Gokarna - Experience The Halo Above!

Gokarna - Experience The Halo Above!

Gokarna means Cow Ear. It is a small temple town situated in the southwestern part of India, along the Arabian Sea.

Although it is a spiritual place for locals and people from different parts of southern India who come here to perform their rituals, Gokarna slowly became a favourite destination for people who wanted to spend some time away from the city, surrounded by nature and the sea.

When you grow up in a place surrounded by forests and hills, you naturally develop an affection for nature and wildlife. The seashore becomes exotic too.

I am an introvert. Although I enjoy socialising at times, I also like spending time alone and travelling in search of serenity.

We had already visited Goa, Kerala, Vizag and Pondicherry. All of them are famous for their coastline and beaches, especially Goa. But they are crowded. Always crowded.

Especially in the era of the Internet, where almost everything is available online, there is hardly anything called an off-season anymore.

Sometimes, you are not looking for a famous destination. You are simply looking for a place where you can breathe.

How We Discovered Gokarna

Online travel companies such as MakeMyTrip and Goibibo were already available back in 2011.

Still, Gokarna was not among the most popular destinations. We had heard about it from friends and wanted to visit the place.

Word of mouth was still powerful.

For the first time, we booked our bus tickets and boarded a bus from Bangalore at night. At around 7 AM the next morning, we reached Gokarna.

Gokarna became very close to my heart.

The village reminded me of Malgudi Days, the famous television series and book associated with R. K. Narayan.

Interestingly, Malgudi Days was filmed at Agumbe, a village in Shimoga district of Karnataka, which is also famous for the King Cobra.

Gokarna felt like a village slowly transforming into a town. You could find all the basic amenities, but the traditional homes and old architecture were still very much part of the place.

Walking through those streets almost felt like travelling back a hundred years.

The Beaches of Gokarna

Gokarna has three well-known beaches that stand out in the town and its surroundings.

• 1. Om Beach Om Beach is named after the Devanagari symbol ॐ, pronounced Om or Aum. It is located beside the hills and requires a little climbing to reach. The beach is open to the public and you can find locals, visitors and several small restaurants around it.
• 2. Gokarna Beach Gokarna Beach is located close to the town and can be reached on foot. You can also drive towards it. The beach is mainly associated with local rituals and is frequently visited by locals.
• 3. Kudle Beach Kudle Beach is the place for wanderers, travellers and people who simply want to stay away from the crowd.

Kudle Beach

Kudle Beach was our destination.

On three sides, the beach is surrounded by small hills. You can trek down to the beach or take an auto rickshaw. You can also drive part of the way and walk the remaining distance.

Autos are available from the Gokarna bus stand at a reasonable fare.

It was a sunny afternoon in May or June. Imagine the weather. It was hot, humid and sticky.

We trekked a little and reached Kudle Beach, where we found Uma Maheshwari Cottage .

We stopped for a while, changed our clothes and then headed straight towards the beach.

As soon as we entered the water, our bodies felt rejuvenated. The water was cold and pleasant, and suddenly the heat of the afternoon did not matter anymore.

An Evening at Gokarna

The day passed quickly.

We had lunch and later marched towards Gokarna town. We wanted to see the main deity at the Mahabaleshwar Temple of Gokarna .

There is a fascinating legend associated with the temple. You can read about it elsewhere, so I will not get into it here.

When we visited the temple for the first time, one of my friends, PK, was jobless and desperately looking for a job.

He went to the priest and asked him to somehow convince God to help him get a job.

Guess what?

It worked.

A few days after returning to Bangalore, PK got a job.

Faith is powerful. It can inspire you to work, to keep trying and to put in the effort. Perhaps that is what actually helped my friend PK.

Moonlight, Stars and the Sound of Water

It was night and we were returning towards the beach.

There was beautiful moonlight. We were looking at the stars and listening to the sound of the waves coming from the shore.

Gokarna felt peaceful and safe. People were moving around freely even at night, and the town had a very different atmosphere from the busy tourist destinations we were used to.

Later that night, we went towards the other side of Kudle Beach and sat on some small rocks along the route towards Om Beach.

It was a full moon.

We could see crabs coming out of the water. The waves were forming shapes that looked almost like smiley faces.

It sounds unbelievable, but you had to be there.

There was peace of mind, a cool sea breeze and the sound of the ocean. We simply sat there and enjoyed the serenity.

Sit at the seashore, do nothing, close your eyes and simply listen. Sometimes nature seems to speak to you without saying a word.

It feels as if the water wants to take away your worries, grief and sorrow. It rejuvenates your mind, body and soul and gives you a new ray of hope.

That is how nature is. It always embraces us.

The Sunset Point

The next day, we sat on the hill overlooking Kudle Beach, close to the sunset point.

We wanted to get one last glimpse of the sun before returning to Bangalore.

Back then, the place was open to everyone.

With the growth of online travel companies and tourism, Gokarna became increasingly commercialised, much like Goa. Today you can find plenty of cottages, hotels and private properties around the beaches.

The sunset point that we once visited was private property and is now surrounded by walls.

Why I Loved Gokarna

My first trip to Gokarna was amazing.

I liked it more than Goa because it felt isolated. Kudle Beach was less crowded and, more importantly, you could find like-minded people from different parts of the world.

Kudle Beach was popular not only among Indians but also among travellers from different countries.

In the mornings, you could see people jogging, practising yoga and enjoying the sunrise.

There was a sense of happiness around the place. People greeted each other, restaurants stayed busy and the beach slowly came alive with the morning sun.

That is also why Gokarna had a surprisingly multilingual atmosphere. Some restaurant owners and workers had picked up European languages through years of interacting with travellers.

Where To Stay

Cottages at Gokarna were relatively inexpensive when I first started visiting.

I would suggest staying in a cottage if you enjoy the simple travel experience.

However, if you are sensitive to humid weather and prefer more comfort, look for an air-conditioned room.

There are also hotels around Kudle Beach, including Gokarna International .

When To Visit Gokarna

I visited Gokarna for the first time in 2011. Since then, I tried to visit the place almost every year, especially during November and December.

The weather is pleasant during this period, and you can find travellers from different parts of the world spending their holidays here.

Christmas and New Year also bring a different energy to the beaches.

The best time to visit Gokarna, in my experience, is from October till January. You can visit throughout the year, but the experience changes with the season.

Getting To Gokarna

You can reach Gokarna by train, bus or car.

The roads are good and the journey from Bangalore is roughly 550 kilometres. It is a beautiful route and makes for a scenic road trip.

The train journey is beautiful as well, although the railway station is around 10 kilometres from Gokarna town. It is still quite manageable.

More Beaches, More Adventures

Apart from Kudle Beach, there are a couple of more isolated beaches around Gokarna.

One is Half Moon Beach .

There is also Full Moon Beach.

You can reach these beaches by trekking or, depending on the conditions, by boat.

If you are looking for a little more adventure, Gokarna also offers activities such as Banana Boat rides , boat rides and motor boat rides.

The Halo Above

This is only an excerpt from my first trip to Gokarna.

There are many more stories from this place that I would like to share later.

What I remember most about Gokarna is not one particular beach or one particular photograph.

It is the feeling.

The long bus journey, the small village streets, the sea breeze, the moonlight, the sound of the waves, the people, the silence and the feeling of being away from the city.

Experience the Halo Above.

Till then, explore your life. Look for a destination. Take the long route sometimes. Sit by the sea. Do nothing.

And allow yourself to experience what the journey has to offer.

~ CoolSage