Gokarna Tourist Places : Gokarna is a small town in the north and Uttara Kannada in the state of Karnataka which is famous for its ancient temples, beautiful nature, beautiful beaches and serene environment. Mahabaleshwar Temple, one of the oldest temples of Lord Shiva, is located in Gokarna. The city is often called Gokarna or Gokarna.
Gokarna, situated on the Western Ghats of India, is also called Mini Goa because the beaches here are as beautiful as Goa, while the crowd of tourists here is much less as compared to Goa. From religious point of view, Gokarna is especially popular among Shiva devotees.
Gokarna Tourist Places Hindi !
Gokarna – meaning of name
The word Gokarna is made up of two words, Go or Cow and Karna. In Sanskrit language the word Gau is used for cow and the word Karna means ear. Gokarna means cow’s ear.
Religious Importance – Gokarna Tourist Places
The city of Gokarna is considered one of the seven important pilgrimage sites. Situated on the banks of Aghanashini river, this city is the main center of faith for Shiva devotees. It is believed that this city dates back to Treta Yuga and the feet of Lord Shiva have been found here from time to time. Mahabaleshwar Temple at Gokarna is one of the oldest Shiva temples in India and many mythological stories are prevalent in its relation.
It is said in the Puranas about Gokarna that it was founded by sage Parshuram.
Stories – Gokarna Tourist Places
A story related to the name Gokarna has also been told. A Brahmin named Atmaveda met a sage in the forest while praying for a child. The sage gave a fruit to Atmaveda and asked him to give it to his wife. Atmaveda gave that fruit to his wife but instead of eating the fruit, his wife fed it to her cow.
After some time, the cow gave birth to a human child whose ears were like those of a cow. Because of having such ears, the child was named Gokarna. This place was named Gokarna after the name of that child.
According to another popular belief related to the name Gokarna, once Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, became very proud of himself and due to this Lord Shiva cursed him. To free himself from that curse, Brahma started doing penance to Lord Shiva. Pleased with his penance, Lord Shiva appeared before him from the ear of a cow, hence the place came to be known as Gokarna or cow’s ear.
Gokarna Tourist Places
Gokarna is a famous tourist place which is worth visiting not only for its ancient temples but also for its serene, beautiful beach and natural beauty. Here you can know about the major temples, beaches and other tourist places of Gokarna.
Beaches of Gokarna
Om Beach – Gokarna Tourist Places
The most famous beach of Gokarna is Om Beach. This beach is named Om Beach because its shape is like Om. It is quite popular among tourists. Although this beach is a rocky beach and hence one should not go too deep into the beach, still due to its special shape this beach is the most famous tourist place of Gokarna. Here tourists can sit on the rocks and feel the beauty of this place.
There are not many tourists on this beach, so it is nice to spend time here in an atmosphere of peace.
Half Moon – Gokarna Tourist Places
Half Moon Beach is also famous for its special shape. When seen from height, this beach looks like the shape of a half moon, that is why this beach is named Half Moon Beach.
This beach of Gokarna is also a small beach and is mostly filled with rocks. Water sports activities often take place on this small beach. Tourists can enjoy water sports here.
Paradise Beach – Gokarna Tourist Places
Paradise Beach is another beach which is a small beach but the standing palm trees and huts built here give it a different kind of look. Paradise Beach, located at a short distance from Half Moon Beach, is also called Full Moon Beach. Most of the beaches of Gokarna have big rocks. Paradise Beach is also one such rocky beach. Far from the crowd, this beach is famous for its calm and beautiful environment and vast sea view.
Kudle Beach – Gokarna Tourist Places
Kudle Beach is another beach in Gokarna which is situated between two hills. To reach Kudle Beach, one has to park the car about 1 kilometer away from the beach and trek there. As beautiful as this beach is, the path leading to it is equally beautiful. The view of sunset from this beach is very beautiful in the evening.
Gokarna Beach – Gokarna Tourist Places
Gokarna Beach is the main beach of Gokarna city and is also a famous attraction of Gokarna among tourists. This beach is the longest beach of Gokarna which is about 3 kilometers long. Boating and other water sports activities can often be seen on this beach. Tourists can be seen enjoying these water sports activities here.
Nirvana Beach – Gokarna Tourist Places
Nirvana Beach is a tranquil beach in Gokarna city. This beach is famous for its clear blue water and sunrise point, away from the crowd of tourists. Tourists and local people come here to spend time in an atmosphere of peace.
Small Hell Beach
Small Hell is another clean beach of Gokarna where tourists like to come for camping. This beach is a very beautiful photoshoot location.
Mandir – Gokarna Tourist Places
Gokarna is a thousands years old city. It is believed that this city is of Treta Yuga i.e. the time of Lord Rama, but even before that. Ancient temples of Lord Shiva are located in Gokarna and this city is also called Kashi of the South.
Mahabaleshwar Mandir – Gokarna Tourist Places
Mahabaleshwar Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is about 1500 years old which is built in Dravidian style. The Shivalinga installed in the Mahabaleshwar temple is called Atmalinga and it is believed that this Shivalinga was established here in Treta Yuga.
