Backpacking Gokarna Murdeshwar

Gokarna is a Hindu pilgrimage town in Karnataka and a newly found hub for beach lovers and hippies. Situated on the coast of Karwar. its stretch of beautiful, sandy beaches. Gokarna is divided into two parts, one that is for the religious devotee who comes to seek blessings of Shiva, and the other of the carefree tourist looking for some peace and quiet in nature’s lap.

The name Gokarna is made of two words, gau meaning cow and karna meaning ear, translating to cow’s ear. The reason for such a name is associated with its roots in mythology and also its geography. According to one story, the reason for naming this place Gokarna is because it is at the confluence of two rivers Gangavati and Aghanashini and this looks like a cow’s ear.

Murdeshwar Temple
Another temple town in Karnataka is Murdeshwar which is another name for Shiva and has the second-tallest Shiva statue in the world. The legend of this place is also associated with the same story of Shiva and Ravana. As we mentioned earlier, Ravana obtained the atmalingam from Shiva after a strong penance but he was tricked by the gods and the lingam got fixed in the ground. In his attempt to detach it from the earth, Ravana managed to scratch off a few pieces of the lingam and threw them in different directions. Wherever these fell, you will find temples around them. While a piece did not fall off the lingam in Murudeshwar but the cloth covering the atmalingam fell here and the Murudeshwar Temple is built around the same spot.

Lying along the periphery of the majestic Murudeshwar Temple is the beautiful beach by the same name. Overlooking the monumental statue of Lord Shiva, this beach is the perfect picnic spot for families and loved ones. The sand of this beach is quite excellent, and its silky texture is not very common.

Major Attractions:

Famous 5 beach Trek (Kudle Beach, Om Beach, Half Moon Beach, Paradise Beach, Bellakkan Beach.)
Mahabaleshwar Temple and Maha Ganapati Temple
Gokarna Local Sightseeing Shopping & Street Hopping
Enjoy Sunset from Gokarna beach.
Visit Famous Murudeshwar temple (2nd Tallest Shiva Temple in the World) & beach.