12/11/2004 - 10 AM Left Jog Falls for our next destination -- Gokarana.
On way to Gokarana we stopped at Kamat Yatri Nivas that is located at the junction of NH 206 and NH 17 in a place called Honnavar.
Gokarana is famous for 3 things:
Om Beach, Yana (black crystalline limestone) and hippies! Yes hippies, they still exist. The place sucks and according to me can be avoided. Spent a frustrating hour there before heading down to Murudeshwar.
Murudeshwar was just another pilgrimage spot till the local construction mogul RN Shetty developed it to a grand scale. 500 feet statue of Lord Shiva and an equally huge (and ugly) gopuram is the work of RN Shetty.
Some more pictures:
Shiva and Gopuram,
Shiva In Shade.
Donât forget to visit the original Shiva temple where Lord Shiva is worshipped as â
Aghoraâ â his ascetic form. The beach is flooded with tourists but is clean â Shivaâs miracle!
Everything in Murudeshwar either has the name of Naveen (RN Shetty) or RNS. We stayed in Naveen Beach Resort because that was the only place that had a bar! Food was cheap (175 per head including liquor) and good!
And the day ended with a fantastic sunset!
In all Murudeshwar is a nice place and I would recommend paying it a visit, just try not to get too angry about the concrete replacing the century old structures.
At this stage I would like to add that my respect for AirTel has increased a lot. They have covered every tiny town and village of Karnataka. It is very reassuring to have your mobile phone working in remote parts while going on self-driven long trips.
Next â Maravanthe and Udupi/St. Maryâs Island
Original Post: Chirag Rathod's Blog
