In the past, it was believed that the island had small temples of Ganesh, Mallinath, Devki-Krishna, Santa-purush, Narayan, etc. The main deity Devaki-Krishna and its associated deities of Bhumika Devi, Laxmi Ravalnath, Mallinath, Katyayani, Chodaneshwar and Dhada Shankar were taken to Mayem in Bicholim and then relocated to their present location at Marcel.

Although Goa is known more for its beaches, churches and night life, there are several temples with a rich heritage that the devout frequent. There is quite a treasure trove of temples in Goa – one of them being Saptakoteshwar Temple, located 37 kilometres from Panaji in the village of Narve, North Goa. The presiding deity of the temple is Saptakoteshwar, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. An interesting trivia about the temple is that it was originally constructed on Divar island But it was destroyed by the Portuguese and hence the Hindus were forced to move the idol to Narve It is said that Lord Shiva appeared at this place to grant the wishes of seven holy sages who prayed for seven crore years.

Hence the name Saptakoteshwar. Sapt means seven and koteshwar means lord of crores.
Few more in the ‘to-do’ list of a regular tourist and the devout are Shantadurga Temple in Quepem Taluka, Chandreshwar Bhoothnath Temple (located on the road to Quepem, about 14 kilometres from Margao, dedicated to an incarnation of Shiva), Kamakshi Temple in Ponda (temple of consort of Lord Shiva, known as Kamakshi or Goddess Kamakhya, originally a deity from Guwahati, Assam), Bodgeshwar Temple (located near Mapusa at about 12 kilometres from Panaji, and dedicated to Bodgeshwar or Kanakeshwar Baba, locally known as Bongini), Mangueshi Temple (located about 21 kilometres from Panaji, and dedicated to Lord Mangueshi, an incarnation of Shiva, who is worshipped only in Goa), and more. The temples, being a very important part of the rich heritage of Goa, are visited by many devotees every day.