GOKARNA - A PLACE WITH IDYLLIC BEACHES AND PRISTINE WATERS

 

The serpentine road from the railway station leading to the resort took us to the town and further ahead to the seaside where the homestay was located. The oscillating roads along the elevation of the Western Ghat Mountains started giving a panoramic view of the clear blue sea meeting the horizon. The sea breeze, with the murmuring sound, tuned with the roaring sound of the waves welcomed us to the new location called Gokarna. 

Gokarna, once popular as a pilgrimage centre has turned into a sea resort since last decade where the hills of Western Ghat mountains and the waves of the Arabian Sea embrace each other. The cool breeze of the sea dances through the undulating landscape with a series of coconut trees along the beautiful beaches not only attracts the gen-next population but also the aged population as a pilgrimage.

Why called Gokarna

The word Gokarna means “Cow’s Ear (Go=Cow & Karna=Ear). The mythology behind the name was Shiva appeared from the ears of mother earth (in form of a cow) and the confluence of two rivers flowing through the region Gangavali and Aghanashini took shape of a cow’s ear.

How to Reach

The railway station Gokarna Road is on the Mangalore-Mumbai route is located around 10 km away from the main town.

It can also be reached through road from Mangalore (230 km), Panaji (154 km) and Karwar (59 km) through NH-17.

The nearest airport is Dabolim at Goa (147 km) and Hubli (153 km) which are also well connected.

Boarding & Lodging

Many hotels, homestays and resorts have come up along the beaches overseeing the Arabian Sea and the selection has to be made based on available logistics and price. Hotels are mainly located in the town where the pilgrims intend to stay to be near the temple and the tourists and travellers are inclined to stay in homestay and resorts near the beach.

   

Since there are regular foreign and also domestic visitors from various corners of the world and country, there are wide varieties of food available to the taste of the majority. However, Udipi types of food are found in abundance considering the local influence.

What to do in Gokarna

There are four major beaches in Gokarna that attract tourists. They are Kuddle Beach, Om Beach, Half Moon Beach and Paradise Beach. All the beaches are equally good and nature has been bountiful having provided clean sand, shades of trees, and clear seawater. A couple of day’s stay can cover all the locations including Mahabaleshwara Shiva temple in the town in a very relaxing mood.  

Majority of the local and foreign tourists have been found to be lying back on the beaches, cherishing the sea breeze and sunshine and in the totally reclining mood. There are tourists who want to enjoy both the advantages of relaxing and also sightseeing at the same time.

There are few cafes on the beaches which add to the flavour of enjoying the beauty of nature with a cup of tea or coffee along with snacks. Namaste Café on Om Beach and Ganga Café in Kuddle Beach is beautiful places to enjoy the holidays in Gokarna.

There are arrangements of a few sea sports especially for the young generation who want to have an adventure in the form of banana boat, kayaking and water scooters.

Tourists and travellers in groups are engaged in playing Frisbee, beach volleyball, football or chatting on the beach.

Some tourists were engaged in walking along the beach in the solitude and it seems that the entire beach is in their domain as no living creature can be seen on both sides.

The tourists interested in seeing Jog Falls can travel for 112 km towards south-east or Dudhsagar Falls can travel for 155 km in the north-west and can enjoy the robust beauty of both the falls.

There are a few temples in the town itself of which Mahabaleshwara Temple and Maha Ganapati Temple are very popular and there are frequent visitors. Mahabaleshwara temple has historic importance and the structure itself depicts the period of construction. The tourists can also spare a day visiting Murudeswar Temple which is around 80 km away from Gokarna towards Udipi. The waves of the sea touch the feet of Murudeswar Temple and the view from the top floor of the temple is simply captivating and one shall not miss the opportunity to have a bird’s eye view of the entire place.

But above all, the tourist must not miss the view of sunset on the horizon from any of the beaches of Gokarna. It is a really amazing scenery where the colour of the sea changes along with the colour of the sky. The chirping of birds returning to their nests creates the design of the army returning from the battlefield. The rhythm of waves matching with the rhythm of wind blowing through the leaves of coconut trees creates a lullaby requesting the world to go for rest.

My experiences

A photograph of Kuddle Beach, seen somewhere in the pages of a magazine, attracted my attention to visiting the place. Since I am from the eastern part of India; it took some time to make proper arrangements. My route was through Mangalore, having stayed there for a couple of days proceeded to Gokarna by train. Having reached the location, my first impression was “Wow”. It was more beautiful than I really expected. The virgin, secluded beach bewildered me with its vastness. I had a great time enjoying the hospitality of “The Coconut Tree Resort” on Kuddle Beach and enjoying every bit of nature, which was at its best.

I think a couple of days stay at Gokarna will definitely pressurize our mind to extend the vacation or to create fresh footprints on the golden sand.  

  

 

 Backlink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD0RAMkYMuI