MURUDESHWAR TRAVEL GUIDE

At a distance of 2 km from Murudeshwar Railway Station, Murudeshwar Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The town was earlier known as 'Mrideshwara' and later renamed as Murudeshwar after the construction of the temple. Murudeshwar is famous abode of Lord Shiva and a popular pilgrimage center in South India. It is among the main places to visit in Murudeshwar.

According to the legend, Ravana brought the Atma Lingam from Mount Kailash. Lord Ganesha using his trick fooled Ravana on his way to Lanka and put down the Linga on the ground at Gokarna. Angered by this, Ravana tried to uproot and destroy the Linga. The broken pieces of the lingam were cast away. The covering cloth of the lingam fell at Kanduka Giri and the Murudeshwar temple was built at the site.

This temple is situated on a small hill called Kanduka Giri, bounded by the sea on three sides. The temple .....

At a distance of 2 km from Murudeshwar Railway Station, the statue of Lord Shiva is the second biggest statue of Lord Shiva in the world after the statue in Nepal. The 123 feet (37m) huge towering statue of Lord Shiva is surrounded by the Arabian Sea is the major attraction of Murudeshwar town along with famous Murudeshwar Temple. It is one of the top places to visit in Murudeshwar.

The statue was built by Shivamogga's Kashinath and several other sculptors, financed by businessman Mr R.N. Shetty, at a cost of approximately 50 million rupees. It took about 2 years to build the statue. The statue carved with so much attention to detail. There are many life-size statues of Gods and Demons around the Shiva statue. The Geetopadesha, Sun chariot, the sculpture of Lord Ganesh receiving the Atma Linga from Ravana and others dot the landscape of the Kanduka hill. On .....

At a distance of 2 km from Murudeshwar Railway Station, Murudeshwar Beach is a beautiful beach situated near Murudeshwar Temple. This beautiful beach is situated just beside the Kanduka Giri on which Lord Shiva Temple is located. It is among the prime places to visit in Murudeshwar. It is one of the best beaches in Karnataka.

This is a splendid and clean beach surrounded by hills, the wide Arabian Sea on the west, coconut and areca groves close by, attracts tourists throughout the year. Murudeshwar offers magnificent natural views with serene and calm surroundings. One can come down to Murudeshwar beach for a great view of the sunset.

Travellers can indulge in swimming, fishing and sunbathing at this beach. The waters here are cool and gentle waves for swimming, but strong currents do frequent the shores during high tides. Moreover, family boat ride or .....

At a distance of 15 km from Murudeshwar Railway Station, 17 km from Murudeshwar Temple & 14 km from Honavar, Ganapati Temple at Idagunji is one of the famous temples in this region and among the popular places to visit near Murudeshwar.

According to the legend, Lord Ganapati stayed in this place which was known as Kunjaranya. It is said to be a place of penance selected by ancient Rishis. The importance of Idagunji is mentioned in the Skandapurana. This place is located on the left bank of River Sharawati. This temple is one of the major pilgrimage centers in Dakshina Kannada and attracts more than 1 million devotees per year.

Lord Vinayaka can be seen in standing posture at this temple, which is a rare sight. Vinayaka Chathurthi is the major festival celebrated here. Idagunji can be reached by bus from Honavar or Manki.

Timings: 6AM - 1PM & 3PM - 8.30PM

At a distance of 500 m from Apsara Konda Bus Stop, 7 km from Honavar, 28 km from Kumta and 20 km from Murudeshwar, Apsara Konda Falls is a small waterfall located in the Uttara Kannada (North Canara) district of Karnataka. It is one of the scenic tourist places near Murudeshwar.

The water cascades down from a height of 10 meters into a pond below. The specialty of this pond is that it faces the sea and appears like a lagoon. People say that Angels used to come from heaven and take bath in that pond, hence the name Apsara Konda. Reaching the base of the waterfall is an easy as steps have been built to make the trail easier for the public. A unique fact about the waterfall is that the water flows down through the roots of a peepal tree while descending to the pond below. The pond is very safe for swimming and playing.

Just few mins walk from the falls is a magnificent hill which has a viewpoint. The hill and beach offer a beautiful view of sunset. Apsara Konda Hill contains many .....

