Burgeoned alongside the
western coast of Southern India in the North Kannada District of Karnataka
State, the quaint town is pilgrims’ paradise & beach-lovers heaven.
Bestowed with pristine beaches and timeless temples of Hindu deities like Lord
Shiva, Lord Maha Ganapati, Goddess Bhadrakali and many more, Gokarna is termed
as the ‘Kashi of South India’.
Legend has it that Lord
Shiva emerged here from Cow’s Ear – the cow being Prithvi1 And
since then the temple town has been christened as Gokarna. The Mahabaleshwar
Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is constructed in a Dravidian architectural
style. It houses ShivaLinga2 and a 1500-year-old idol of Lord
Shiva. Since centuries the temple has been witnessing priests, pilgrims and
monks submerging themselves in religious rituals, offering prayers, meditation
or performing religious ceremonies. The temple is abuzz with holy hymns and
chants that emanate somniferous spirituality. There is an air of peace and
serenity in every corner of the temple and a visit is enough for the visitor to
get the soul rejuvenated. On an average day, the tinsel town wakes up by early
sunrise. The two main streets that connect the town with surrounding districts
are thoroughly washed and the residents then adorn it with Rangoli3.
Holy chants begin resonating from every household and the fragrance of incense
sticks fill the atmosphere with mystic peace. It seem like the whole town has
woken up from a deep slumber only to transcend in spirituality.
Sandwiched between the
hills and seas, Gokarna is blessed with four scenic beaches namely the pristine
Om Beach, the quaint Kudle Beach, Half-moon & Paradise beach. White sands,
crystal clear water and serenity of Om Beach beckons every backpacker. Its two
semi-crescent shores that are naturally joined together, resemble the Hindu
religious symbol ‘OM’ and the only how the beach got its name. A short
walk away from the Om Beach is Kudle beach that has graduated as a surfing
destination and provides perfect waves for the surfboard to flirt with. The
other beaches like Paradise Beach & Half-Moon Beach are nestled in a
secluded location with fewer inhabitants.
The laid back nature,
scenic locales, captivating ancient temples and virgin coastline places Gokarna
in the bucket list of every tourist as a must see destination. And its epiphany
sunsets, sun-kissed warm sands, breezy twilight, percussion of waves are a few
daily shows performed by the Mother Nature that renders every traveler spell
bound.
1 – Mother Earth
2 – Symbolic representation of
Hindu deity Lord Shiva
3 - A traditional Indian art of decorating the
ground with colored powder.
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