a form of the universal god worshipped by Hindus. He is also called Shivnath Ravalnath in Konkani as a mark of reverence. "Shivnath Ravalnath “which means " He whose eyes awaken desire, or He who has beautiful eyes".
Kuladevata is the hereditary or family deity and usually is Shiva, Devi or Vishnu. Each Daivadnya Brahmin family has its own family god or goddess. Daivadnya Brahmins usually have their family deity temples in Goa, very few were shifted to neighboring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra during inquisition period. Daivadnya Brahmins families usually make a pilgrimage to the Kuladevata temple to attain blessing of the god during festivals and after an auspicious occasion such as a wedding.
There are various historical stories which explain the birth of Shri Ravalnath and its establishment. Few believe that Shri Ravalnath is another form of Khandoba or Jyothiba who is widely worshipped in Maharastra. Presently the Ravalnath temple in Shiroda, Goa is one of the few renowned temples. Long back the village was named as Shrivade, which later was called as Shiroda. This village was abundant in greenery, lots of paddy fields and always rich in resource, truly exemplifying the presence of “Shri” in the village. A close study regarding the origin of the Ravalnath idol in shiroda gives an insight to our culture and our past generation.
If one studies the various caste and creeds in Konkan areas, we find that we are descendants from North India. There is town called Ravalpindi on the banks of river Raavi.The god of Raval is called as Ravalnath. “Ravalu” in Telgu means respected officer, hence god of respectable people is Ravalnath. Most of the followers of Ravalnath are from Kasyap gotra. sage Kashyap is son of Brahma and different stories regarding his power are known in purans and vedic scriptures. Sage Kasyap had settled in self built place called Mihir in Himalayas which is now called as Kashmir [Kasyap’s Mihir] The people from this town moved alongside the riverbanks of Ravvi and later settled in the town of Ravalpindi. This town once rich in resources lost its charm and people started migrating down south of India. Some of the people like skilled goldsmiths and artisans settled in goa brought their deity Shri Ravanath to Shrivada, goa.
Goa was ruled byKhiljī. In 1472, the Bahāmanī Muslims attacked, demolished many temples, and forced the Hindus to convert to Islam. To avoid this religious persecution, several Śeṭ families fled to the neighborhood town Karwar. The sect belonging to Kasyap gotra migrated to Karwar with their deity and established the idol at Sonarwada baad, Karwar. In 1840 few members belonging to Kailwadekar, Anavekar and Shirodkar family brought the “divya Jyothi” to Sonar wada, Baad Karwar.
For most of the years the Shri Ravalnath existed in the form of Divya Jyothi and not in the form of idol. In 1935 late shri Ghanshyam Shet, Late Shri Vasudev Shet and Late Shri Govind Shet undertook the temple construction project and the idol of Shri Shivnath Ravalnath came to existence as present in today’s form
We are trying to collect donations for the Temple. You can donate any amount that you are comfortable with. Your every contribution helps. Please write a cheque to "Shri Shivanath Ravalnath Devasthan Trust" and mail it to the following address:
Shri Shivnath Ravalnath Devasthan, Sonarwada, Baad Karwar 581301
Yearly Events at the temple.
Shravan Month:
Monday is the Lord’s Day. Every Monday morning Abhishek is performed with naivadya in the afternoon. In the evening special discourses are arranged and lamps are lit during the night pooja.
Ashwin Month:
The day on Shudha navami is of special importance. The pooja is performed by the Shirodkar family. On the next day of Dasara, all the devotees join together to offer the leaves of Shembi and Appate {signifying the gold} to the deity of Sri Shivnath ravalnath. The Dasara festival is celebrated with full grandeur.
Margshirsh Month:
The Poornima day in this month is the most important day for all devotees of Shri Shivnath , Ravalnath. This day is celebrated as Datta Jayanthi. Most of the devotees belonging to this Kulavi, staying near and far away, make it an annual event to attend the Pooja at night. The holy Panchamurth Abhishek is performed in the morning and decorated with the silver attire and gold jewellery. On this day many devotees perform Tulabhar and donate offerings.
At night, bhajans are performed, then the main Pooja is carried out. Next the wedding rituals are carried out, which marks the start of the marriage for the Kashyap Gotra devotees. Later the Tulsi Pooja, ear piercing activities and offerings to Kshetrapaal are carried out. Lastly the Mahaprasad is served to all. This is a must see event for all the people attending the ever important Datta Jayanthi.
During the next three days the panchamurth abhishek is performed daily and mahapooja is performed. On the fourth day the idol of Utsav Murthi is taken out in a procession in Palkhi accompanied by Bhajans and music. The fifth day is celebrated as Jatra day on this eventful day Vanbhojan and Mahapooja are carried out. At night, dramas are performed by locals as an entertainment event.
On sixth day, the auction is carried out in the afternoon of all the offerings donated to the deity. In the eveing, the idol is taken to the beach side for auspicious bath. The whole surrounding of Sonar wada, Baad is full of activities with lighting and colorful mood.
Mahashivratra:
On this day, Abhishek are performed by lot of devotees and bhajans are carried out throughout the night to mark the importance of “MAHASHIVRATRA”
Shri Shivnath Ravalnath Devasthan Trust
Sonar Wada, Baad, Karwar 581301
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