Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna

The Mahabaleshwar Temple in Gokarna is believed to be one most significant temples in South India from a mythological perspective. The presence of an Atma Linga here makes it one of the holiest and highly revered temple. Legend has it that Ravana’s mother who is a staunch devotee of Shiva was performing a penance for her son when Indra jealous of her devotion, disrupted her penance by throwing the linga into the sea. A distraught Ravanna, performs a severe penance in Mount Kailash to please Lord Shiva. Impressed by his devotion Shiva bestows a boon to Ravana. Ravana asks Shiva for the Atmalinga. Shiva then gifts Ravana the atma linga with instructions that it should not be placed on the ground. Perturbed by the powers bestowed on Ravana, Shiva’s sons approach Vishnu to redeem the situation.

While Ravana is heading back to Lanka, Ganesha intercepts him taking the form of a little boy. Ravana asks the little boy to hold the idol (and not place it on the ground) while he would be back after offering evening prayers. But when Ravana does not return in the stipulated time, Ganesha places the idol on the ground and leaves. Once placed on the ground, Ravana tries with all his might to lift the linga but it stays put, thereby forcing Ravana to return to Lanka empty-handed. It is this atma linga in the temple that draws devotees in the thousands.

Our original plan after visiting Viboothi Falls, was to go to Unchalli Falls and if time permits Kumta Beach. But some mystical power forced us to re-draw our plans to end the Sirsi trip with a visit to the Mahabaleshwar Temple in Gokarna and a beach trek from Gokarna to Kudle. As soon as we entered the temple we were confronted by a battery of poojaries. They cornered us like salesmen and started rattling out a list of poojas that they can perform for you. And the a la carte included poojas of varied denominations starting from as high as Rs.500 to as paltry as a sum of Rs.50. And that frankly was a big turn-off. Thankfully we got a quick darshan and we were out in no time. The best part however was that you get to touch the Atma Linga in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

After the tryst with the atma linga we walked to Gokarna beach and without spending another minute(going by past experiences) started walking towards kudle beach. Kudle has been one of my favorite beaches ever since I went there almost 3 years ago. But going there after all those good memories I was a little apprehensive. In the last 3 years, surely Kudle must have been commercially sold out. There sure is going to couple of resorts, some tens of night clubs an hundred little shacks. I dreaded the thought of watching such a sight. Thankfully I was not entirely proved right. But Kudle is slowly and surely going that route. Another couple of years and Kudle would have gone the Goa-way. Sigh! After another wonderful Sunset (a Kudle speciality), we headed back to Gokarna. A laugh-riot dinner later we started to head back to… Damn I don’t even want to mention that name… L

Getting there: In the heart of Gokarna town. The temple is right on the beach.

Must-Do: Touch the atma linga.

Must-Don’t: Waste time at Gokarna Beach. Instead head straight to Kudle.

My Rating: 6/10

Viboothi Falls, Sirsi

When we first planned to visit Sirsi, the idea was to go waterfalls-hopping. Sirsi and its surroundings have so many waterfalls that we were skeptical of being able to cover them all. But ironic as it may seem, after one and a half day of travelling, we had so far seen just one waterfall. Days prior to the trip when we were reading up on Sirsi, we stumbled upon places much more interesting than just waterfalls and so it came to be that we were going to the second and last waterfalls of our trip.

Viboothi Falls is a mere 8kms from Yana, but the winding and treacherous road makes it look longer than that. From the end of the motorable road it’s another 2 km walk to the waterfalls. Viboothi is as pristine as they come these days. Nestled in the Sahyadri Ranges and formed on River Gangavali, Viboothi gets its name from the limestone formations in the area. It is a 3-tier waterfall that forms a tiny pool, worthy of being called heavenly. The riverbed in this pool is haphazardly stuffed with big boulders, making it very perilous for the tourists. You have to be extremely stupid to dive into these waters. Unlike Sathodi, this is the kind of falls where you can relax, unwind, take a dip and refresh yourself in the pristine waters. It is an ideal picnic spot where you can spend a couple of hours playing in the waters and not know the time fly-by. Though Sirsi has many waterfalls, not all of them entertain the tourists to play in their laps. Viboothi is one such falls that embraces her visitors and leaves them wet, fresh and recharged. A must-visit waterfalls for your Sirsi itinerary.

