Gokarna - TeATeR MANGO

Gokarna, India
1
Gokarna, India
For other uses, see Gokarna, Nepal.
Gokarna
ಗೋಕರ್ಣ
village
Mahabaleshwara Temple
Location in Karnataka, India
Coordinates: 14.55°N 74.31667°E
Country
[1]
Coordinates: 14.55°N 74.31667°E [1]
India
State
Karnataka
District
Uttara Kannada
Area
• Total
10.9 km2 (4.2 sq mi)
Elevation
586 m (1,923 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total
25,851
• Density
2,400/km2 (6,100/sq mi)
Languages
• Official
Kannada
Time zone
IST (UTC+5:30)
Vehicle registration
KA-47
Gokarna (Kannada: ಗೋಕರ್ಣ) is a small temple town located on the western coast of India in the Uttara Kannada
district of the Indian state of Karnataka. Tain temple and deity is Lord Shiva, who is also known as
Gokarna, India
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Mahabhaleshwara. This temple houses what is believed to be original image of Lord Shiva's lingam. There are many
other temples all over this small town. Ankola and Kumta on Highway 17 are the main towns near Gokarna.
Gokarna is historically known as one of the seven important Hindu pilgrimage centers and is located on what was
once unspoiled beach near the estuary of river Aghanashini with its palm trees, other colorful tropical fruit and
flower trees. Of late due to the numbers of tourists the character of this town has changed. This town is no longer just
a center of pilgrimage though massive numbers of devotees still visit the town for the purposes of offering prayers
and worship to Lord Shiva.
Due to its laid back unspoiled and rustic nature, many younger western tourists started visiting Gokarna about a
decade ago. The beaches around Gokarna were hardly used by the locals until these mainly Western tourists started
coming to undeveloped beaches around Gokarna. Many enterprising locals started stores restaurants and now fully
fledged resorts cater even to the well heeled tourists.
Etymology
Gokarna means Cow's Ear. It is believed that Lord Shiva emerged from the ear of a cow (Prithvi, the Mother Earth)
here. It is also located at the ear-shaped confluence of two rivers Gangavali and Aghanashini.
Mythology
Legends in the Sahyadri Khand of the Puranas indicate that the State of
Kerala was reclaimed from the sea by the Warrior-Sage Parashurama
who came from the North (of the Vindhya ranges) after his
wanderings, in which he killed the Kshatriyas 21 times and threw his
axe, the weapon by which he annihilated the Kshatriyas, into the sea, to
prevent the erosion of the land stretching from Gokarna to the
southernmost tip of India.
The beautiful and serene coast of Gokarna
Gokarna is also mentioned in the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana as being
the home of the two brothers Gokarna and Dhundhakari and the
Bhagawat also gives details of the differences in their temperament,
nature and exploits.
The sthalapuranam of gokarna then available in Tamil as it was a part
of Tamil Kingdoms during sangam times, has the following account.
Inorder that Brahma who out arrogance arising out of his power to
create the universe, sat penancing to redeem himself from curse of
shivan, lord shiva appeared in front of him from the ears of a cow. So
View of Kodalu beach from Gokarna
the place came to be known as gokarnam or ear of the cow. The
sangam period writings refer to a class of chieftains going by names
kocar and kilans, in charge of the region between gokarnam and present day Mumbai. Even though the Tamil saints
have revered this temple, their composed hymns on the same are not available to us as of today.[citations needed].
Gokarna, India
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History
The earliest history of the city is not known. Tamil saints like the Nayanmars Appar and
Sambanthar from the 6th century CE praised the deity of Tulu Nadu in their hymn canon
Tevaram. It is an established fact that Mayurvarma of the Kadamba kings brought
Brahmins from Ahicchatra. A sect of Brahmins fled from the Gomantak to escape
forcible conversions by the Portuguese and British and settled in and around Gokarna in
the 15th century. It was part of the Sodhe and Vijayanagar kingdoms. Later, when the
Konkan region - including Goa - was occupied by the Portuguese, it became part of their
rule. A few temples were destroyed by the Portuguese in 1714 and then rebuilt later in
the 18th century and also under the supervision of Guru H. H. Shrimat Anandashram
Swamiji in 1928.
