‘Kokanakhyan’ a two hundred and sixty six year old volume of writings mentions village of sankhavali and its ancient glory. One of the famous temples of the time stood in sankhavali village of salcete of Shree Shantadurga Sankhwaleshwari from beginning of the Gomantak civilization till the time of Goa under Portuguese reign. But after the Portuguese invaders set foot on Goan land on 27th February 1510 by attacking and capturing Old Goa, decline of adilshahi dynasty began. For the spread of Christianity they took strong arm methods of destruction of temples and deity idols starting with island of Goa followed by Salcete. Kushasthali, today’s Cortalim would be first to be terror stuck being almost across the river and near to Island of Goa. People to whom kuladevata was more precious than life took stand of shifting their kuladevata Mangesh to village of Priol in Antruz Mahal which was then under the adilshahis.
Following this the Shankhwal’s Shree Santeri today known as Shree Shantadurga Sankhwaleshwari along with Shree Vijayadurga and Shree Narsu were taken to Ponda mahal to Gothan, Keri and Veling respectively under Adilshahis. Transferring of these idols was sometimes placing those to temporary locations till final proper locations could be destined for the safety of the idols.
In the year 1560 a priest named Gasper became the chief of Christian missionaries in Goa. He suddenly on a single day indoctrinated 409 arranged a ceremony of conversion for hindus belonging to Island of Goa and Salcete at ‘Sao Paulo’college in the presence of Bishops of Ethiopia and Malacca conducted by Don Gasper, the first Archbishop of Goa. To expand the conversions to entire Salcete approval was granted by the Portuguese Government.
The Historical book ‘Oriente Conquistado or Monumenta Historica Societatis esu-Documenta Indica has references which confirms that the Jesuit fathers with the help of army set foot for the first time on Salcete taluka for speading Christianity on the day of 1st may 1560. On the same day on entering the Kutthal village when they went to Shree Mangesh temple it was found without deity’s idol as it was shifted the previous night by the kulavis . After knowing the fact they laid claims for acquiring the building for establishment of church to the government which agreed to it with granting the adjoining lands also for the proposed church complex and income derived from it. From this records it can therefore be concluded that the Shankhwal Shree Santeri must also have been shifted before 1st may 1560.
The book Konkanakhyan written in1721 has under the heading ‘Devatanche Sthalantar’ i.e temple transfers mentions interesting facts.
Kushasthali Shreemangesha prioli , verane Mhalasa Mhadadoli
Shankhavali deva donhi sthali, Keri aani Velingasi
Velingasi narasinha Santari, Vijaydurga te Keri majhari
Aani Keloshichi Shantadurga bar,i Rahili Kavale te grami….
These lines say it all about the secret transfers of deity’s idols to a safe place. The kulavis took shelter under the thinking that after them what fate has willed to take place will happen. There being no solution to this problem with great sadness and taking whatever personal belongings and property that they could carry, left with their idols and their symbols beyond the borders of the Portuguese kingdom.
After them the Jesuits fathers with their men went around each village breaking idols and bringing down temple buildings, torturing people and proceeding to their religious conversions. The temples in the village of Shankhavali were razed to the ground and the idols were smashed to smithereens. Detailed information on these can be gathered from a letter written by Fr. Gomes Vaz to his superiors on burning of all temples of Shankhwal. It also mentions of giving the wood used for building of Shree Santeri to the church of St. Lourenco which is church in Agashi.