Shri Damodar Temple
Shiva as Shri Damodar (Dambab) temple · Zambaulim, South Goa, Goa, India
Photo: Shrikant Kamat · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The Shri Damodar Temple stands on the bank of the Kushavati river at Zambaulim, a village in Quepem taluka of South Goa, about 22 km from Margao (The Goan; Swarajya; Gomantak Times). Its presiding deity, Shri Damodar, is a form of Shiva, and the deity was once worshipped as a linga by the people of Margao (The Goan; Gomantak Times). Devotees call him Shri Dambab in Konkani (Swarajya; Gomantak Times).
The temple is best known for the Gulalotsav, the colour festival that closes the Shigmo celebrations each spring and draws devotees from across Goa and from Maharashtra and Karnataka (Swarajya; Gomantak Times).
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Shri Damodar Temple
Shri Damodar is regarded as the deity of Margao, once called Mathagram, even though his temple is now at Zambaulim (Swarajya; Gomantak Times). Swarajya describes Zambaulim as the deity's second home (Swarajya).
Both Hindus and Christians are counted among the temple's devotees (The Goan; Swarajya).
Heritage
History of Shri Damodar Temple
Shri Damodar was originally worshipped in Margao, and the deity was moved to Zambaulim during Portuguese rule (The Goan; Swarajya; Gomantak Times). Swarajya and the Gomantak Times both connect the move to the destruction of temples around Margao in 1567, and the Gomantak Times says the remains of the linga were carried from Fatorda (Swarajya; Gomantak Times).
Several other deities were brought to Zambaulim at the same time, including Shri Ramnath, Shri Lakshmi Narayan, Shri Chamundeshwari, Shri Mahakali and Shri Mahesh (Swarajya; Gomantak Times). Swarajya notes that no documents confirm the different accounts of the move, because the relevant records are said to have been destroyed (Swarajya). The Goan places the building of the present temple in the 1800s, so the sources do not agree on when the Zambaulim temple itself was built (The Goan).
Architecture and sacred features
The temple complex includes an image of Lakshmi Narayan and shrines to the goddess Chamundeshwari (The Goan). A separate temple of Shri Ramnath stands nearby, and its courtyard is where the Gulalotsav begins (Swarajya; Gomantak Times).
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
Crowds are largest on the day of the Gulalotsav at the end of Shigmo, when the courtyard fills with people throwing gulal (Swarajya; Gomantak Times). Confirm current arrangements and festival dates with the Shri Damodar Sansthan before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with the temple administration before travelling. Last reviewed 11 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Shri Damodar Temple
Shigmo (Shishirotsav)
Zambaulim's Shigmo begins around the Phalgun full moon and runs for about a week (Swarajya; Gomantak Times). It starts with the worship of a sacred coconut at a Keni family house in Comba, Margao, which is then taken in procession to Zambaulim (Swarajya; Gomantak Times).
Gulalotsav
The deity is carried in a palanquin to the courtyard of the Shri Ramnath temple, gulal is applied and thrown by devotees, and many then bathe in the Kushavati river (Swarajya; Gomantak Times). The festival is said to have been held for more than five centuries and is organised by the Mathagramastha Hindu Sabha of Margao (Swarajya; Gomantak Times).
Location
How to Reach Shri Damodar Temple
Zambaulim is about 22 km from Margao (The Goan; Swarajya). The Goan advises following National Highway 66 to reach the temple and names Balli as the closest railway station (The Goan).
Location: Zambaulim, South Goa, Goa, India
Nearest railway station: Balli (as given by The Goan)
More in Hindu temples in Goa · Shiva as Shri Damodar (Dambab) temples
Questions
Shri Damodar Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
Which deity is worshipped at the Shri Damodar Temple, Zambaulim?
The presiding deity is Shri Damodar, a form of Shiva once worshipped as a linga in Margao (The Goan; Gomantak Times). Devotees call him Shri Dambab in Konkani (Swarajya; Gomantak Times).
Where is the temple?
It is on the bank of the Kushavati river at Zambaulim in Quepem taluka, South Goa, about 22 km from Margao (The Goan; Swarajya).
Why is the Margao deity worshipped at Zambaulim?
The deity was moved from Margao to Zambaulim during Portuguese rule, and Swarajya and the Gomantak Times link the move to the destruction of temples in 1567 (Swarajya; Gomantak Times; The Goan). Swarajya notes that no surviving documents confirm the details (Swarajya).
What is the Zambaulim Gulalotsav?
It is the colour festival on the last day of Zambaulim's Shigmo, when gulal is applied to the deity's palanquin and devotees throw it at one another (Swarajya; Gomantak Times). Devotees come from across Goa and from Maharashtra and Karnataka (Swarajya; Gomantak Times).
Which other deities are worshipped at Zambaulim?
Shri Ramnath, Shri Lakshmi Narayan, Shri Chamundeshwari, Shri Mahakali and Shri Mahesh were brought to Zambaulim along with Shri Damodar (Swarajya; Gomantak Times).
What is the nearest railway station?
The Goan names Balli as the closest railway station and suggests reaching the temple by National Highway 66 (The Goan).
Sources and attribution
- © OpenStreetMap contributors — location data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Wikidata Q24906612 — structured data (CC0)
- Wikipedia — Shri Damodar Sansthaan, Goa — text facts from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Goan — Shri Damodar Temple
- The Goan — In the spirit of history
- Swarajya — Goa's Gulalotsav: How the 'Saib' of Goa Shri Damodar vacations and plays Holi every summer (Harsha Bhat, 2019)
- Gomantak Times — Gulalotsav: A Goan celebration of euphoria (Dhiraj Harmalkar, 2023)
- Gomantak Times — Zambaulim's Gulal draws devotees from Goa and beyond (Kimberly Colaco, 2025)
Further reading: Shri Damodar Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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