Shiroda, Goa

A 13-km drive from Ponda brings you into Shiroda. It is located 36 kilometres east of the state capital Panaji, via NH4A. The village is bordered by the Zuari river on side and the villages of Bethora, Panchawadi, Nirankal and Borim on the other.[3]

Shiroda houses one of the engineering colleges of Goa, Shree Rayeshwar Institute of Engineering and Information Technology and two colleges of Alternative medicine, the Gomantak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya & Research Centre and Shri Kamaxshi Devi Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital.[3] There are 20 govt primary schools one middle school 7 high schools and two higher secondary schools.

The name "Shiroda" is derived from "Shivanath", which translates to "Drawn from god".

Shiroda is very popular for its Kamakshi Temple. People visit this temple on Amavasya or New moon day of every month. Every year on the day of Shivaratri, a grand temple festival or zatra is held which is attended by thousands of devotees from Goa as well as Karnataka and Maharashtra. Other temples include Ravalnath (which is situated in Shiroda market) Mahamaya, Madhav, Veer Bhadra, Betal, Shivnath, Narayan Dev, Kelbai Sateri, Kshetrapal, Mahamaya, Brahma Durga, Bhagwati and Mandaleshwara. The village's oldest temple is Mandaleshwar, which was built in the eight century and houses the village deity (gram devta). Near the Madhav temple lies the holy place made of stone and mud, called Vato. It now lies in ruins. Besides above gram devatas there are temples of Maruti, Vithoba, Krishna, Satyanarayana, laxminarayan, siddhivinayak, Jalmi, Rama; shripad shrivallabh,.

Shiroda has a church situated in Karai, namely St. Joseph Church, which holds Goa biggest Eucaristic cross.

Shiroda community celebrates Shigmo, Dhendlo, carnival and; Dasara which is a day later then whole Goa's Dasara festival. The Dasara starts at Betal Temple and then proceeds to Valpeshwar Temple and then to Ravalnath Temple.[3]

According to the 2011 Census, Shiroda has a population of about 14,000, with 21% belonging to the Scheduled tribes and 2% to the Scheduled castes. About 38% of the population belongs to the working class. 88% of the population is literate.[2]

• Shree Mandaleshwar Temple: The village's oldest temple, its zatra is held in November every year. The building was built in the 7th-8th century, and the courtyard, devoted to Shiva, displays the original dome of the temple.
• Shri Kamakshi Temple: Located in Thal Wada
• St Joseph's Church: Situated at Karai, it was built in 1782 and its feast is on 1 May.
• Papal Cross: Goa's largest cross, it completed 25 years on 25 September 2016. It was built for an altar that hosted the holy mass by Pope John Paul II 6 February 1986.
• Ancestral House of Hedes: Named 'Macao', this 125-year-old structure is situated at Shenvi Wada. One of the village schools is named after Rajaram Hede's wife, Kamalabai.[3]

• Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar (1899-1971): This obstetrician and gynaecologist innovated with the technique called Cervical Cerclage or Shirodkar Cerclage.
• Shobha Gurtu: Popularised the Thumri genre. Menakabai Shirodkar, a singer and dancer, was her mother.
• Subhash Shirodkar: MLA of Shiroda constituency

• Sudesh Bhosle: Playback singer for Bollywood[3]

Dr sakharam Gude was most popular doctor , He was treated as God by the villagers, He was honoured as Gomantbhushan. A hospital is running in his name,

shri Bhagvant Hede and Ratan Prabhudesai were the famous artists.

• Dr. Ramkrishna Tukaram Parkar:Indian Medical Association(IMA) physician
• Dr. Shashi Ramkrishna Parkar:IMA physician and gynacologist. Wife of Dr. Ramkrishna Tukaram Parkar. They are not the only doctors in , village

Dr Subhash Prabhudesai is well experienced phisician and most patients rely on him.

Dr Guruprasad Bakhake is more popular in village ,