You can’t miss noticing the temple of Ravalnath in villages of Konkan or Goa. Ravalnath’s distinctive presence makes it obvious that he is the principal guardian deity and an important gramdevata of the region.

But who is this god that goes by the name Ravalnath?
Besides the Konkan region and Goa, Ravalnath is rarely visible within the Indian religious landscape. Shrines of Ravalnath are mainly found between Kudal in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, and Goa, and in Belgaon and some parts of Uttar Kannada in Karnataka. There are as many as 49 shrines in Goa. and more than 211 shrines in Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra.

Considering the number of shrines dedicated to Ravalnath in Konkan and Goa, it can be said he is a god of the masses. Ravalnath is primarily a deity associated with the dispensation of justice. The three major shrines of Ravalnath are in Pedne ( Goa) , Chandgadh ( Kolhapur) and Otavane ( Sawantwadi). It is believed that these three shrines work in tandem to dispense justice to their devotees. These three Ravalnaths work like a bench of judges in a court. The belief is, at a time only two Ravalnath-s can dispense justice and give verdict to settle the dispute of its devotees. The third Ravalnath remains silent or rests, so to speak, in local parlance during this period. Once the deity gives the verdict, people follow it with utmost reverence and faith as they fear the deity’s wrath and the destruction that would follow if they disobey. The bond between god Ravanath and the people of Konkan Goa is that of affection but at the same time there is fear and reverence .