Kadamba temple is a small Shiva temple dedicated to Shri Mahadeva at Tambdi Surla on the eastern border of the territory. This magnificent temple dates back to the twelfth or thirteenth century and is a fine example of the Kadamba-Ghalukyan architecture. The intricate stone carvings of the temple reflect the vanished splendour of Goa under the Kadamba dynasty.
The Kadamba temple faces the east direction and is located in a dense forest on the bank of a small river. The interior of the temple is well designed. The temple is raised on a plain platform with a main hall, sabhamandapa, a vestibule, an antaralaya in the centre and a sanctuary, garbagriha. The temple can be reached by climbing a flight of steps and entering through three entrance doors that faces the north, east, and south direction.
Inside the temple there are ten plain pillars decorated with simple mouldings on the sides. There are other four well-carved pillars placed in the centre of the main hall. There are few statues hung on the slots made in the wall. The other open sides of the main hall have sloping stone seat-backs. On the central bay there is a chain of layers covered by a rectangular slab and marvellously carved with lotus designs.
The exterior walls of the temple are kept simple except for some elegant decorations carved in bold designs in the lower portion of the main hall. The shikhara on top of the sanctuary have statues of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Parvati, and Kalabhairava as well as one of an elephant trampling a horse. These designs boast of the superb craftsmanship of the temple.
The different craft work like the ground plan, the shikhara, the carvings on the wall and the style of the pillars depict its relation with the western Chalukyan or Yadava temples as well as to the Hoysala styles.
