Gokarna meaning "Cow's Ear" is a small town situated in North Kannada district coastal Karnataka, India. Gokarna is about 453 kms from Bangalore, 110 km North of Mangalore and about 55 kms from Karwar. Sandwiched between the Gangavali and Agnashini river mouth it is named for the ear shaped confluence of two rivers. The town is known more as a pilgrimage centre than a tourist destination. Locals believe that Gokarna derives its name from the legend in which Lord Shiva emerged from the ear of a cow. Gokarna, with its coconut palms, its blue seas and clean sands, is perfect for an idyllic vacation by the sea.

Situated along the Karwar coast by the Arabian Sea, in northern Karnataka, Gokarna is beach-utopia if you're looking for minimal luxury but maximum privacy, with only the sun, the surf and the seagulls for company. It is a favourite destination for visitors in search of sun, sea and sand. A charming little town with two principal streets and clusters of traditional tile roofed brick houses and petty shops. Gokarna is also an important centre of Sanskrit learning.

Landscape of Gokarna.

Gokarna is the hippy paradise that Goa used to be with it's remote beaches where you can rest your bones, practice your little hippy drums, strum your guitar and sleep in hammocks. The beaches that surround Gokarna are dotted with shacks (huts) for rent.

Temples

The ancient Mahabaleshvara Temple is one of the major temples in Gokarna. It is situated at the western end of the main street .It was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1714 and then rebuilt later in the 18th century. History has it that the Atmalinga brought by Ravana got struck here and his efforts to extricate it resulted in his throwing the coverings of the Linga to Dhareshwar, Gunavanteshwara, Murdeshwar and Shejjeshwar temples. The deity here is two-armed, standing, and atleast 1500 years' old. In the sanctuary is a stone linga, encased in brass, placed on a colied stone serpent. The floor of the hall in front has an intricate engraving of a gaint tortoise. The Bhadrakali and Venkataramana temples, Kotiteertha tank are other holy places in Gokarna.

Shiva's birthday is celebrated here with great fanfare. Each year a team builds up two great temple chariots which is used during the Shiva Ratri festival. The two great temple chariots lead a procession through the town's narrow streets, while priests and pilgrims chant hymns in praise of Shiva. More than a hundred people are needed to pull the chariots with thick ropes while priests conduct religious ceremonies inside. During the four day Shiva Ratri festival the small town of Gokarna is visited by up to 20.000 pilgrims.

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Legend

Vinayakar (Dwibhuja Vinayakar shrine) is said to have tricked the demon Ravana into leaving behind a Shivalingam here in a legend similar to that at Tiruchirappalli. In spite of the might exerted by Ravana (Maha Bala), the Shivalingam stayed fixed, hence the name Mahabaleshwar. A very similar legend holds at the Vaidyanath Jyotirlingam temple at Deogarh in Bihar.

Beaches

Gokarna Beach.

The drive up the winding path that leads to Gokarna is a scenic delight with the rocky mountains and Western Ghats on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other.

Gokarna is also famous for its beautiful virgin beaches and breathtaking landscapes. The four beaches in Gokarna are the Gokarna beach, Kudle, Om, Half moon and Paradise (also known as Full moon), the Gokarna beach forms the coast of the town while the other four beaches lies towards the south of Gokarna. Gokarna Beach is the closest from Gokarna Town and is accessible by road. Kudle and Om are around 4kms 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 foot or boat.

Kudle, a kilometre-long stretch of white sand fringed by palm trees, is the nearest; just about 20 min trek from Gokarna. Half an hour further from Kudle is Om beach, so named because it's shaped like the auspicious ॐ [Om] symbol. Om beach is the only naturally Om shaped beach. Gokarna's two other beaches Paradise and Half Moon are smaller and lesser known, but equally great for a bit of sunbathing and swimming and summer rave parties.