Getting-there: 8kms from Yana.

Must-Do: Take a dip in the water and get totally refreshed and rejuvenated.

Must-Don’t: Diving into the pool and littering the place.

My Rating: 8/10

Yana, Sirsi

Bhairaveshwar Shikara

It pays to have good friends, more so when these people are random guys you met in blogosphere. So, on Day1 of our Sirsi trip when we had given up hope on finding a room (all rooms in all hotels occupied, thanks to Dassera) in Sirsi, this blogger friend of a fellow traveler turns out to be our knight-in-shining-armor. All it took was one phone call and within minutes the six of us were given two of the best rooms in a hotel which belonged to a relative of our blogger friend. As if that magnanimity wasn’t enough, the hotel refused to take a single penny from us for our one-night-stay! A hot water bath and a good night’s sleep ensured all of us were all charged-up for the next day. A sumptuous breakfast later we were headed towards Yana.

Bhairaveshwar Shikara with Shiva temple

Yana is famous for two massive rock formations. Essentially, these rock formations are black crystalline limestone. The entire village of Yana is known for these rock formations. But there are 2 such formations that are of mythological significance, namely, Bhairaveshwar Shikara and Mohini Shikara. Yana is as much a geologist’s delight as it is for a pilgrim. The Bhairaveshwar Shikara is popular for a Swayambhu (self-manifested) linga. Add to that water drips on to this linga from the rocks thereby making the alliteration that it is holy Ganga flowing. However, the scientific reason for the formation of the swayambhu is attributed to phenomenon of stalactites and stalagmites.

Most of the pictures you find of the two shikaras on internet do no justice compared to the real deal. These are massive rock formations, standing as tall as 120 metres (Bhairaveshwar Shikara) and 90 metres (Mohini Shikara). These rocks are not without its share of mythological stories and prominence, as the names suggest. As per the mythological stories, the demon king Asura through persistent penance obtained a boon from Lord Shiva whereby on whomsoever’s head Asura places his hand, would turn to ashes (hence the name Bhasmasura). But Asura turns a Frankenstein’s monster and wants to test his strength on Lord Shiva Himself. After being chased by Asura, Shiva seeks refuge and advice from Lord Vishnu. Vishnu takes the form of damsel Mohini and entices Bhasmasura with her beauty and dance. An infatuated Bhasmasura agrees to a dance competition between the two. In one of the mudras (dance pose) Mohini places her hand on her head which an unsuspecting (and blindly in love) Asura copies, only to be turned into ashes by his own foolishness. The resulting combustion was believed to be so intense that it blackened the limestone formations of entire Yana. The Bhairaveshwar Shikara (Shiva’s Hill) and Mohini Shikara (Mohini’s Hill) thus got their respective names and temples (Mohini Shikara houses a Parvathi temple).

Mohini Shikara

Just like in Banavasi, the priest of the Shiva temple here gives all the devotees a briefing on the mythology of this temple. The pradikshina of the temple here is probably the longest and toughest of them all as it involves walking around and between these rock formations on barefoot. Once you are done with Bhairaveshwar Shikara, there are steps downhill that takes you to Mohini Shikara and the Parvathi temple.

This area once used to be a dense Sahayadri forest. And it took a trek of nearly 17kms from civilization to just reach these rocks. But crass commercialization and road-laying has done away with all this. And now visitors need to walk just half a kilometer from where they can park their vehicles. The day is not far behind where you can drive right up to the base of these hills. There’s a popular saying in these parts of the world - Sokkidhavanu Yanakke hogutaane, rokkiddhavanu Gokarna ke hoguthane, meaning, the one with tremendous guts and determination goes to Yana and the one with money bags goes to Gokarna. Unfortunately that is no longer true in these times of rapid and unbridled development.

