Gokarna, Karnataka
Gokarna | |
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town | |
KA-47 | |
Website | uttarakannada |
Gokarna is a small temple town located in the
Gokarna is known as one of seven important centers of pilgrimage in
Gokarna is the one of the best beach destinations for tourists in the whole of India.[2][3] It is very popular for beach trekkers.[4]
Etymology
Gokarna means cow's ear. It is believed that
The Bhagavata Purana relates that 200 years into this current Kali Yuga a pious Brahmin named Atmaveda was unable because of karma incurred in past lives to have any children in his current incarnation. Atmaveda was devastated by not being able to have children, and wandered into a forest to pray for help. There he met a Sannyasi, whom he implored to grant him and his wife the ability to have a child. The Sannyasi warned Atmaveda against opposing his karma, but finally relented and gave Atmaveda a fruit that his wife was to consume to have a child. Atmaveda's wife Dhundhuli did not want to go through the pain of pregnancy and childbirth, so she gave the fruit from the Sannyasi to her cow. A human child was born of the cow, human in all its parts except for its ears, which were cow ears. Because of this the child was named Gokarna.
Gokarna is mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana as being the home of the brothers Gokarna and Dhundhakari.
Brahma, feeling proud because he could create the universe, decided to meditate to apologize for his arrogance. He wanted to lift a curse given by Shiva. During his meditation, Shiva appeared unexpectedly, emerging from the ears of a cow. So the place came to be known as Gokarna or ear of the cow. The Puranas state that when Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu created Kerala, it was from Gokarna to Kanyakumari.
As per legend,
Geography
Legend
The earliest legend of the city is set in the age of the Treta Yuga, in which Ravana (the rakshasa king of Lanka) reaches Kailasha and performed rigorous penance to obtain the atmalinga from Shiva, as Ravana's mother expressed a keen desire to worship the atmalinga of Shiva.[7][8] After a long penance, Shiva granted the atmalinga to Ravana as a boon and instructs Ravana to carry it home by walk, that he should never place it on the earth even for a short while failing which the linga would get eternally embedded at the place where he broke his commands.
As Ravana was nearing Gokarna, Vishnu who had known well that Ravana was punctual in performing his periodical rites (
When Ravana was performing his rituals, Ganesha called his name three times. Ravana then placed the linga on the ground, but Ganesha disappeared. The linga immediately got firmly stuck in the ground. Ravana realized he had been tricked by the gods and got very upset. He tried hard to pull up the linga, but it didn't move at all. So, in frustration, he threw the coverings of the linga to Dhareshwara and Gunavanteshwara,
Gokarna was part of the
Location
Gokarna is about 238 km north of
Gokarna can be reached by buses and maxicabs from Kumta (30 km), Ankola (26 km), Karwar (59 km) and Bhatkal (88 km) on National Highway 66 (
It can be reached by
The nearest airports are
are the nearest airports to reach at Gokarna.Neighbouring villages are Bankikodla-Hanehalli, Sanikatta, Tadadi, Torke, Madangere, Maskeri, Adigone, Nelaguni and Bijjur.
Climate
Climate data for Gokarna | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.8 (89.2) |
31.4 (88.5) |
32.3 (90.1) |
33.0 (91.4) |
29.5 (85.1) |
29.8 (85.6) |
28.7 (83.7) |
28.6 (83.5) |
29.1 (84.4) |
30.9 (87.6) |
32.3 (90.1) |
32.3 (90.1) |
30.8 (87.4) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.1 (68.2) |
20.7 (69.3) |
23.0 (73.4) |
25.4 (77.7) |
26.1 (79.0) |
24.3 (75.7) |
23.8 (74.8) |
23.8 (74.8) |
23.4 (74.1) |
23.4 (74.1) |
22.1 (71.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
23.1 (73.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.0) |
11 (0.4) |
184 (7.2) |
980 (38.6) |
1,227 (48.3) |
665 (26.2) |
366 (14.4) |
157 (6.2) |
49 (1.9) |
9 (0.4) |
3,649 (143.6) |
Source: http://en.climate-data.org/location/172162/ |
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. Gokarna is known for the beaches. The Gokarna main beach is in town and Kudle beach are west facing. Om beach, Half moon Beach, Paradise Beach (also known as Full moon) and Belekan beach are south facing.[10]
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. Gokarna Main Beach is mainly used by Indian pilgrims. Main Beach is a long open beach, known for surfing. Kudle 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 trekking or boat. Om beach is named so because it is shaped like the auspicious ॐ Om symbol. Om beach is a naturally Om-shaped beach,[11] it attracts local tourists on weekends. It has a few shacks and eateries, and also boat service to other beaches.
Beach Trekking & Camping
A five-beach trek includes Paradise Beach, Half Moon Beach, Om Beach, Kudle Beach and Gokarna Beach.[4]
Education
Bhadrakali High School in Melinkeli was founded in 1946.[12] A notable alumni of the school is cancer research scientist, Narayan Sadashiv Hosmane.[13]
See also
- Bhookailasa (1940 film)
- Murudeshwara
- Apsarakonda
- Karwar
- Mangalore
- Om Parvat
References
- ^ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Gokarna, India". www.fallingrain.com. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Coorg, Gokarna to Udupi: 6 best places to visit in Karnataka". 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Pretty beach destinations in India for this monsoon". The Times of India.
- ^ a b "5 cool and adventurous things to do in Gokarna". 9 February 2023.
- ^ "Yahoo". Yahoo. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ WPBlogger, Truper &. "The Curse of Gokarna: The history of an Indian village » Old World Wandering: A Travelogue". Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ "Gokarna - Story of Ravana - Ghumakkar - Inspiring travel experiences". Ghumakkar - Inspiring travel experiences. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ "Gokarna Mahabaleshwara Temple, Gokarna Beach, Gokarna Siddi Kshetra, Gokarna Lord Shiva's Atmalinga, Gokarna Travel Destination". www.karnatakavision.com. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ Planet, Lonely. "Gokarna - Lonely Planet". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ Lonely Planet (21 January 2016). "Beaches". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ "Beaches".
- ^ "Karnataka State Gazetteer", Karnataka (India), 1990.
- ^ Roche, Florine (6 January 2019). "Gokarna to Global Recognition: Dr Narayana Hosmane's Incredible Journey". www.daijiworld.com. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- Source: Karnataka State Gazetteer 1983