Every year lakhs of devotees come here to have darshan of Lord Shiva in his Atmalinga form in this special temple. A special festival of Shivratri is organized in the temple.
Koti Teerth – Gokarna Tourist Places
Koti Tirtha is a man-made pond/lake which is believed to be made up of thousands of water streams. Temples are established around it. Devotees come here and take a dip in the waters of Koti Tirtha and visit the temples.
There is a popular story related to Koti Tirtha that once Garuda took possession of Brahma’s Shatashringa mountain and flew away with it. When Brahma asked him to put the mountain back, Garuda placed it in such a way that half of it remained in the sea and half on the land. Due to this, Koti Teerth was formed.
Maha Ganpati Mandir – Gokarna Tourist Places
Mahaganpati Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha in Gokarna and it is believed that Lord Ganesha met Ravana here in Treta Yuga. At that time, Ravana was carrying the Atmalinga he had received from Lord Shiva after doing penance and for some reason he asked Ganesha to hold the Shivalinga for some time. Ganesha kept the Atmalinga for some time and later when Ravana did not come, he placed it there on the ground. The Atmalinga was established there and then Ravana could not take that Atmalinga with himself.
Mahaganpati temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha is along with Mahabaleshwar temple and devotees believe that after visiting Ganesha temple first one should go to Mahabaleshwar temple.
Bhadrakali Mandir – Gokarna Tourist Places
Bhadrakali Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Kali, the embodiment of Goddess Shakti. Many stories related to this temple are popular. It is said that once Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva incarnated as Durga to save the earth from the atrocities of demons. The same Durga came here in the form of Kali and protected the gods and mankind from the demons.
Bhadrakali temple is the main center of faith for Goddess Shakti worshippers. Every year on Navratri, special prayers and celebrations are organized here.
Mahalsa Mandir or Shri Mahalsa Siddhivinayak Ganpati Mandir
Mahalasa Temple situated in Gokarna is also known as Shri Mahalasa Siddhi Vinayak Ganapati Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesha which is about 150 years old.
Someshwar Mandir – Gokarna Tourist Places
Someshwar Temple is an ancient temple located in Gokarna which was built by the Chola rulers of South India. Someshwar is also a name of Lord Shiva. This temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is a great example of Indian culture and architecture.
Uma Maheshwar Mandir – Gokarna Tourist Places
This temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati is situated on a hill between Kudle Beach and Om Beach. This is a popular temple situated on Shatashringa mountain. Uma Maheshwar Temple situated on the top of the hill can be reached by climbing for about 15 minutes.
Other nearby Tourist Places Gokarana
Famous caves are located around Gokarna situated on the Western Ghats. Among these, Yana Cave and Shiva Cave are very famous.
Yana Caves – Gokarna Tourist Places
Yana Caves are located at a distance of about 50 kilometers from the city. Tourists like to come here for trekking. Yana Cave, situated amidst dense forest, is a beautiful natural site made of rocks.
Shiva Cave
Shiva Cave is a cave located at a distance of about 10 kilometers from the city. This cave is also called Gogarbha Cave. Some people believe that Atmalinga is installed in this cave.
Mirjan Kila
Mirjan Fort is situated at a distance of about 25 kilometers from Gokarna. This fort was built in the 16th century. This fort is spread over ten acres. Mirzan Fort was built by the rulers of the Nawayath Sultanate. In the 16th and 17th centuries, this fort played an important role in trade with the West.
Other Activities – Gokarna Tourist Places
Gokarna is a coastal city. Apart from its peaceful and religious environment, Gokarna is also known as a water sports and adventure tourist place. Being a coastal city, tourists can often be seen participating in parasailing, boating and other water sports on the beach.
Apart from water sports, tourists also come here for camping and trekking. It is good to take a local experienced guide with you while camping and trekking so that you do not miss the beauty aspects of this city. You will also get to hear stories related to this religious historical city from the guide and you will be able to understand this place better.
Best time to visit Gokarna
The best time to visit Gokarna is from October to March. These days the weather here remains pleasant and tourists can enjoy the outdoor location and the beach to the fullest.
Stay in Gokarna
All kinds of options, from cheap to expensive, are available to stay. If you want to stay in a luxury hotel or a budget hotel, all types of options are here. If you want to see and experience the culture here, then it is better to stay in a home stay where the host can also arrange food for you. Although the food here is of South Indian style, but staying in a homestay and eating there often introduces you to some special customs and way of life here.
How to reach Gokarna
To reach here, if you are traveling by flight, then Dabolim Airport of Goa is the nearest one, at a distance of about 150 kilometers. After reaching Dabolim Airport in Goa, one can go to Gokarna from Madgaon station by train or by road.
Gokarna is a railway station which can be reached directly or by connected train from other stations of the country. Reaching here by road is a very beautiful experience. Traveling through the small villages and cities situated amidst the dense forests of the Western Ghats is a very pleasant experience.
Leave a Reply