Getting-there: Around 40kms from Sirsi town.

Must-Do: Check out the rock formations and the Swayambhu.

Must-Don’t: Littering and Vandalism. 

My Rating: 8/10

Information Courtesy: Wikipedia, OurKarnataka

Sathodi Falls, Yellapur

This was my second attempt at getting to Sathodi Falls and yet again for a briefest of moments I felt my chances of getting to see this waterfall receding, just like the sun setting in the horizon. The first attempt was a failure because accessibility was an issue. After reaching Yellapur, I found that there were no buses that go to Sathodi Falls. I knew it wasn’t wise to hire a Jeep or a rickshaw as they would charge me buckets. I was told that youngsters there offered to take you to Sathodi for a nominal amount. As it turned out, the nominal amount was Rs. 400 – something that I was expecting the Rickshaw-wallas to demand. I decided to drop the plan and instead go to Magod Falls. But even that didn’t materialize since the bus timings were very erratic and less frequent.

But this time round I was travelling with a group and with our own transport – a Tavera. The threat to our chances was however from the receding daylight. Our first challenge was to enter the forest area before 6:30PM before the gates close. And the second was to spend enough time enjoying the view and yet get back to civilization before it’s too dark. Sathodi is a 28km drive through the forests from Yellapur town. The roads are in a bad shape for the first 23kms. For the last 5 kms there is simply no road. Ok.. Im exaggerating a bit here. There is indeed a mud road for the last 5 kms but it’s in a pathetic condition. The rains make the road even worse with loose soil and slippery slopes.

With the menacing road taking a toll on the vehicle and the eager-to-retire sun looming over our heads, we started questioning the rationale of going ahead with our plan. Would the destination be worth the journey? Would we be able to spend at least 10 minutes there? Even if we do, are those 10 minutes worth the trouble we took just getting here? What if we have a flat tyre on the way back? Is it safe to spend the night in this jungle? Just as all these questions were hovering around inside the confines of our heads, we got our first glimpse of the backwaters of Kodasalli Dam. And just like that, our apprehensions started disappearing. We were now more than eager to get to the waterfalls.

We finally reached the check-in point of the falls where we paid a nominal entrance fee and quickly made our way to the falls. A one kilometer walk later we gaped with open mouths at India’s little Niagara falls. I had to admit that the pictures you see of Sathodi in the internet do no justice to the real deal. Even though you don’t get to go near the foot of the falls, the view is pretty intimidating. While most waterfalls I’ve seen till date are tall, and single or multi-tiered, this one was w-i-d-e. And thanks to all that rain for the last couple of weeks, Sathodi was a decked-up princess. Anybody with half a brain would know better than to venture into the water. At this time of the year Sathodi was strictly a viewing-only waterfall. Even though we had set ourselves a deadline of 15 minutes to reach back to our vehicle, half an hour had already passed. Not completely content with the amount of time we spent here, we had to drag ourselves back to the car. Our apprehensions of a flat tyre were highly misplaced and we reached Yellapur, and subsequently Sirsi, incident-free.

Getting-there: Sirsi->Yellapur ->Sathodi (Follow the signboards at Yellapur)

Must-Do: Start early so as to spend enough time there and get back safely

Must-Don’t: Adventurism or heroism in the rapid waters.

My Rating: 8/10

Sahasralinga, Sirsi

The literal translation of Sahasralinga means a 1000 Lingas. And that’s precisely what you get to see here. On the banks of river Shalmala are carved hundreds and hundreds of Shivalingas and Nandis (Basavannas). It is believed that for every Linga, there is a Nandi staring at it. Currently there are far too fewer lingas, and even the ones present have suffered some damage over the years thanks to the force of the ravenous waters. Even then the sheer number of Lingas and Nandis is sight to be seen to be believed, notwithstanding the fact that we went there at a time when the water flow was high.