Ancient Indian (Bharata)
cities and Places(Title and
location names are in
English.)
Culture
Gokarna is a town of contrasts, as it is a temple town and also a holiday destination. Gokarna is full of coconut,
banana and other trees, blue seas and relatively clean sands. It is a laid back town with two main streets lined with
shops and traditional tile-roofed brick houses. The beaches near Gokarna have shacks (huts) for rent. Kannada is the
main language spoken here, however Konkani as well as Indian version of English are spoken here.
Religious attractions
Gokarna is also an important centre of Sanskrit learning
and houses Bhandikeri Math and Toggu Math. It is a
place where Sanskrit knowledge is passed down from
generations in Brahmin families. Many Hindus also
perform the last rites of a person here.
• Mahabaleshwar Temple (Maha: great, bal: strength)
is a famous Shiva Temple and it houses the
'Atmalinga'. Named so after Ravana referred to the
linga's great strength.
It is situated at the western end of the main street. In
the sanctuary is 'Athmalinga' in between the Saligrama
Peethaa. The idol of Lord Mahabaleshwara is called
Gokarna Beach.
Nagabharana. It is so named because of the Lord rests
under the head of Naga (serpent). The floor of the hall in front has an intricate engraving of a giant tortoise.
• Maha Ganapathi Temple built in honour of the boy Ganapathi, who deceived the demon Ravana. The deity here is
two-armed, standing and at least 1500 years old.
• Uma Maheshwara Temple
• Bhadrakali Temple
• Tamra Gauri Temple
• Venkataramana Temple
• Kotitheertha is a man-made tank that is used for immersion of idols and ritual bathing. It is surrounded by
temples.
Gokarna, India
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• Shivaratri festival is celebrated here with great enthusiasm. The temple has two chariots - named locally as
'Dodda Ratha' (Dodda for Big in Kannada) and 'Sanna Ratha' (sanna for small in Kannada). Dodda Ratha is quite
huge. While 'Sanna Ratha' is out in the open during winter and summer, the 'Dodda Ratha' is brought out and
made ready only during Maha Shivaratri. On the last day of Maha Shivaratri festival the Lord Mahabaleshwara
idol is carried in 'Dodda Ratha' in a procession through the town's big Car Street, 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 nine-day Maha Shivaratri festival, the small town of
Gokarna is visited by up to 20,000 pilgrims.
Community festivals
• Mahashivaratri
• Kartika mahotsava
Beaches
The drive up the winding path that leads to Gokarna is scenic, with the rocky mountains and Western Ghats on one
side and the Arabian Sea on the other.
Panorama of Om Beach at Gokarna in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India, showing its distinctive shape.
Gokarna is also known for its beautiful beaches and landscapes. The main beaches in Gokarna are the Gokarna beach
(also known as Indian Beach), Main Beach, Kuddle Beach, Om Beach, Half moon Beach, Paradise Beach (also
known as Full moon)and Nirvana beach (3 km long with fine white sand). 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 of Gokarna.
Gokarna Beach is mainly used by Indian pilgrims. Main Beach is a long open beach, also known for surfing. Kuddle
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 foot or boat, Nirvana beach is accessible by boat and
road from Kumta town. Om beach is named so because it is shaped like the auspicious ॐ [Om] symbol. Om beach is
the only naturally Om shaped beach. Three other beaches - Paradise, Half Moon and Nirvana beach.
Location
Gokarna, India
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Gokarna is about 583 km from Bangalore, 238 km north of Mangalore
and about 59 km from Karwar. It is between the Gangavali and
Agnashini rivers and situated along the Karwar coast by the Arabian
Sea. It is 200 km north from the college towns of Suratkal.
