Gokarna - A Pilgrimage to an ancient town

Recently visited two ancient towns, Murdeshwar and Gokarna, which are approximately 80 kilometers apart, both in the Western coast of Karnataka, facing the Arabian Sea. 

Gokarna Mahabaleshwar temple is a 1500 year old, 4th-century CE Hindu temple, it is a major pilgrimage site with the Mahabaleshwar Temple, believed to house the Athmalinga or Pranalinga, which is believed to be the "Soul of Shiva". Its glory is even sung as poetry by Nayanmar Sambandar in Thevaram (பாடல் பெற்ற ஸ்தலம்)

The stories of the Murudeshwar and Gokarna temples are intertwined with the legend of the Atma-Linga from the Ramayana. After Ravana received the Atma-Linga from Lord Shiva, the gods, fearing his increased power, tricked him into placing it on the ground at Gokarna. When Ravana tried to lift it, he failed, and the Linga broke into pieces, with the largest piece and the main shrine remaining in Gokarna. The other pieces, including the one that fell in the region of Murudeshwar. There is a museum in Murdeshwar which beautifully depicts these stories with sculptures.

Murudeshwar is dominated by the Murudeshwar Temple and the world's second-tallest statue of Lord Shiva (after the one in Nepal) overlooking the Arabian Sea. Also the 20 storey Raja Gopuram constructed by philanthropist RN Shetty (RNS group) is the second tallest Hindu temple in the world (237 feet) after Srirangam.



The other attraction nearby is the Om Beach. The beach's distinctive shape, resembling the Hindu spiritual symbol 'Om', is formed by two natural semi-crescent beaches. The beach is surrounded by lush green hills and offers picturesque views of rocky terrain and the Arabian Sea. 

Sadly I went on a national holiday and there was too much crowd. I went to the beach immediatly after visiting the temple and forgot to change my clothes. I was getting funny stares as I was the only guy wearing the traditional White & White Dhothi dress on the beach!

These beaches provides breathtaking views of the sunset, making it a favorite spot for photographers and visitors alike. 

Also a popular tourist attraction nearby is the famous Jog falls, the second-highest plunging waterfall in India. These are formed by the Sharavathi River and drop from a height of about 830 feet (253 meters) in four distinct cascades known as Raja, Rani, Roarer, and Rocket. The popular Kannada movie, Mungaru Male, esp the song Kunidu Kunidu Baare was shot here.

If travelling, avoid weekends and holidays. Its a long 12 hour car ride from Bangalore but extremely scenic route via forests and mountains. You can stay in nice beach resorts. 

Om Nama Shivaya.

Enjoy the pics.

Nash Narasimhan Tupil 











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