Trip to Gokarna

My journey starts from the the silicon valley of India(Bangalore) to the most beautiful place of north karnataka, Gokarna.

If Goa is too far or expensive, then Gokarna is the next best option to experience the sun, sand, and sea without burning a hole in your pocket.😉

Gokarna, is a temple town in north Karnataka. There are a several beaches in and around gokarna, which makes it a nice getaway from the stressful life and heavy traffic of bangalore. 

Gokarna means cow's ear. It is believed that Lord Shiva emerged from the ear of a cow here. It is at the ear-shaped confluence of two rivers Gangavali and Aghanashini. As per legend, Ravana was given Atmalinga by Lord Shiva and instructed that it would stay permanently where it is first placed on the land. But Lord Ganesha came in the form of a boy and planted it in Gokarna while Ravana was performing rituals. Once placed Ravana could not remove it from ground, but he removed some pieces of the Linga and threw them in different directions. Because of this wonderful power, he called the shiva linga as Mahabala, one with great strength, and ever since, the linga illustrious as Mahabaleshwara.

ApsaraKonda Waterfalls

I'm a Photographer and my Journey started early morning from Apsarakonda falls which is around 60kms from Gokarna. Set in a small village named Apsarakonda in Honnavar taluk of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka the waterfall possesses enthralling beauty. The waterfall descends from a height of about 50 feet to a natural pond formed below it. The place is as famous for the sparkling waterfall. Indeed, the beauty of the waterfall is so charming that one tends to believe that the place was the preferred bathing spot of the angels. The crystal clear water allures people to enter the pond and enjoy a relaxing bath. The base of the waterfall can be reached by climbing down a trail of a few hundred feet. The trail of Apsarakonda Falls is ideal for those trekkers who prefer to enjoy a trail without much difficulty. Steps have been built to make the trail easier for the public. The Tourism Department has beautified the place to increase its attraction and to make it easier for people to reach down to the waterfall.

Photography by Deepalee Khare

We future continued our journey to reach Kudle Beach, Gokarna and found a shack to dump our luggage. We stayed at this place called 'Mahaganapathi cottages'. Decent enough for the price (700/-) don't expect fancy rooms and amenities as everything is very basic. Nothing to do other than enjoy the awesome beach,swim and just laze around,watch the gorgeous sunset.We had taken the huts with attached washrooms. The rooms were basic - granite slab for a bad with a small cotton mattress - just wide enough to fit two adults. If you get bugged by the bugs and the creepy crawlies, this place is not for you.

The food was good and the ambiance of the place was outstanding in the evening. You can enjoy a nice chilled beer in the afternoon and some super tasty food.

AnticlockWise from Top: Gobi Manchurian, Special Seafood Noodles, Shaklab Dessert

  

The beach is an absolute bliss when you see the golden bell trying its best to make the sky and the earth meet. and that's the best moment. Though there is an alert on taking a bath into the sea here, still you can spend some time with waves close to the sea shore in a setting twilight of sun and get relax. I love to enjoy my sunset in privacy.

Sunset at Kudle Beach

We travelled to Mahabaleshwara temple in the night, where we have to dip our hand inside a hole to touch the AtmaLinga.The temple has beautiful spiritual energies. and everyone should experience it.

Photography by Deepalee Khare

We then came back to Kudle beach, and spent the night on the sea shore looking at the sparkling water, and the moon.
Then endless stories of the night are yours.
Happiness here is sought in simple things, like lying down on the sand and hearing the gushing sound of waves, looking up at the stars sparkling in the sky. The moon would be shining in your city as well, the same stars will be twinkling above your head back home. But it's an overwhelming feeling looking at them from here. I suddenly realised that life is lived in these little moments, not in the cubicles around you. There's nothing quite like looking up at the night sky to make you realise how small and insignificant you really are, and how grateful you should be for your life. Seeing the moon reflected in the water was something that I will never forget.

Photography by Deepalee Khare

The morning is always beautiful, but here its very gorgeous. the chirping of birds the sounds of water crashing the rocks. its just so beautiful.

Photography by Deepalee Khare

Photography by Deepalee Khare

Photography by Deepalee Khare

After a good breakfast of aloo paratha, we prepared for our exploration of Gokarna’s popular beaches. We decided to trek from Kudle Beach to Om Beach, the trek was 20mins long and quite simple, but the scenic beauty is so beautiful.

Trek to Om Beach

Photography by Deepalee Khare

I just stood there for some time, imagined how cool it would be if I had a house up here.

Voila ! we reached Om Beach.

Om Beach is by far the most popular beach in Gokarna. Mostly because of its distinct shape like that of the Hindu religious symbol "OM" from where it gets its name. 

This is one of the best beaches in Gokarna, mainly because the beach is quiet clean and has good number of eat outs.. I found many foreigners in the sea with families and enjoying swim. 

There are several water sports here like jet ski, banana ride, bumper ride etc. for playing all the sports the cost is around 1200 for 3 rides. I had a lot a fun, specially in the banana ride, where u can swim in the mid waters in a depth of around 50ft., the experience is amazing.

You can also take a boat from here to paradise beach and Half-Moon Beach (if you are lucky enough, u can also see dolphins)😇

We could see a path in the distance at the end of Om Beach, so we decided to just keep on walking. The trekking experience is awesome. 

Once we reached the end of Om Beach, we began our ascend once again. We started our trek, walking beside the beach enjoying the view. As you climb higher, you’ll get a great view of Om Beach. Walk up further and stop & stare out into the beauty of the Arabian sea. The terrain was a mix of beach walk and hills. The best thing was that the trek trail had the best mix of beaches and hills.

After some time, we finally reached the Half-Moon beach. The waves were high and we could see a beautiful view of the beach and the mountains from here. We were completely surrounded by beach on one side, mountains on the other two sides.

We were very tired, so planned to trek back to Om Beach, and have some lunch at Namaste Cafe. Non veg and sea food is what they excel at. The cafe is right on the OM beach and offers a good view from 1st floor.

Nameste Cafe

20-storied Gopura at Murudeshwara Temple

We travelled from Gokarna to Murudeshwara, which is around 80kms from Gokarna. Murdeshwar is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. Famous for the world's second tallest Shiva statue, the town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murudeshwar Temple. The linga is believed to be a piece of the original Atma Linga and is about two feet below ground level. This temple is built on the Kanduka Hill which is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea. It is dedicated to Sri Lokankara, and a 20-storied Gopura is constructed at the temple. The temple authorities have installed a lift that provides a breath-taking view of the 123-feet Sri Shiva idol from the top of the Raja gopura.

Murdeshwara Temple, Gokarna

Top View of Murudeshwara Temple

Top View of the busy city of Murudeshwara

At the end of the trip, we had dinner near Maravante beach, one of my favorite beach where the road passes between the river and the ocean. And also it's the most cleanest beach.

And the time ended so fast, that we fell asleep in the cab and reached bangalore the next morning with a lot of memories.

And so here my trip ends and I will be soon back with my next trip experiences. 😄