These Shiva lingas were built by King Sadashivaraya of Sirsi. It is best to visit Sahasralinga during the dry seasons, when the flow of water is pretty less. Sahasralinga is 10 kms from Sirsi. A recent addition to this tourist location is a hanging bridge built across the river to connect neighboring villages. Since the flow of water is comparatively gentler, this place can also double up as a picnic center. Children might enjoy play in the water here.

Getting-there: About 10 kms from Sirsi en route Yellapur.

Must-Do: Visit during the dry seasons to see more of the lingas surfacing.

Must-Don’t: Vandalism and Littering.

My Rating: 6/10

Madhukeshwara Temple, Banavasi, Sirsi

Long before colonial Bangalore was deemed the capital of Karnataka, there was a lesser known capital for the state, which goes by the name of Banavasi. Set up in the 9^th Century AD by the Kadamba dynasty, Banavasi was known to be the earliest known capital of Karnataka. As with most dynasties of that era, the kingdom revolves around the main temple in area. Madhukeshwara Temple occupies that significant stature in this regard. So prominent was Banvasi and the Madhukeshava temple that the temple originally built by Kadambas were renovated/extended by Chalukyas and the Hoysalas. As a result one can easily notice the different architectural styles starting from the garba griha to the mantapas. And yet there is no denying the fact that the mastery of the Hoysala craftsmen shine through. Hoysala craftsmen are top-of-the-class pioneers in stone craftsmanship. And their style is so distinct and uniform you can identify it pretty easily. The famous Hoysala artisan Jakkanacharya is being credited for the Hoysala additions. Im really beginning to doubt the existence of this character called Jakkanacharya. He’s been being associated with every Hoysala Temple dotted across the state. So unless he’s a superhuman sent from outer space, it’s highly unlikely that he would have worked with each of these temples


Onte Kallu Mantapa

Banavasi is a true-blooded Kannadiga pride temple town. Not only was it considered the first capital of Karnataka, it was also the birthplace for Kannada’s first poet, Adikavi Pampa. Few coins discovered here a few years ago, date back to the 5^th Century with Kannada inscriptions on it. This means that the existence of a mint factory here can be considered amongst the oldest in the country.

When we arrived here, we found out, much to our dismay that there were no ASI guides who could give us a sneak peek into the history of this magnificent temple. But just as we were loitering around clicking pictures, a priest herded us together and starting giving us a guided tour of the temple. Even though we knew pretty well that there was no such thing as a free meal, we didn’t mind paying the priest for an insight about the temple.  The priest began by giving a brief history of the temple built by the Kadambas and subsequently renovated and improved upon by the Chalukyas and Hoysalas. He told us the reason behind the Shivalinga being called Madhukeshava. The large linga here is in the color of honey (madhu) contrary to the black that we see elsewhere. He also talked about the specialty of the large bell outside the garba griha. This bell made from pancha loha (5 metals) is unique because the gong of the bell rings for close to a minute. He then showed us the Triloka Mantapa carved out of a single stone. It is undoubtedly the work of the Hoysala craftsmen. It goes without saying that such artwork can only be produced from the Hoysala breed of artisans. This is followed by the trademark Hoysala pillars, that’s a common garnish in every Hoysala Temple. The concave and convex reflective pillars not only accentuated the viewing experience of the performing dance artists but also speaks volumes of the mastery of these stone artists.

Can you spot the right eye of Nandi?

The Onte kallu Mantapa (single stone mantapa) is yet another classic from the Hoysala staple – again, carved from a single stone. The other notable and no less artistic brilliance is the Nandi statue. The first thing most of us might straight-away notice is that the Nandi is not directly looking at Shiva but is rather looking slightly to the right. The reason behind this is that while Nandi’s left eye is looking directly at the Shivalinga, its right eye is looking at Parvathi which is separate temple adjacent to Shiva’s. Such is the mastery of the stone artisans of that era that despite a maze of pillars, the right eye of Nandi is transfixed on Parvathi Devi. Unbelievable? Well, you can confirm it yourself by standing in front of the Parvathi temple and looking at Nandi. Another important attraction here is the Ardha Ganesh. This statue of Lord Ganesh is split vertically right at the middle. It is believed that the other half is in Kashi.

