Gokarna - A calming place to visit

If you are a person who embraces little things in life just like me, then Gokarna is a place for you to enfold those glowing and splendid sundown along its beaches, enjoy those beautiful rides across its roads and wander in its serene streets witnessing those beautiful ancient homes which seem like no less than a temple. 

It was my first trip with my family and I had no idea at that point of time that our trip to Gokarna would turn into a pleasant journey. I have planned a budget friendly trip in the middle of October which is considered the best time to visit Gokarna. I booked a train for our journey and here are my deets of modes of transport and the budget happened to them FROM HYDERABAD TO GOKARNA:                

TRAIN - HYDERABAD(NAMPALLY) → HUBBALI JUNCTION 

Train started at 3.50 pm and reached Hubli at around 6.30 am the next morning. There will be many autos outside the railway station. Hire an auto to HUBLI bus stand. Bargaining is really not my thing, so we were charged 150rs to the bus stand😒.                                                                                          

BUS - HUBLI → ANKOLA, ticket fare : 159rs per head.                                                                  

BUS - ANKOLA → GOKARNA, ticket fare: 28rs per head. 

NOTE: Frequency of buses from Hubli to Ankola is more and so is from Ankola to Gokarna. So better not wait for the bus that runs directly from Hubli to Gokarna. Have breakfast amidst these bus journeys as it will be noon by the time you reach Gokarna.                                                                              

There are many stays which are within walking distance from the bus stop. Our stay, costing us 700rs per day, was just 3 minutes walk from the bus stop and also very nearer to temples over there. After getting ready we headed straight to OM beach at around 3pm. We took an auto and the driver asked us to pay 450 to OM Beach, Kudle Beach and to return to Gokarna. 

COVERING BEACHES OF GOKARNA: 

Om Beach is a beauty shaped like the symbol “OM”. Here one can enjoy a variety of water sports. We took a boat ride which covered Half Moon Beach and Paradise Beach. Usually people trek from OM Beach covering Half Moon and Paradise beaches. As mine was a family trip we preferred a boat ride to cover them. We have experienced a glimpse of Aghanashini river joining the Arabian sea. We were not lucky enough to spot dolphins during our boat ride however the boat ride itself was a magical experience. 

View from our Boat Ride 

                                                                

After playing with the waves, clicking numerous pictures we left for Kudle Beach. I specifically wanted to witness the sunset at Kudle Beach since I read about it everywhere in my Gokarna trip research. And it was beyond beautiful from what I read. It was a magical one hour in my life. It was a sunset in my life to be cherished forever. There are a number of cafes located in Kudle beach and Namasthe cafe in OM Beach if you want to grab something to eat while enjoying the sunset. 

Sunset from Kudle Beach

 

VISITING TEMPLES IN GOKARNA:  

At around 7.30 pm we went to cover the temples, which Gokarna is actually known for. First we visited Maha Ganapathi temple which is just a two minute walk from our stay and then visited Sri Mahabaleshwar temple which is also very nearer to Maha Ganapathi temple. Make sure to wear only traditional at the temple. Every day Mahabaleshwar temple authority offers annadanam( Lunch - 12.00pm to 2.00 pm and Dinner - 7.30pm to 8.30pm). Gokarna is a pilgrimage destination for Hindus apart from its beautiful and serene beaches. Every temple in Gokarna has its own mythological significance. 

VISITING MURUDESHWAR TEMPLE: 

Next day early in the morning we started to Murudeshwar. There is a direct bus from Gokarna to Murudeshwar early in the morning at 6.30 am.                                                                                      

BUS - GOKARNA → MURUDESHWAR, ticket fare 104rs per head.  

 Bus stopped at Murudeshwar Gate at 8.30am and we took an auto to reach Murudeshwar temple which is just 2km away from Murudeshwar Gate. Murudeshwar temple is famous for its Lord Shiva statue which is second highest in India. It has also 20 storey Gopuram which has an elevator. You can reach 18th floor in Gopuram to witness an eye feast view. It truly is a place one should not miss to visit in a lifetime. It's like a goosebumps moment for me in my life to watch such a massive statue of Lord Shiva surrounded by water on its three sides. We worshipped all the idols inside the temple, played on the beach, had lunch then headed back to Gokarna by bus with a beautiful view of surroundings and divine ambience in our hearts to stay with us forever. 

View from 18th floor of Gopuram 

Murudeshwar to Gokarna: 

BUS - MURUDESHWAR GATE → KUMTA, ticket fare - 67 rs per head   

BUS - KUMTA → GOKARNA, ticket fare - 30 rs per head.        

There are also trains running between Murudeshwar and Gokarna. So check the timings and travel according to your convenience. I heard from locals that we need to book the tickets in advance for these trains. 

GOKARNA MAIN BEACH, RAM THEERTHA, KOTI THEERTHA: 

In the evening we were off to Gokarna Main Beach and my love for beach sunsets definitely hit me on time for it. At this beach we found many locals however it offered me another most splendid sunset of my life. 

Sunset in Gokarna Main Beach

 

After the beach, we visited Rama Theertha which is walkable from Gokarna Main Beach. We can see Gokarna Main Beach on the right of this temple. This temple is situated on the hill that separates Gokarna Beach from Kudle Beach. It provides the best view of Gokarna Main Beach. 

View of Gokarna Main Beach from Ram Theertha 

Here we have collected some water in a bottle coming from a rock. Even though this temple is surrounded by the sea, the water coming from the rock is very tasty and considered pure. 

Water coming from the rock in Rama Theertha

 

Next we visited Koti Theertha and these three places are just walkable from the Gokarna bus stop. 

Koti Theertha 

Thus ended my most relieving and at the same time most exciting journey of Gokarna. I booked a bus from Gokarna to Hyderabad for our return journey. We called the auto driver who took us to Om Beach on our first day in Gokarna. He picked us up and dropped us at Gokarna cross, which is a highway usually our boarding point. We boarded the bus at 8.30pm and reached Hyderabad at 10 am, the next morning. 

Things worth considering in Gokarna: 

• Costs for stay, autos, cabs,etc. vary on weekdays and weekends. Usually on weekends tourist flow is high hence tend to charge more than on weekdays.                   
• Try to bargain at every opportunity of paying money.                                                               
• Most of the people in Gokarna speak Kannada, Hindi, English and Telugu.                      
• Everyone is gentle to offer you with the information you ask.                                                 
• Carry cash as you do not find UPI payments at some places.
• Bikes for rent are also available to travel in Gokarna.