At a distance of 20 Kms from Murudeshwar, 25 Kms from Bhatkal & Netrani Island is a tiny island in the Arabian Sea which is famous for diving/snorkeling. It is also known as Netragudo & Pigeon Island. It is one of the very few places for snorkeling in Karnataka. It is also one of the top things to do in Murudeshwar.

Netrani is very suitable for snorkeling and diving activities. Many varieties of coral, butterfly fish, trigger fish, parrot fish, eels and shrimps can be seen here. It is also said that Whale Sharks are found around the Island. The island is full of sharp rocks and tourists usually don't get on to the island.

The island has a ruined temple, a Roman Catholic Church and a mosque. The island is accessible by boat from Bhatkal and Honnavar.

At a distance of 60 km from Murudeshwar, 73 km from Udupi, 90 km from Jog Falls and 133 km from Mangalore, Sri Mookambika Devi Temple is a Hindu temple situated at Kollur in Udupi district of Karnataka. The temple is located in the valley of Kodachadri Mountain Peak on the banks of Souparnika River. Kollur is regarded as one of the Seven Mukti Stalas created by Parashurama and the other places are Udupi, Subrahmanya, Kumbasi, Kodeshwara, Sankaranarayana and Gokarna. It is a famous site of pilgrimage in Karnataka and one of the top places to visit near Murudeshwar.

This temple is dedicated to Goddess Parvathi. According to Legend, Goddess Parvathi killed a demon called Kamsasuran who lived here and attempted to become powerful through his penance. Devi along with the help of Veerabadra, .....

At a distance of 75 Kms from Murudeshwar, 90 Kms from Udupi, 110 Kms from Shimoga & 20 Kms from Kollur, Kodachadri is a mountain peak in the Western Ghats situated at an altitude of 1343m. Kodachadri is a wonderful place for trekking and is among the top destinations for trekking in Karnataka. It is believed that Shankaracharya did meditation on this hill and there is a 'Sarvajna Peetha' located on top of the hill.

There are several routes to trek these wonderful hills. Famous route starts from Nagodi village situated on Kollur - Nagara route. The trek duration is about 5 hrs on this route (one way). Trekking via Hidlumane Falls is a magnificent experience, though it's bit difficult & long route (via Nagara, Nittur & Marakutuka). There is also a Jeep route via Sampekatte which needs only 3 Kms trek to reach the top, after the Jeep ride.

There are few accommodation facilities .....

At a distance of 13 Kms from Murudeshwar Railway Station, Bhatkal is a historical & ancient port town located on NH17 towards Udupi. Bhatkal has temples of Vijaynagar times and many ancient Jain monuments.

The Cholas invaded Bhatkal during 10th century and built Solesvara Temple. The Cholas are followed by Vijayanagara Kings & Saluva (Jain) rulers. Bhatkal was finally passed on to Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and later to the British in 1799 after Tipu was defeated. Bhatkal was the main port during the Vijayanagar kingdom in 16th century. It is also famous for the Jain temples and a temple built during the rule of Vijaynagar kingdom. Kethapayya Narayan temple in Mud Bhatkal is the best example of its rich heritage.

The Jain temples of Chandranath Basadi and Parshwanath Basadi are ancient structures that have stood the ravages of time. The picturesque Bhatkal Beach is another attraction of Bhatkal.

At a distance of 30 Kms from Murudeshwar & 70 Kms from Udupi, Baindur (also spelled as Byndoor) is a small historical town situated on NH17 between Murudeswar & Udupi. Baindur is famous for many temples - Sri Seneshwara Temple, Sri Mahakali Temple and Sri Sita Ramachandra Temple, Sri Someshwara Temple situated on the beach. Baindur is also having a beautiful beach.

Sri Seneshwara Temple is the most beautiful with extensive carvings built in Hoysala's style. Sri Mahakali Temple is at least 300 years old and recently renovated. Sri Someshwara Temple situated on the beach offers wonderful views of the serene surroundings. Baindur Beach is a good place for swimming and it offers boating facilities. There is a beach resort called Sai Vishram Beach Resort which offers a wide range of water sports.