These are only some of the stand-out features of this temple. By the end of it all we were left dizzy with amazement. With the Sun beating down hard we decided to spend a little more time admiring the place. After all it’s not every day you get to be a part of history. All that textbook knowledge of our History lessons look so worthless compared to the couple of hours we spent here.

Now did I say there’s-no-such-thing-as-a-free-meal a while ago. Ok, I take that back, because there was a free anna daanam in the temple served at exactly 1PM. We devoured the hot rice, blistering sambar and the super cool majige like there’s no tomorrow. With a content stomach and heart we started for the next leg of our Sirsi trip – Sahasralinga.

 

Getting-there: Approx 30 kms from Marikamba Temple.

Must-Do: Ask the priest for a guided tour. Free Anna Daanam at 1PM.

Must-Don't: Vandalism and Littering

My Rating: 8/10

Marikamba Temple, Sirsi

A trip to Sirsi has been in the offing for quite a while. The plan was made at least 2 years ago. The idea was simple – cover as many waterfalls as possible in given time between August and October. The timing was important because this was the time when the monsoons would have abated leaving the waterfalls packed to capacity. But as the plans got serious and looked on the verge of being conquered thanks to a few enthusiastic co-travelers cum nature lovers cum awesome friends, the plan started taking a different shape and dimension.  My biggest learning before and during this trip was that Sirsi was not all about waterfalls. This sleepy little town is rich in cultural, linguistical and mythological heritage. Sirsi is as much about the cultural heritage of Karnataka as it is about the waterfalls. Add to that, there are so many places of mythological significance that it is difficult to cover Sirsi in a weekend. You definitely have to devote at least a couple more weekends to experiencing Sirsi.

After Alemarigalu’s planned Sirsi trip got cancelled because of drop-outs this time we fixed a quorum of 5 members to make a trip out of it. And 5 we were to explore the wonderful land of Sirsi. Our first stop after freezing bath in a canal was Sri Marikamba Temple.

Sri Marikamba Temple is a 17^th Century temple located at Sirsi in Uttara Kannada. Marikamba is believed to be the Goddess of Power by Her devotees.  The seven foot tall wooden idol of the deity was resurrected from a tank near Hangal and a temple built for Her in the year 1689. Local puranas mention the deity as Renuka or Yellamma. She is also referred to as Doddamma – elder sister to all younger Mariammas installed in different villages and towns. She is believed to control evil spirits and epidemics. So in order to appease Her, devotees used to offer animal sacrifice. But all that changed in 1933 when Gandhiji  visited Sirsi but refused to enter the temple considering the brutal animal sacrifices that were performed here. Distinguished citizens like SN Keshwain and Vitthal Rao Hodike started educating the masses against this inhuman practice. They even went to the extent of kidnapping the buffalo the night before the sacrifice and have the courage to face an angry mob. Eventually the masses relented and the practice of animal sacrifice was finally banned.

The Marikamba Temple is also famous for its Kavi art. The temple walls are adorned with artwork from famous local artists. These wall murals depict episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The first impression of the temple is that it looks nothing like a South Indian temple and that impression stays throughout, thanks to the wall murals. It is unlike any temple you will ever see in South India. Here’s why you should you visit Marikamba Temple:

1.       It’s bang in the middle of Sirsi town

2.       The wall murals on the temple depicting episodes from our epics

3.       Take inspiration from the fact that God will be appeased even if animal sacrifices aren’t done

4.       Learn about how the courage of two brave and educated men can change age-old customs for the better.

5.       It is en route Banavasi Madhukeshava Temple.

6.       Because 5 reasons are good enough to go there!

Getting-there: Right in the heart of the town.

Must-Do: Check out the murals adorning the temple

Must-Don’t: Animal sacrifice of course. Photography of the deity.

