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Gokarna | |
|---|---|
town | |
      From top: View from Gokarna Om Beach,Vibhuthi Falls,Honnavar backwaters, Kudle beach, Gokarna Town,Yana caves | |
  Gokarna Location in Karnataka, India Show map of Karnataka Gokarna Gokarna (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:14°33′00″N74°19′00″E / 14.55°N 74.31667°E /14.55; 74.31667 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Karnataka |
| Region | Karavali |
| District | Uttara Kannada |
| Tehsil | Kumta |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.9 km2 (4.2 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 22 m (72 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
• Total | 25,851 |
| • Density | 2,370/km2 (6,140/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kannada |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | KA-47 |
| Website | uttarakannada |
Gokarna is a small temple town located in theUttara Kannada district of Karnataka state in southern India,[1]
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]
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. ThePuranas state that whenParashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu created Kerala, it was from Gokarna to Kanyakumari.[6]
According to legend,Ravana was givenAtmalinga 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 thelingam and threw them in different directions.[7][8]
The earliest legend of the city is set in the age of theTreta Yuga, in whichRavana (therakshasa king ofLanka) reachedKailasha 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 theSodhe andVijayanagara kingdoms.
Gokarna is about 238 km north ofMangalore, 483 km fromBengaluru and about 59 km fromKarwar. 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 ofSuratkal andManipal.
It can be reached byKonkan Railway on theMumbai toMangalore route orGoa toMangalore 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 likeMatsyagandha 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 areHubli Airport, Karnataka which has domestic flights only,Goa International Airport at Goa andMangalore International Airport atBajpe,Karnataka are the nearest airports to reach at Gokarna.
Neighbouring villages areBankikodla-Hanehalli,Sanikatta,Tadadi,Torke, Madangere, Maskeri, Adigone, Nelaguni andBijjur.
| Climate data for Gokarna | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 32.3 (90.1) | 33.0 (91.4) | 29.5 (85.1) | 29.8 (85.6) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.6 (83.5) | 29.1 (84.4) | 30.9 (87.6) | 32.3 (90.1) | 32.3 (90.1) | 30.8 (87.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.1 (68.2) | 20.7 (69.3) | 23.0 (73.4) | 25.4 (77.7) | 26.1 (79.0) | 24.3 (75.7) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.4 (74.1) | 22.1 (71.8) | 20.9 (69.6) | 23.1 (73.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.0) | 11 (0.4) | 184 (7.2) | 980 (38.6) | 1,227 (48.3) | 665 (26.2) | 366 (14.4) | 157 (6.2) | 49 (1.9) | 9 (0.4) | 3,649 (143.6) |
| Source:http://en.climate-data.org/location/172162/ | |||||||||||||
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] Nearby areas likeHonnavar is famous for backwater boating as well as mangrove boardwalk andKarwar for watersports and adventures.
Community locals have demanded rescue measures and extra security after lifeguards rescued seven people including two foreign tourists have been rescued from drowning on Gokarna beach.[13][14] The police have installed CCTV cameras and mics in all the beaches of Gokarna.[15][16]
Bhadrakali High School in Melinkeli was founded in 1946.[17] A notable alumnus of the school is cancer research scientist,Narayan Sadashiv Hosmane.[18]
