Mangesh Temple is placed at Priol, on a hillock surrounded by green hills. It is devoted to Lord Mangueshi an incarnation of Lord Siva, which is recognized only in Goa. Lord Mangesh is worshipped here in the form of a Shiva linga. The Sri Mangesh linga is affirmed to have been sanctified on the mountain of Mangireesh on the banks of river Bhagirati by Lord Brahma himself, from where the Saraswat Brahmins brought it to Trihotrapura in Bihar. They carried the Linga on to Gomantaka and settled at Mathagrama, the present day Madgoa, establishing their most sacred and ancient temple of Mangesh on the banks of the river Gomati or Zuari as it is called these days. This location is to the south of the Zuari River where the present day village of Cortalim stands.
However, when the Portuguese took over in 1560 AD, the Saraswats of Vatsa Gotra felt insecure for their deity and shifted the Mangesh linga from the original site at the Kushasthali to Priol in Atrunja Taluka, which at that time was ruled by the Hindu kings of Sonde. After remaining in the houses of a temple priest for some time, the Sri Mangesh deity was finally installed in its present site at Priol. It has undergone many renovations and today its style is uniquely Goan. The oldest part of the temple complex is the water tank in front of the temple.
At the entrance to the temple is a majestic lamp tower, one of the special architectural features of many Goan temples. The Mahajans of the Temple are of Vatsa and Kaundinya Gotras.