My Rating: 7/10

Information Credits: Kamat's Potpourri

Bhatkal Beach

Bhatkal is another beach that is as yet off the tourist map. But this is not a deserted beach like Kasarkod. There's a small settlement of people, mostly fishermen, who live by the beach. But from a tourist perspective, there's nothing there. Not a shack, or a shop for refreshments. No public transports except an occasional Autorickshaw from Bhatkal town 7 kms away.

As a result of this seclusion from the rest of the world, the beach here is pretty unspoilt. It's another vast beach that you would enjoy walking on. But beware of the huge crabs crawling over the grainy sand beach. The heat as everywhere we went was a killer. But thanks to some huge boulders on the the beach we could get some respite from the unrepenting Sun. It was an ideal spot to relax, with a book in hand.

 

Getting-there: 15kms from Murudeshwar. Buses available from Murudeshwar and Kollur.

 

Must-Do: Get a book and have a relaxed time with the soothing sounds of the ocean.

Must-Don't: Choose the summer to visit the place. Littering this paradise-on-earth.

 

My Rating: 7/10

Apsarakonda Falls, Honavar.

After reaching the far end of the beach, we started walking in-land and soon enough we found human habitation there. We started asking around, and thankfully realised that we were on the right track. The Apsarakonda was a mere kilometer walk from there. And yes, we didn't have to climb the hillock. 

The Apsarakonda hardly qualifies to be called a "Waterfall". If you are rich, you can probably create one in your own backyard. There's a steady stream of water pouring down a well-shaped earth-pit with some phantomesque setting. But the fresh water was enticing enough to make me go take a dip. Parched from energy-sagging walk, I drank the fresh water to my heart's content. And suddenly all the fatigue and the exhaustion disappeared. I was now ready to head back to our hotel in Murudeshwar.

Getting-there: The best way to the reach here is to take a Rickshaw from the Honavar-Murudeshwar road. The other way of course is from the beach - not recommended if you are not a regular walker in the sun.

My Rating: 4/10

Kasarkod Beach, Honavar.

The Kasarkod beach in Honavar is not to be confused with Kasarkode of Kerala.

If you are looking for a deserted beach in coastal Karnataka, then this is one among them. I say it is deserted because there's not a single shack on it and almost no civilization near it. The beach is at least 8-10 kms long. And all you see is the sun, sea, sand and vegetation. For the few hours we spent there, we hardly saw any people. The blistering heat might be one of the reasons though :). Even though it was early April, the heat was merciless.

Had it not been for the heat, this beach would have been the ideal place to just relax and forget the woes of the world. From the directions given by some helpful people on the bus while on our way here, we realised we could actually walk our way on the beach to reach Apsarakonda Waterfalls. It initially didn't sound like a bad idea. But when it came to execution, it proved otherwise. The walk on the sifting sand never seemed to end. The far-end of the beach seemed to be a mirage. The closer we went, the farther it appeared. To our dismay we realised going back to our starting point and taking a motorable road also seemed far-fetched since we walked down far too long.

After much dilly-dallying on whether to go forward or backward, we decided forward is the way to go. Luckily, not too far away, we finally reached the far end of the beach - a hillock. The Apsarakonda Falls is supposedly on the other side of the hillock. Now here presented our next dilemma. Is the Falls really where we thought it were? And, did we have to climb the hillock to get to the other end where the Falls is supposed to be? Climbing the hill was nearly out of question. We were to find out soon enough...

Getting-there: The beach is about 3 kms from Honavar town and about 26 kms from Murudeshwar. Maxicab rides available from Honavar and Murudeshwar.

Must-Do: Spend some leisurely moments here soaking the familiar sights of a beach.

Must-Don't: Visiting the beach in the hot summer sun.

Additional Notes: The beach is pretty much unspoilt, thanks to it being off the tourist map...as yet.

My Rating: 7/10 

Murudeshwar, Uttara Kannada.

It's surprising how a well-planned trip can completely turn on its head and turn out to be something entirely different. This was what happened to us in our last trip. What was supposed to have been a beach-hopping fun turned out to be a temple-hopping devotion.

