Goa’s heritage needs a boost

Goa has a lot of history. And is also a major tourist spot. Despite the confluence of the two, many heritage sites are being neglected and are in a state of disrepair. One such historical heritage site is in Narvem in Bicholim at a place known as Tirth.

The Saptakoteshwar temple and surrounding infrastructure was built by Chatrapati Shivaji’s Marathas. Its unique horse paths and tunnels had been used right till the time of  Maharaj Shambaji.   

A local,  Professor Dilip Darghalkar says that the government should restore the whole area to its past glory to preserve history. This could then be promoted as a tourist spot given the significance of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in history.

Darghalkar says the covered tunnels in the area need to be repaired and restored to their original glory. He says the government should show these historical places to the public instead of just putting up boards and notifications.

 Administrator of the Saptakoteshwar Temple Dadi Morajkar says they cannot manage tourists at the temple because they do not have any basic infrastructure such as toilets. He, however, informed that the government has allocated money for renovation.