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Gokarna, Karnataka
Tourist destination in Karnataka From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gokarna is a small temple town located in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state in southern India,[1]
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Gokarna is one of the most popular beach destinations for tourists in India.[2][3] It is popular with beach trekkers.[4] Yana Caves hosts the second cleanest village in India.[5]
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Etymology
According to legend 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.[6]
According to legend, Ravana was given Atmalinga by Shiva and instructed that it would stay permanently where it is first placed on the land. 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 the ground; he[who?] removed some pieces of the lingam and threw them in different directions.[7][8]
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Geography
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Legend
The earliest legend of the city is set in the age of the Treta Yuga, in which Ravana (the rakshasa king of Lanka) reached 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.[9][10]
Gokarna was part of the Sodhe and Vijayanagara kingdoms.
Location
Gokarna is about 238 km north of Mangalore, 483 km from Bengaluru and about 59 km from Karwar. It is between the Gangavali and Aghanashini rivers along the Karwar coast by the Arabian Sea. It is 200 km north from the college towns of Suratkal and Manipal.
It can be reached by Konkan Railway on the Mumbai to Mangalore route or Goa to Mangalore route. The railway station (called Gokarna Road) is 10 km from the town. The station has a retiring room at a nominal price. Many important trains like Matsyagandha Express, KSR Bengaluru Karwar Express, Poorna Express, Marusagar Express and Mangalore Local and DEMU local are the Daily Local Trains halt here.[11]
The nearest airports are Hubli Airport, Karnataka which has domestic flights only, Goa International Airport at Goa and Mangalore International Airport at Bajpe, Karnataka are the nearest airports to reach at Gokarna.
Neighbouring villages are Bankikodla-Hanehalli, Sanikatta, Tadadi, Torke, Madangere, Maskeri, Adigone, Nelaguni and Bijjur.
Climate
Beaches
The Gokarna main beach is in town and Kudle beach faces west. Om beach, Half moon Beach, Paradise Beach (also known as Full moon) and Belekan beach are south facing.[12]
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Education
Bhadrakali High School in Melinkeli was founded in 1946.[13] A notable alumnus of the school is cancer research scientist, Narayan Sadashiv Hosmane.[14]
See also
References
External links
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