The original shrine at Loutolim was shifted to Bandora in the 16th Century. The village Ramnathi is named after the deity.
Its origins are in Kushasthali (Salcete) which fell to the invading Portuguese in 1543. On May 1, 1560 the Saraswats of vatsa gotra shifted the Mangesh linga from Kushasthali to its present location at Mangeshi.
The current edifice was built under Maratha rule, 150 years later. The Peshwas donated the village of Mangeshi to the temple in 1739 on the suggestion of their Sardar, Ramchandra Malhar Sukhtankar, who was a follower of Shree Mangesh (the kuldevata or family god of many hindus in Goa).
Legend has it that the Mangesh linga was consecrated on the mountain of Mangireesh (Mongir) on the banks of river Bhagirathi by Lord Brahma, from where the Saraswat Brahmins brought it to Trihotrapuri in Bihar. They carried it to Goa and settled at Mathagrama (today's Margao), establishing their ancient temple of Mangesh on the banks of the river Gomati (Zuari).
Nagueshi or Nagesh is a form of Lord Shiva. The temple constructed in 1780 AD lies in verdant surroundings at Nageshi in Ponda. A 1413 AD stone inscription in the Nagueshi temple speaks of Purush Shennvi's son Maee Shennvi of Kullalogram (Kuncoliem) who had granted the village of Bandode (Bandivade) to carry out the rituals of Shree Naguesh and Shree Mahalakshmi temples.
The temple has Agrashalas with well-equipped rooms and halls for weddings. It has a gallery on both sides that contain intricate woodcarvings of events in the Ramayana and images of Astadikpal and Gandharva (rituals).
Excavated 4th Century
Transplanted due to dam