Gokarna Temple Karnataka

Introduction to the Gokarna Temple

The Mahabaleshwar Temple or Gokarna Temple is an important pilgrimage spot in South India where Hindus come to worship the Atma Linga or the Prana Linga. The Gokarna Temple is one among the seven Mukti Kshetras of Hindus, where people perform the last rites for the dead. Udupi, Subramanya, Kumbhashi, Kodeshwara, Sankaranarayana, and Kollur are the other six Mukti Kshetras. All these Kshetras are together known as the Parashurama Kshetras.

The Temple is in Gokarna town, Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka. Gokarna means "cow's ear," and it is believed that Shiva manifested in this town from the ear of a cow. The Gokarna Temple is also called Bhookailasa and Dakshina Kasi. Atma Linga at the Gokarna Temple is as sacred as the Jyotirlinga at the Kasi Viswanathar temple.

Legend of the Gokarna Temple

According to the legend, Ravana performed a severe penance to Shiva to possess the powerful Atma Linga. Pleased by his penance, Shiva gave him the Atma Linga and warned him not to keep it on the ground since it would become fixed in that spot.

When Ravana was traveling to Lanka, he stopped at this place for his evening prayers, looking for someone to hold the Linga. Ganesha, disguised as a boy, appeared before Ravana. Ravana asked him to hold the Atma Linga until he returned. But Ganesha kept it on the ground. Ravana tried to detach it from the ground, but he could not move it even by an inch. When he tried to pull out the Atma Linga in extreme anger, a part of it was broken. At the places where the broken pieces fell, various temples came up.

The Architecture of the Gokarna Temple

King Mayurasharma of the Kadamba Dynasty built the Gokarna Temple during the 4th century. It is built of white granite and features the Dravidian architectural style. Maha Ganapati temple, Thamira Gowri (Parvati), Chandikeswara, Aadi Gokarneswara, Gokarnanayagi, and Dattatreya temples surround the Gokarna Temple.

Mahabaleshwar, the main deity of Gokarna Temple, is an incarnation of Shiva. The sanctum houses a 6-foot-high Atma Linga on the square-shaped black stone dais (Shaligrama Peetha) with a small hole at the center. Devotees can see the top of Atma Linga through the hole. A carved stone image of Shiva standing near the Atma Linga is 1500 years old. Thamira Gowri is the consort of Mahabaleshwar, an incarnation of Parvati.

The whole Atma Linga is only visible to devotees during the Ashtabandhana Kumbhabhishekam every 40 years. There is a sacred pond on the premises.

Dhareshwar, Gunavanteshwara, Murdeshwar, and Shejjeshwar temples surround the Gokarna Temple. All these five temples are known as the Pancha Kshetras.

Festivals in the Gokarna Temple

The Gokarna Temple celebrates Maha Shivratri, Vijayadashami, Kadiru Haranotsava (Harvest festival), Sharada Pooja, Ganesha Chaturthi, Ugadi, and Krishna Janmashtami every year. Ratha Saptami and Tripurakhya Deepotsava are the other important festivals in the Gokarna Temple