The initial plan was spend a day each at the beaches of Honavar, Murudeshwar and Bhatkal. The blistering heat turned spoilsport and with that all plans went awry. Though we got down at Honavar, because of lack of good accommodation, we quickly left to Murudeshwar 26 kms away. Murudeshwar is famous for only one thing - the Shiva temple which is bang on the ocean! Well yes, it is literally on a hillock in the ocean, covered on three sides by the sea. The most eye-catching spectacle though is the tallest Gopuram in the world. The 20-storied, 249 ft tall gopura called the Raja Gopura towers over everything else, including the 143 ft high Shiva statue, considered to be the second largest in the world. The primary deity here is Mridesha Linga, which is believed to be a piece of the original Atma Linga. 

Once you are done with visiting the temple, you would notice that there is pretty much nothing you can do in this beach town. Of course you can go boating and water-skiing. But somehow it did not appeal to our senses. The beach itself, around the temple is pretty nasty with the continous influx of devotees who can be seen walking around semi-naked going for a bath or attending nature calls. This was a enough of a turn-off to look for other alternatives to kill time. And that meant looking beyond Murudeshwar.

Getting-there: There are overnight buses available from Bangalore (470 kms away).

Must-Do: Watch the sunset. Boating and scuba-diving options available.
Must-Don't: Spoil the natural beauty of the place. Make plans for an extended stay.

My Rating: 5/10.

Om-Half Moon-Paradise Beach Trek, Gokarna.

We started Day 2 watching an invisible sun rise at Gokarna Town Beach, followed by breakfast (Hotel Nisarga) at the very same beach watching the fishing boats and the odd dolphin. From there we walked to our-now-favourite Kudle beach, spent a couple of hours and from there we kept walking to Om beach. The phoren-ers had given us the exact path to take to Om beach and also told us about markings on the ground which lead to Om beach. They also warned us that the rickshawallahs would try to mislead us by saying that we must take the rickshaw to Om beach. As it turned out, we dint even need the markers on the ground as there were enough people walking towards Om beach.

It took us about 20 minutes to reach Om beach. A somewhat demanding climb in the sun, I must say. As expected the beach is in the shape of an Om or more aptly the shape of 3. Unfortunately, Om beach does not have the same appeal as Kudle Beach, but at least looks a tad better than Gokarna Town Beach. It was way too hot for us to even think of venturing into the waters. From Om you could take a ferry to Half Moon and Paradise Beaches. It’s an expensive affair though. Initially the boatsmen demanded Rs. 500 for a roundtrip for a person. After bargaining, we decided to take a one way ferry for Rs. 100 each. The plan was to walk back from Paradise to Om and then back to Kudle and finally to Gokarna. A tough ask, but an exciting one.

The ride to Paradise was pretty much uneventful and short except for some Dolphin-spotting on the way. Ten minutes later we were at Paradise Beach – if you can call it a beach in the first place! Paradise Beach could be compared to a small Oasis in the middle of great Desert. The shore at Paradise beach cannot accommodate more than 25 people at any time. But of course there are at least four shacks that provide food here!!.

After buying some soft drinks and Water Bottles to keep us hydrated we started walking back – towards Half Moon Beach. The trek up till Half Moon is very exciting with lots of rocks of all shapes and sizes and all that at mostly sea-level. The key to keep going on the right path is to stick to the well-trodden path. 15 minutes later we were at Half Moon Beach. If Kudle beach was breath-taking, then Half Moon is a killer. Very quiet and serene and hardly crowded. We found not more than five tourists in the more than three hours we spent there.

Half Moon is truly a paradise of a beach. After a relaxed lunch we hesitantly decided to continue our journey back, since we wanted to be in time for the sunset at Kudle which was breathtaking the previous evening. The path to Om climbs higher from Half Moon, which results in some breath-taking view of the sea. The whole path is right along the edge of the cliff, with absolutely no safety barrier. One wrong step and it’s an open invitation to the Abyss.

