Why Did the Portuguese Choose the Mandapeshwar Cave Complex to Build Their First Church in Salsette? Sacred Authority, Missionary Strategy, and Colonial Transformation in Sixteenth Century Salsette

Raviraj Paradkar

Abstract: The reformation of the Mandapeshwar Cave Complex into the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception between 1544 and 1547 is the earliest and most symbolically charged act of Christian expansion in the Salsette region. This article examines why the Portuguese deliberately selected Mandapeshwar an active Shaiva monastic centre for setting up their first church in Salsette. It argues that the choice was shaped by a convergence of Portuguese missionary ideology, Franciscan concepts of sacred displacement, strategic control of inland routes, and the economic appropriation of temple lands. While Mandapeshwar?s architectural and religious important forms the contextual foundation of the study, the central focus stays on Portuguese intentions, actions, and colonial policy. Drawing upon Portuguese chronicles, Bombay Presidency records, Indian epigraphical evidence, and selective archaeological documentation from the MMRHCS Documentation of Caves in MMR, the article proves that Mandapeshwar was thoughtfully chosen as a site for asserting Christian supremacy and reshaping the socio-religious landscape of Salsette.

Keywords: Mandapeshwar, Portuguese, Mount Poinsur, Salsette, Ant?nio do Porto, Franciscan

How to Cite?: Raviraj Paradkar, "Why Did the Portuguese Choose the Mandapeshwar Cave Complex to Build Their First Church in Salsette? Sacred Authority, Missionary Strategy, and Colonial Transformation in Sixteenth Century Salsette", Volume 15 Issue 2, February 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 9-12, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26131193038, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26131193038