Gokarna can be reached by buses and maxicabs from Kumta (30 km),
Ankola (26 km) and Karwar (59 km) on National Highway 17( NH-17
). Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) also runs
long-journey buses from many cities like Panaji, Bangalore and
Mangalore. Private buses (Vijayanand Roadlines - VRL, Sugama, Sea
Bird, etc.) operate night journeys from the capital city of Bangalore to
Gokarna daily. It can be reached by train Konkan Railway on the
Mumbai to Mangalore route. The railway station ( called Gokarna
Road ) is 6 km away from the town. The station also has a retiring
room at a nominal price. Many important trains like Matsyagandha
Express have a halt here. The nearest airports are Dabolim at Goa and
Mangalore International Airport at Bajpe.
Boating services seen in Om beach, 5km from
Gokarna.
Neighboring villages
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•
•
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•
•
•
Bankikodla-Hanehalli
Sanikatta
Tadadi
Torke
Madangere
Maskeri
Adigone
Nelaguni
Bijjur
A tourist sun bathing in Om beach.
References
[1] http:/ / tools. wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack.
php?pagename=Gokarna%2C_India& params=14. 55_N_74.
31667_E_type:city(25851)_region:IN-KA
Gokarna beach near Mahabaleshwara temple.
Source: Karnataka State Gazetteer 1983
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gokarna.
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http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gokarna
Beautiful Gokarna Images (http://indiaouting.com/karnataka/gokarna/)
Gokarna Travel Guide (http://www.visitsirsi.com/gokarna.html)
The Curse of Gokarna (http://www.oldworldwandering.com/2011/06/06/the-curse-of-gokarna-india/): The
history, present and uncertain future of an Indian village
• Gokarna Spiritual guide (http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/India-Guide/IndianStates/Karnataka/
Gokarna.htm)
Gokarna, India
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Gokarn Math (http://www.chitrapurmath.net/our_maths/gokarn.asp)
Roots of Havyaka Brahmins (http://www.niu.edu/hosmane/aboutme/roots.shtml)
Great Guru of Gokarna (http://www.kamat.com/jyotsna/blog/blog.php?BlogID=417)
Karwar eNews (http://www.karwarenews.com/)
Official Website of Gokarna Temple (http://www.srigokarna.org/)
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Article Sources and Contributors
Article Sources and Contributors
Gokarna, India Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=616201821 Contributors: Abhshk Kmr, Ajaykarat, Amarrg, Anand.Hegde, Apparition11, Arjuncm3, Armarkande, At-par,
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RL0919, Raj2004, Rajaramraok, Rajasekhar1961, Ram.n.pai, Ravi s menon, Raviaital, Rayabhari, Rickard Vogelberg, Rjwilmsi, Robth, Roland zh, Rrevanuri, Sardanaphalus, Shantanubhadoria,
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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors
File:Mahabaleshwara Temple.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mahabaleshwara_Temple.JPG License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors:
Vedamurthy.j
File:India Karnataka location map.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:India_Karnataka_location_map.svg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0
Contributors: Karnataka_locator_map.svg: by User:Planemad derivative work: User:Nayvik
File:Flag of India.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_India.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anomie, Mifter
File:Gokarna beachline.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Gokarna_beachline.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors:
User:Venkasub
File:Kodalu beach at Gokarna.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Kodalu_beach_at_Gokarna.JPG License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0
Contributors: User:Infoayan
File:EpicIndiaCities.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:EpicIndiaCities.jpg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: Jijithnr at en.wikipedia
File:India Karnataka Gokarna Beach.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:India_Karnataka_Gokarna_Beach.jpg License: GNU Free Documentation License
Contributors: Dharmadhyaksha, Magog the Ogre
File:Om beach at Gokarna.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Om_beach_at_Gokarna.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Tommaisey
File:Om beach Gokarna.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Om_beach_Gokarna.JPG License: Creative Commons Zero Contributors: Axis of eran
File:om beach gokarna sun bathing.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Om_beach_gokarna_sun_bathing.JPG License: Creative Commons Zero Contributors: Axis of
eran
File:Gokarna temple beach.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Gokarna_temple_beach.JPG License: Creative Commons Zero Contributors: Axis of eran
Image:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Commons-logo.svg License: logo Contributors: Anomie
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