Thirty more minutes of breathtaking (literally and visually) walk and we were at Om beach. By now we so eager to reach Kudle that we did not even stop to catch a breath at Om and proceeded straight to Kudle and crashed there.


Getting-there: You could walk all the way from Gokarna Town Beach to Om to Half Moon to Paradise and back. It is physically very demanding but worth every drop of sweat. There’s always the ferry if you think you cannot make it.

Must-Do: Keep a full day aside for this trek. Try to start as early in the morning as possible and walk back as late as possible before getting dark.

Must-Don’t: Saying Yes to the outrageous prices quoted by the boatsmen for the ferrying. Littering.

My Rating: 8.5/10. (I’d give a 9/10 for Half Moon Beach too)

Kudle Beach, Gokarna.

Kudle is a must-visit beach if you are in Gokarna. Surprisingly, this beach has been left virtually untouched by the locals and the Indian tourists as a result of which your Kudle-experience will be one that will remain etched in your minds till the day you leave this earth.

In the innumerable hours we spent at Kudle over two days, we never once noticed another fellow Indian tourist. The place was full of foreign tourists from various parts of the world. There was also the hippy angle to these tourists. Some of whom have been here for months together. You could see these tourists engrossed in their own world enjoying the sun, sand and the sea. If someone is occupied with a book, someone else is pouring over some assignment sheets, while someone else is practicing Yoga or Tai Chi or juggling clubs. There were also those playing a game resembling Table Tennis without the table, and few others building a sand castle. And if they happened to get bored of their respective activities they go for a swim or run along the beach or go beach trekking or walk about the temple town of Gokarna. But then Kudle beach is just the kind of place where you can spend long hours without a care in the world. I wonder why Kudle beach was not named as Paradise Beach!

So, for once I’ll shut the hell up and let the pictures to the talking.


Getting-there: From the Gokarna Town Beach walk to the left, climb the hill past the temple, across the plateau, past a couple of yoga centers and finally descend into Kudle Beach. When in doubt ask any foreigner.

Must-Do: Spend long hours at the beach doing nothing. Watch the beautiful sunset and stay at any of the beachside café’s.

Must-Don’t: You already know that by now, don’t ya?

My Rating: 9/10

Gokarna Town Beach, Gokarna

The Gokarn(a) Town Beach is like any other popular beach in India – crowded, trashy and noisy. It is also a very big one, something in excess of 5km. It had been seven months since I had last been in a beach and was desperate to embrace it and take a splash. Within a few moments we were in the salty waters splashing at each other like nine-year-olds. Once the initial childish excitement subsided, we took a walk along the beach like grown-ups with the waves hitting our feet. We also caught a fishing boat which returned with a decent catch. Apart from the single point entry of the beach, the rest of it is pretty much deserted, with the odd European taking his midday or evening stroll, depending on the time of the day. For some unfathomable reason all Indian tourists who came to the beach, walked in and around the half km stretch near the entrance and then walked/drove back to wherever they came from. None thought it wise to take a walk or see the remaining parts of the beach. But thanks to that, it was much quieter in the other parts of the beach.

But we were not so lucky either. Over the course of the next two days we saw activities in the beach that disgusted us. Its really a shame that some people do not have the minimum decency to refrain from doing such uncivilized acts. I was never more filled with rage than now at seeing people trashing a truly beautiful place. And in true Indian administration style, there is nobody to stop and prevent such activities.

One more thing that one would notice about Gokarn is that its infested with foreign tourists. Their accent suggested that most of them are from Europe and other eastern European nations. From the looks of it, the Uttara Kannada Coastal Belt is the new Goa. Considering that Goa is a mere 2 hr drive from Gokarn, this comes as no surprise. One would also many Bohemian stores selling all things hippy. All in all, not a great place to linger around for long!

Getting-there: Its a less than 2 km walk from the Gokarna Bus Stand.
Must-Do: Shop for some beachwear and some bohemian stuff. Have food at the beachside cafes.
Must-Dont: Contribute to the trash.

My Rating: 5/10. (The low-rating for a beach speaks volumes of its trashiness)