According to legends, the Destroyer and the Preserver had a mammoth fight at mount Gomanchala, during which Lord Shiva used the Pashupati weapon, which could have proved detrimental to the entire universe. Lord Brahma, the creator, then prayed to the supreme Goddess Adishakti to intervene. She in turn, sent Parvati in the form of Shanta Durga or Shanteri. Shantadurga stepped in as the arbitrator and succeeded in reconciling the warring parties, thus saving the universe from eternal doom. Hence, she stands in the temple shrine in between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu (Preserver of the Universe) as a symbol of peace, who took Lord Vishnu by her right and Lord Shiva by her left hand and pacified the two.

It is a fusion of Indo-Portuguese architecture. The highlight of the temple is its golden palanquin (Palkhi) in which the deity is carried on festive occasions.

The Festival of Shantadurga Prasanna, in January, involves a night time procession of chariots bearing the goddess followed by over 100,000 faithful devotees. In the colorful and dramatic Procession of Umbrellas at Cuncolim south of Margao, the same goddess is honored with a procession carrying a solid silver image of her to the original temple site.