Scenic Beauty and Spirituality at its peak – Murudeshwar, Karnataka, India

Scenic Beauty and Spirituality at its peak – Murudeshwar, Karnataka, India

“TThe gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.”

– Sir Richard Burton

ROUTE MAP

This trip was in November 2015 along with my family. My friend and his family accompanied us for this trip aswell.

The route that we followed was : Bangalore –> Agumbe –> Jog Falls –> Mookambika Temple (Kudajadri) –> Murudeshwar –> Gokarna Om Beach –> Shimoga –> Bangalore.

My fellow travellers in Bangalore: This is one of the best trips that you can plan from Bangalore. You can cover some beautiful places in this entire road trip. Our trip was a 4N/5D trip; 1 night in Agumbe, 1 night in Gokarna , 2 nights in Shimoga.

Murudeshwar is certainly one of the most visited and popular Shiva Temples in India. Murudeshwar is a town in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India lying on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

The statue here is the second highest statue of Lord Shiva in the world. The Tallest Lord Shiva statue is in Nepal known as the Kailashnath Mahadev Statue. The design of the idol is in such a way that the sunlight directly falls on the statue making it to sparkle when the sun rises. It’s a massive photography opportunity to click the epic seaside statue of Lord Shiva looking over the shimmering Arabian Sea and the magnificent Western Ghats.

The Rajagopura at the entrance of the Murudeshwara Temple complex (also known as the Kethappa Narayana temple ) is one of the world’s tallest, standing at 249 feet. This is the newly added masterpiece and inaugurated in May 2008. The Gopura has 20+ floors and is the only Gopura to be fitted with elevators. Take the Temple lift for fantastic coastal panoramas. You can also get an excellent view of Shiva Statue from here.

The legend of Murudeshwar goes back to the age of Ramayana. A small temple existed here for generations, But with time the temple disintegrated. The locals tried rebuilding the temple earlier, but it did not last long. Then the businessman and philanthropist Mr. R.N. Shetty, who hails from Murudeshwar, started renovation work in 1977 with a team of craftsmen and artisans. So the credit of beautiful, modern Murudeshwar goes to Mr. R N Shetty(RNS) and his team.

Konkan coast beaches are known to be clean and Murudeshwar Beach happens to be one among them. The clean white sandy beach extends up to 2-3 km easily and offers a range of water activities. Activities involve speed boats, water scooters, parasailing, boating and even snorkelling near Netrani Island.The beach is also home to a small flea market and chat centre. One can purchase clothes, souvenirs and so on from here.

Near By attractions:

• Explore the heart shaped Netrani islands
• A place called Kadavinakatta which is situated just 25 Kms away from Murudeshwar offers a beautiful dam and a temple of Goddess Durga Parameshwari.
• Om Beach, Gokarna (82 Kms away)
• Apsara Konda Falls (20 kms away)
• Kollur Mookambika Templeand Kodachadri  (60 Kms away)
• Mirjan Fort
• Adventure at Yana Hike
• Jog falls (98 Kms away)

How to Reach:

By Road: Murudeshwar Temple is connected by KSRTC and private transport from Mangalore (155km) and Bangalore (488 kms). Most buses plying between Mangalore and Mumbai stop at Murudeshwar.
By Train: Murudeshwara lies on the Konkan Railway route. There are multiple trains from Mangalore or Mumbai and the station to stop at is Murudeshwar railway station
By Air: Mangalore is the nearest Airport and is around 165 kms from Murudeshwar Temple
Whether you are religious or not, this is a must see place in Karnataka.