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| Murudeshwar Temple |
MURUDESHWARWe had to travel a few kilometers into the interior and suddenly, our olfactory senses were attacked with the smell of saltwater. That’s when we knew, we were nearing a beach. One of the many hidden jewels-stretches of sand, rolling sea, surrounding hills with noticeably fewer people. It was a terrific scene!
As we reached at our hotel-RNS Residency, I could feel the tranquility and peace descending upon us. I looked at Tommy Singh, my dear friend, accompanying me on this spiritual journey. He understood and nodded. There was a queer atmosphere as if some supreme power was watching us.
The excitement was rising. A quick bath and we were out. The hotel it self had a picturesque setting, facing sea with the great temple of Mahatobar Murudeshwar in the front.
The temple was gorgeous structure perched on a hillock by the shore.
Then what we saw stunned us! We saw the renowned idol of Lord Shiva, the God and came to know that with a height of 123 ft, it was the tallest Shiva idol in the world!
The Shiva statue was built out of a single stone found right there in the sea carved with so much attention to detail - the long shapely fingers, intricately knotted hair, the serpent coiled around its neck and the tiger skin he's seated on.
Then we realized, there were more of these life-size statues of Gods and demons around the central statue. There was also a beautiful chariot being driven by a hero of one of the epics. It was Krishna driving Arjun to do battle with his cousins, the Kauravas. This was a scene from the Mahabharata.
The astounding fact was that this complex rose from the beach and climbed up a steep incline, on the very edge of which was the Shiva statue Then we were told of the centuries old great mythological story behind the temple.
After paying our respects to the Lord Shiva, we looked spellbound at the golden top called "Gopura", a tall 249
feet structure constituting the temple with it's intricate designs. (A Gopuramop ogopurara (also known as vimanamam), is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a temple, especially in Southern India).
The blue waters of the Arabian Sea and white sand of the scenic beach gave an incredible view of the masterpiece called Murudeshwarar.
My God. It was awesome!Nethrani Island
In the afternoon we went to Nethrani Island Just off Murdeshwar, one of the best dive sites in this part of the world. Nethrani is a small uninhabited island that would make a perfect setting for an adventure yarn. The last thing you would expect to see here is the submarine wonderland bustling with everything from Angelfish and Turtles to Barracuda and Moray Eels. With depths ranging from 6 to 40 meters and visibility from 15 to 30 meters, divers from every level can experience the wonder of life beneath the waves!!
The words can't express that day's events. It was once in a life time experience, astonishing and memorable.In the evening we enjoyed the delicacies of coastal Karnataka, the mouth - watering sweets, spicy curries and a variety of rice cal ices. Savored the juicy fruits- a wide variety of mangoes, jack fruit, cashew and bananas, which abounded in this fertile land.
We knew we were taking home memories as colorful and varied as our experience.
Reaching Murudeshwar
Murudeshwar is located along the Arabian Sea Coast and is around 70 km south of Gokarna and around 180 km north of Mangalore. Murudeshwar is 1 km off NH17 and Murudeshwar Railway Station is on the Konkan Rail. Road: (1 km off National Highway)
From Mangalore:
Udupi - Kundapur - Byndoor - Bhatkal - Murudeshwar
From Karwar:
Kumata - Honnavar - Murudeshwar
Stay:RNS Residency, Murudeshwar, KarnatakaFor above and the other hotels of the group contact:http://www.naveenhotels.com/Murudeshwar Guest House R N Shetty Trust, Bhatkal, Murudeshwar
Benzy Intercontinental Village Maveelli Post, Murudeshwar, Uttara Kannada – 581 350 Tel: 91-8385-560565/ 998For more information on Murudeshwar
http://www.karnataka.com/tourism/murdeshwar http://www.dancewithshadows.com/travel/murudeshwar-travel-vacation.aspPlaces Around Manipal · http://www.soans.com/locations.htmRelated postTRAVEL TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A BEACH COUNTRY in Coastal Karnataka, India