Gokarna is a small temple town located in the

Uttara Kannada Uttara Kannada is a fifth largest district in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belagavi districts to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shivamogga District, and Udupi District to ...

district of Karnataka state in southern India, It has a population of around 20,000. The Mahabaleshwara Temple is dedicated to

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

. Gokarna is one of seven important centres of pilgrimage in Hinduism. Gokarna is one of the most popular beach destinations for tourists in India. It is popular with beach trekkers. Yana Caves hosts the second cleanest village in India.

Etymology

According to legend Brahma, feeling proud because he could create the universe, decided to meditate to apologize for his arrogance. He wanted to lift a curse given by Shiva. During his meditation, Shiva appeared unexpectedly, emerging from the ears of a cow. So the place came to be known as Gokarna or ear of the cow. The ''

Puranas Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

'' state that when

Parashurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Virarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. Hindu tradition holds him to be the destroyer of the evil on Earth. According t ...

, the sixth avatar of Vishnu created Kerala, it was from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. According to legend,

Ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...

was given ''Atmalinga'' by Shiva and instructed that it would stay permanently where it is first placed on the land.

Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

came in the form of a boy and planted it in Gokarna while Ravana was performing rituals. Once placed Ravana could not remove it from the ground; he removed some pieces of the

linga A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...

m and threw them in different directions.

Geography

Legend

The earliest legend of the city is set in the age of the

Treta Yuga ''Treta Yuga'' (IAST: ''Tretā-yuga'') (Devanagari: त्रेतायुग), in Hinduism, is the second and second-best of the four '' yugas'' (world ages) in a '' Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Krita (Satya) Yuga'' and followed by '' Dvapara ...

, in which

(the

rakshasa Rākshasa (, , ; ; "preservers") are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Folk Islam. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually use for evil acts such as ...

king of

Lanka Lanka (; ) is the name given in Hindu epics to the island fortress capital of the legendary Rakshasa king Ravana in the epics of the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata''. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks kn ...

) reached

Kailasha Kailasha or Kailasa () is the celestial abode of the Hindu god Shiva. It is traditionally recognized as a mountain where Shiva resides along with his consort Parvati, and their children, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Mount Kailash, located in the Trans ...

and performed rigorous penance to obtain the atmalinga from Shiva, as Ravana's mother expressed a keen desire to worship the atmalinga of Shiva. Gokarna was part of the

Sodhe Sode is a village near Sirsi in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka in India. Location Sodhe is a village in the Malenadu region, surrounded by thick forests. It is 22 km from Sirsi and 13 km from Hulekal. Prehistoric rock a ...

and

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.Vijayanagara

kingdoms.

