Gokarna Temple | History, Timings, Accommodation and Address

Gokarna Temple:

The Mahabaleshwar temple is located in Gokarna, a coastal town in Karnataka state. You will find the importance of the Mahabaleshwar temple in many Puranas like Bhagavata Purana, Sthala Purana, Guru Purana, and Skanda Purana. The Hindu saint Sri Adi Shankaracharya established the Ramachandrapura Mutt in Gokarna. This Ramachandrapur Mutt looks after the administration of the Gokarna Temple.

Lord Shiva is the main deity in this Mahabaleshwar temple. This temple is between a confluence of the rivers Gangavali and Agnashini.

The temple is also famous as Dakshina Kasi and Bhookailasa. On this page, we are giving detailed information about the Mahabaleshwar temple. So, read this page to know about the temple timings, history and more.

History of Gokarna Temple:

According to history, the Mahabaleshwar temple was constructed from 345-365 AD. The Vijayanagara king Sri Krishnadevaraya visited the temple during his period. The great ruler Shivaji also prayed at this temple.

As per one legend, Lord Shiva cursed Lord Brahma that nobody would worship him because of his lie about finding the end of the endless beam of light emanating from Lord Shiva.

So, Lord Brahma Cursed him back, stating that Lord Shiva would go to hell. After going to the underworld, Lord Shiva appeared out through the cow’s ear on earth. So, the people call this place Gokarna.

According to another legend, Ravana performs a severe penance to impress Lord Shiva and gets Atmalinga as a grant.

But Lord Shiva says not to place the Atmalinga on the ground until he reaches the destination. But Lord Ganesh, in the form of a boy, meets Ravana and places the Atmalinga on the ground when Ravana goes for a bath. So, Atmalinga. Hence, the place was popularly known as Gokarna.

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Significance of Mahabaleshwar Temple:

The significance of Gokarna Temple is the Atmalinga present in the temple. The Atmalinga of Lord Shiva present at the Mahabaleshwar temple is as sacred as the Jyotirlinga at Kasi temple.

Gokarna is one of the Pancha kshetras of Lord Shiva present in the Karnataka state. The temple architecture follows the Dravidian style.

The Atmalinga is present inside the sanctum in a square Saligrama Peetha with a small hole on the top. You can see the top of Atmalinga from the hole.

The actual Atmalinga is visible in whole only once in 40 years during the Ashtabandana Kumbhabhishekam. The image of Lord Shiva in the temple is 1500 years old.

Gokarna Temple Timings:

The following table mentions the timings of the Gokarna temple. So, refer to the below table.

Timings	Pooja details
6:00 AM	Pooja, Sparsha Darshan Starts. Mangala Aarti, Udyana Bali
12:30 PM	Pooja, Sparsha Darshan ends
12:30 PM – 12:50 PM	MahaPojoa Preparation
12:50 PM – 2:00 PM	Maha Naivedya, Maha Pooja, Bali PoojaThe devotees are allowed up to Nandi Mantap for Darshan
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM	Temple remains closed
5:00 PM	Temple reopens
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM	Pooja, Sparsha Darshan
8:30 PM	Nityotsava, Maha Pooja, Bali

These are the detailed timings of the Mahabaleshwar temple.

Gokarna Temple Darshan Timings:

Morning: 6:00 AM to 12:30 PM Sparsha Darshan

Afternoon: 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Normal Darshan.

Evening: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Sparsha Darshan.

These are the timings for Darshan in the Mahabaleshwar temple. Hence, refer to these timings for a successful plan.

The Devotees must have the Sparsha Darshan for a good devotional experience. So, try to visit the temple within the Sparsha darshan time slots.

Dress Code for Gokarna Temple:

The devotees should wear traditional outfits while visiting the Gokarna temple. Boys and men should wear only traditional bottom wear like Pancha. So, do not visit the temple with beachwear, skirts and all.

What are the different festivals celebrated in Gokarna Temple:

The major festivals celebrated in the Gokarna Temple are as follows.

1. Maha Shivaratri
2. Ratha Sapthami
3. Tripurakhya Deepostava
4. Vijayadashami
5. Kadiru Haranotsava

Hence, there will be more rush to the temple during these festivals.

How to reach Gokarna:

By Air:

The nearest airport to Gokarna is Panaji, 150 km away from Gokarna.

By Rail: 

The nearest railway station is Gokarna Road, 6 km away from Gokarna.

By Road:

There are many facilities available to Gokarna from the nearest cities like Bangalore, Mangalore etc.

So, You need not worry much about the way to Gokarna. The Gokarna temple is located 200km from Om Beach in Karnataka. Hence, this is a more attractive place.

Contact Details:

There is no official website for the Mahabaleshwar temple. So, there is also no Contact number to contact Gokarna temple.

FAQS:

1. Where to stay near Gokarna temple?

Within 300 m from the temple, many hotels are available for rent to stay for a short period. So, do not worry about staying in Gokarna.

2. What are the other places to visit near Gokarna temple?

Murudeshwar temple is just 55km from Gokarna. So, you can visit both places at once.