In the centre of town, the small, pastel-coloured Maruti temple was built in the 1840s at a site where the monkey god Hanuman was covertly worshipped during the more oppressive periods of Portuguese rule. After temples had been destroyed by the Portuguese, devotees placed a picture of Hanuman at the fireworks shop that stood here, and arrived cloaked in secrecy to perform their pujas (prayers).
In April 1843 the picture was replaced by a silver idol and an increasing number of worshippers began to gather here. Eventually the business community of Mapusa gathered enough funds to acquire the shop, and the temple was built in its place.
The intricate carvings at the doorway of the temple are the work of local artisans.