Location
Gokarna is about 238 km north of
Mangalore Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...
, 483 km from
Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
and about 59 km from
Karwar Karwar is a coastal City and the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district, formerly part of the Bombay Presidency, located at the mouth of the Kali River (Karnataka), Kali river along the Konkan Coast in the present-day state of Ka ...
. It is between the Gangavali and Aghanashini rivers along the Karwar coast by the Arabian Sea. It is 200 km north from the college towns of
Suratkal Surathkal(kn:ಸುರತ್ಕಲ್)" is one of the major localities in the northern part of Mangaluru taluk located on NH-17, National Highway 66 (old NH-17) in the Dakshina Kannada, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka state, India on the ...
and
Manipal 300px, The house of T. M. A. Pai located in Manipal; it has since been converted to a museum. Manipal is a suburb and university town within Udupi, in coastal Karnataka, India. Manipal is located five kilometres away from the centre of Udupi C ...
. Gokarna can be reached by buses and maxicabs from
Kumta Kumta is a town and taluk in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India. It is one of the important stations along the Konkan Railway line running between Mumbai and Mangalore. The 36th Kannada Sahithya Sammelana was held in Kumta in 1 ...
(30 km),
Ankola Ankola is a town municipal council and taluka in the Uttara Kannada district of the Indian state of Karnataka. The town is approximately from district headquarters Karwar. Ankola is a small town surrounded by temples, schools, paddy fields ...
(26 km), Karwar (59 km) and
Bhatkal Bhatkal is a coastal town in the Uttara Kannada District of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bhatkal lies on National Highway 66, which runs between Mumbai and Kanyakumari, and has Bhatkal railway station which is one of the major railway ...
(88 km) on National Highway 66 (NH-66). Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs long-journey buses from cities like
Panaji Panaji (; , , )also known as Panjim, is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district. Previously, it was the territorial capital of the former Portuguese India. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi river est ...
,
Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
and
Mangalore Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...
. Private buses (Vijayanand Roadlines - VRL, Sugama, Sea Bird, etc.) operate night journeys from the capital city of Bengaluru to Gokarna daily. It can be reached by
Konkan Railway The Konkan Railway (abbreviated KR) is one of the 19 railway zones in India with its headquarters at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The Konkan Railway line from Roha to Thokur is operated and maintained by Konkan Railway co ...
on the
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
to
Mangalore Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...
route or
Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
to
Mangalore Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...
route. The railway station (called Gokarna Road) is 10 km from the town. The station has a retiring room at a nominal price. Many important trains like
Matsyagandha Express The 12619 / 12620 Matsyagandha Express is a Superfast Express trains in India, superfast express train running between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai) in Maharashtra and Mangalore Central, Mangaluru Central In Karnataka. It is also called Lif ...
, KSR Bengaluru Karwar Express,
Poorna Express The 11097 / 11098 Poorna Express is an express train running between to . The Poorna Express runs only on Mondays starting from Ernakulum Junction at 23:20 IST and ends at Pune Junction at 5:05 IST 2 days later covering a total distance of 14 ...
,
Marusagar Express The Marusagar Express is a weekly express train that runs between Ajmer and Ernakulam, connecting Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka to Kerala. The train runs through four zones of Indian Railways, travelling 2860&n ...
and Mangalore Local and DEMU local are the Daily Local Trains halt here. The nearest airports are
Hubli Hubli (officially Hubballi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad district of ...
Airport, Karnataka which has domestic flights only, Goa International Airport at Goa and
Mangalore International Airport Mangalore International Airport (also known as Mangaluru International Airport) is an international airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore in the state of Karnataka, India. It is one of only two international airports in the state, t ...
at
Bajpe Bajpe is a locality in Mangalore city of Dakshina Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, now also known as Bajpe Town, India. It is around from the city of Mangalore. The Mangalore International Airport is located at Bajpe and was previo ...
,
Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
are the nearest airports to reach at Gokarna. Neighbouring villages are
Bankikodla-Hanehalli Bankikodla and Hanehalli are the twin neighbouring villages in a valley in Uttara Kannada district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Just to the north of the village, the Gangavalli River joins the Arabian Sea. The town of Gokarna is just to th ...
, Sanikatta, Tadadi,
Torke Torke is a small village in Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, India. This village is about a few square kilometres in extent. Torke traditionally is the amalgamation of Hoskatt, Naranapur, Toregazani, Torke, Devarabhavi, Haller ...
, Madangere, Maskeri, Adigone, Nelaguni and
Bijjur Bijjur is a small village of gokarna in Uttar Kannada district are neighbouring villages in a valley in the south western section of Karnataka, India. Together they form a community of people from different castes and religions. Just to the ...
.

Climate

Beaches
The Gokarna main beach is in town and Kudle beach faces west. Om beach, Half moon Beach, Paradise Beach (also known as Full moon) and Belekan beach are south facing. The Gokarna beach forms the coast of the town and is followed by Main beach in northern direction while the other four beaches lie to the south. Gokarna Main Beach is mainly used by Indian pilgrims. Main Beach is a long open beach, known for
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...
. Kudle and Om are around 6 km from Gokarna town along a muddy hill; they are accessible by rickshaw or foot. Half moon and Paradise are beyond Om beach and are accessible only by trekking or boat. Om beach is named because it is shaped like the auspicious ॐ Om symbol.

Beach Trekking and Camping
A five-beach trek includes Paradise Beach, Half Moon Beach, Om Beach, Kudle Beach and Gokarna Beach.

Education
Bhadrakali High School in Melinkeli was founded in 1946. A notable alumnus of the school is cancer research scientist,
Narayan Sadashiv Hosmane Narayan S. Hosmane (born 30 June 1948) is an India, Indian-born cancer research scientist and a distinguished research professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He was featured in NRI Achievers magazine. He is a two-time recipient of the Humbold ...
.

See also
* ''Bhookailasa'' (1940 film) *
Murudeshwara Murdeshwar is a village in Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India, and lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea. It contains the world's third tallest Shiva statue, as well as the Murudeshwara Temple. The town has a railway statio ...
*
Apsarakonda Apsarkonda is an emerging tourist village near Honnavar, in the district of Uttara Kannada, Karnataka, India. It is situated 8 km from the Honnavar bus stand. Etymology Apsarkonda means Pond of Angels. This is named after a pond facing t ...
*
Karwar Karwar is a coastal City and the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district, formerly part of the Bombay Presidency, located at the mouth of the Kali River (Karnataka), Kali river along the Konkan Coast in the present-day state of Ka ...
*
Mangalore Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...
*
Om Parvat Om Parvat is a mountain located in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, India. Om Parvat's peak elevation is above sea level. The meaning of ''Om Parvat'' Om Parvat derives its name from the Sanskrit word Om, which is composed of three sounds ...

References
* Source: Karnataka State Gazetteer 1983

External links

Gokarn Math
*
tour guide Gokarna Temple
{{Hydrology of Karnataka, state=expanded Villages in Uttara Kannada district Beaches of Karnataka Tourist attractions in Uttara Kannada district Geography of Uttara Kannada district