Śiva In Indus-Sarasvatī Valley
Among the ancient temples in Sāṁkhavāḷī, Kēḷaśī and Lōṭalī listed by Gomes Pereira (destroyed in the 16th century and deities transferred elsewhere), we find temples dedicated to Sāṁtērī, Īśvara, Nārāyaṇa, RāmanāthaandNarasiṁha. [Gomes Pereira, 1978 : Hindu Temples and Deities, 106] The connection of these deities to Śiva is not obvious; and it is complex as well, involving layers of assimilation myths. We shall deal with it separately, when we trace the trail of Śiva in Goa, as part of our search for the ethnic roots of the Konkani people.
But probably there is more to Śiva than is obvious. According to Valdiya, he was the god of the kirāt; they are referred to in the Rg Veda, Purāna and Mahābhārata. [Valdiya, 2012 :Geography, Peoples and Geodynamics of India in Purāṇas and Epics, 124] It is interesting to note that both kirāt and kshatriya are warrior people. Definitely the trail is worth following. But the mystery gets deeper when we note that one of the divisions of Konkan was Kirāt. [Nairne, 1896 : History Of The Konkan, x]
