States Portuguese had launched assault on Sanatan Dharma in Goa
CM Pramod Sawant attended the Somnath Swabhiman Parv 2026 programme held at Shree Goveshwar Mahashiv Temple, Jagatguru Narendracharya Maharaj Sansthan, Uppith-Bainguinim, Old Goa.
PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said Sanatan Dharma and Indian culture must reach Gen Z if future generations are to remain connected to religious and Sanatani traditions.
He was speaking at the Somnath Swabhiman Parv 2026 programme held at Shree Goveshwar Mahashiv Temple, Jagatguru Narendracharya Maharaj Sansthan, Uppith-Bainguinim, Old Goa. The event was organised by the Department of Art and Culture.
Union Minister Shripad Naik, Cumbharjua MLA Rajesh Faldesai, Director of Art and Culture Vivek Naik, and office-bearers of the Swami Narendracharya Maharaj Peeth were present.
Sawant said that since the BJP came to power, the country and Goa have seen major religious and cultural development. “The State government has taken up the construction and renovation of several temples, including the Goddess Mhalsa Narayani temple at Verna and the Saptakoteshwar Temple,” he said.
He added that tourists visiting Old Goa are now increasingly visiting temples, especially the Goveshwar Temple, which offers devotees darshan of all 12 Jyotirlingas at one place. Sawant also spoke about Goa’s spiritual history and how people protected temples, traditions and deities during Portuguese rule.
“The Portuguese had launched an assault on Sanatan Dharma in Goa. Temples were demolished to stop people from practising their faith. Many Goans migrated to other regions to protect their deities and religion,” he said.
He further said that a new temple would be built at Koti Teerth on Divar Island in memory of temples destroyed during Portuguese rule, and work on the project would begin soon.
The chief minister said Goa is witnessing a revival in spiritual and temple tourism. He added that restoration of temples, development of spiritual circuits and rebuilding of heritage temples show the government’s commitment to preserving Goa’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
The programme was organised as part of a nationwide initiative of the Union Ministry of Culture to mark 1,000 years of unbroken faith linked to the sacred Somnath Jyotirling and to celebrate India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
As part of the Goa celebrations, Omkar Jap and Abhishek Puja programmes were held at 21 temples across the State. The main event at Shree Goveshwar Mahashiv Temple included collective Omkar Jap, the Somnath Sankalp pledge, devotional bhajans, plantation of a Bael tree, screening of an animated film on Somnath, and live streaming of the national programme from Somnath in Gujarat.
