Gokarna

Gokarna is famous for temples. The most famous temple is Shiva temple which has a great history of Ravna and lord Ganesh related to Atma linga of Lord Shiva . Gokarna is a small temple town on the western coast. The main temple is Lord Shiva, who is also known as Mahabhaleshwara. Gokarna is known as one of the seven important Hindu pilgrimage centers. Gokarna is a holiday destination. Gokarna is full of coconut, banana and other trees, blue seas and relatively clean sands. Shivaratri festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm. The temple has two ratha — named locally as Dodda Ratha Sanna Ratha. While Sanna Ratha will be outside during winter and summer, but the huge Dodda Ratha is brought out and made ready only during Maha Shivaratri. On the last day of the Shivaratri festival the Lord Mahabaleshwara idol will be carried in Dodda Ratha in a procession of Car Street. The both rath is pulled by the people gathered there. More than hundred people is required to pull this ratha. It is nine days festival in the time of shivrathri. It is nearly 88 km from Bhatkal with nearly 1 hour 45 minutes journey.