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Betki Mandodari Temple Story

Betki Mandodari temple is located at Betki, 5 km from Marcel, Ponda, in Goa. The shrine does not honor Mandodari, Ravana's wife, but rather a young girl sacrificed for the construction of a larger reservoir. Here is the popular Betki Mandodari temple story.

In the 16th century, a girl named Young Mandodari lived in Betki village when locals were striving to establish a water management system.

Betki wasn't suffering from water scarcity; instead, it was a lush hamlet with abundant springs and monsoon-fed streams. Wanting to harness this water for year-round supply, the villagers decided to dig a massive tank as a catchment area.

Despite numerous attempts to build a mud embankment, all efforts failed. Frustrated, the villagers turned to superstition and opted for a blood sacrifice. Mandodari and her brother Narbando, living near the tank, were chosen for this dark ritual.

After the sacrifice, the embankment was successfully erected, creating Mandodarichem Tollem, one of the state's largest man-made lakes. However, the tragic events surrounding Mandodari and Narbando's sacrifice were not over.

When the grieving mother discovered the conspiracy, she cursed the village, declaring, "No rice will be cooked in Betki for 24 years." This ironic twist rendered the purpose of the lake useless.

Fortunately, the Fadte Gaonkar community, escaping Portuguese persecution, migrated to Betki and helped convince the widow to lessen her curse. The curse changed to "no rice will be cooked for 24 hours."

Relieved, the villagers built a shrine near the tank in memory of Mandodari and Narbando, establishing Mandodari worship in the village.

Every Mahashivratri, a palanquin procession reaches the Mandodari shrine, where the goddess is worshipped.