Day 16: Temples, a boat ride and the sunset!

A Morning at the Mahabaleshwar Temple

The day began early.

Up at five, a quick bath, and out by 6:15 am toward the Mahabaleshwar temple. The town was just waking up. Along the way to the temple, a small morning market had already been set-up. Mostly managed by women, sitting behind baskets of fresh vegetables and flowers, their stalls laid out neatly on the ground.

Reached the temple, about a kilometre away by 6:30 am. It was a contrast from the evening rush as the temple was empty with only a few locals trickling in. As I was about to enter, two policemen stopped me with a polite instruction: to enter the temple you should be in the traditional Indian attire of dhoti, nothing on top, not even the vest.

That was unexpected.

Fortunately, a small cloth shop nearby was already open; the only one at that hour. Respecting the tradition, bought a dhoti and was back at the gates, unsure how exactly to wear it. One of the policemen noticed the struggle and helped tie it properly. A small act of kindness early in the morning.

An elderly lady was selling the prasad at the gate. Purchased and entered the temple complex.

Reached the sanctum and the priest also had a surprise awaiting for me:  asking my preferred language to hear the story of the temple. On offer were - Tamil, Kannada, or Hindi languages. He described the significance of the temple, a Siddh Peeth dedicated to Shiva, before guiding me through the rituals. Flowers offered, prayers completed, and a quiet parikrama around the temple.

A beautiful temple indeed and the no rush early morning allowed me to appreciate it too. Collected prasad from the designated counter, thanked and paid the old lady outside for the flowers and exchanged a few words again with the two gentleman policemen who had helped me earlier.

The Ganesha Temple and Festival Preparations

On the way back, stopped at the nearby Ganesha temple. Only later did someone mention that tradition actually recommends visiting Ganesha before Shiva. By then the order had already been reversed.

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Here too the ritual was the same. Dhoti on, upper clothes off. Another elderly woman at the entrance sold flowers and offerings. Darshan completed, took the prasad and left for the hotel.

Outside the temple, preparations were underway for the Shivratri Rath Yatra. Wooden chariots were being assembled along the street. Workers moving around quietly, getting things ready for the festival a few days ahead.

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The walk back toward the hotel brought another small surprise. One of the younger policemen from the temple gate recognised me and stopped his motorcycle offering lift to the hotel. Gratefully accepted and a short ride through the still-quiet streets and I was back at the hotel.

Breakfast followed, then a short rest.

Mirjan, the Sharavati, and Murudeshwar

By around 10:30 I booked a taxi to visit Murudeshwar and a few places along the way. Since the temple is closed between 1 and 3 PM, planned to explore nearby spots first and visit the temple the last.

The first stop was Mirjan Fort. A medieval fort whose remnants are still well maintained. The timing, however, was less ideal. The heat and humidity had already begun building up. Fifteen minutes inside the fort walls was enough to make me understand this was not the right time to visit. This place would look far better during the monsoon when the greenery contrasts with the old stone. Took a few shots and came out.

From there we drove toward the Sharavathi River delta for a boat ride.

The driver arranged a solo boat through someone he knew. A beautiful river front and the ride lasting about an hour. Photography opportunities were limited at that time of day, but the landscape itself was worth seeing. The motorman was kind enough to take a long route and explained a few things in between.

One highlight that stood out was the longest bridge of the Konkan Railway stretching across the river. Seen from river level, the scale of it is something a roadside glimpse from a moving car does not prepare you for. Nearly two kilometres long, a beautiful sight emerging on the way back from the last point: watching a train slowly crossing it, carriages gliding above the water.

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There are Mangrove forests lining the edges of the delta, dense and quiet. As much of the time was spent in the first leg, didn’t spend much time seeing the mangroves and returned to the boarding point.

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Mangroves and Forest Walks

Not far from there was another stop: a mangrove bridge walk known locally as Kandla Van. Wooden pathways cut through the forest canopy. A place that clearly attracts photography enthusiasts. The filtered sunlight through the leaves creates natural lighting that photographers love, especially for pre-wedding or couple shoots.

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From there we finally drove to Murudeshwar.

Murudeshwar: Shiva by the Sea

The temple complex sits dramatically along the coast, dominated by the massive Shiva statue rising behind it. It is one of the tallest statues Shiva in the world.

From the parking, walked toward the entrance, deposited my shoes, and went through the security check. The place was crowded. Buses full of visitors had arrived through the afternoon.

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There are three main parts to explore here: the temple itself, the towering gopura with its viewing floor, and the large Shiva statue overlooking the sea.

I first went up the gopura tower. From the top floor, the view of the statue and the surrounding coastline is impressive. Bought the ticket to go up. The people jostled for the view as only small windows were there for viewing. Clicked a few photographs and came back down.

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Next came the main temple. Participated in a Rudrabhishek pooja. The ritual was conducted by the priest for those who had opted for that particular category of offering. The darshan afterwards were unhurried since got a preferential treatment having chosen the highest category pooja.

Darshan completed, walked around the complex for a while. Several smaller shrines and sculptures stand across the temple grounds. Chariots, stone elephants, and other figures are there across the space.

It was now late in afternoon and therefore was time to return to Gokarna.

Sunset at Om Beach

After a short rest at the hotel, headed out once more for the final stop of the day — the famous Om Beach.

The road to the beach area offers beautiful views of the coastline. At one point the valley opened up suddenly with a mesmerising view, however, there was no safe place to stop the car for photograph.

Parked the car and walked down toward the beach. On one side are rocky formations, on the other is a stretch of sand curving into the familiar Om shape. Sat there quietly watching the sun set while a few groups of young travellers played in the distance on the rocky beach.

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It was a beautiful slow move of the sun. The light gone, walked back to the parking however, was feeling hungry having not eaten anything since breakfast. Stopped at Namaste Café, a place the hotel staff had recommended. Found a table facing the beach and had dinner listening to the sound of waves rolling in.

Back at the hotel a little later, the day finally came to an end.

Another day awaiting, another drive in store.