Mesmerised with a temple by the sea

As we were returning from the beautiful beaches of Gokarna, wondering about the city and the long vacation hangover that would take over for the days to come. A friend suggested, diverging from the common route and passing through Murdeshwar. “You will love the journey and what’s to come,” he had said.

We were in no hurry to get to Bengaluru and decided to go to Murdeshwar, famous for it’s magnificent Murdeshwar Shiva Temple.

The journey from Gokarna to the pilgrimage town was scenic. Murdeshwar lies on a hill called Kanduka Giri, surrounded by green terrain, patches of paddy fields and roads that have the river on one side and the sea on the other. It had us wondering if the journey was this beautiful, what would Murdeshwar be like. As we entered the destination, we saw a number of tourists.

Our first stop was the temple, and you cannot miss it from afar. The humungous statue of Shiva is a marvel in itself sitting atop a temple and surrounded by the sea. It is the second largest statue of Shiva in the world. We were in awe of the architectural beauty. As you enter through the arch, you see the large Rajgopura that is 22 storeys high. We entered to see an elevator inside.

The temple draws the devout and those bitten by the travel bug. But if you are visiting only to have a peaceful spiritual experience, it depends on which time of the year you visit.

Having been to a few temples and experiencing the large number of vendors forcing us to buy puja items, Murdeshwar was a different experience altogether. There were no vendors trying to force you for puja paraphernalia. This could also be because we directly parked inside the temple premises, a few metres away from the entrance to the temple.

We paid our respects during the aarti and went around the temple. The temple is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on three sides and if you choose a quiet spot you can hear the waves crashing on the exterior of the temple walls, the skies reflecting it’s gorgeous clouds on the tranquil sea. A perfect blend of spirituality and picturesque landscapes.

There is a restaurant at an alleviation, inside the premises. Be sure to get a table on the first floor. Since we were there in June, the skies were slowly turning grey, and there was a slight drizzle. We had people from different parts of the country around us, some speaking in Odiya and some in Tamil. Not taken aback by the diversity of tourists, we chose a table at the farthest corner. The restaurant was jutting into the sea. While the food wasn’t the best, it was an idyllic setting to have a meal, and I can assure it is unlike any rooftop dining experiences in the city.

Facing the sea and the coast line, you get to see the little blue and red sails, and people picnicking with families. We were told by the waiter that there are many more activities like para-sailing, snorkelling and scuba diving that happen at the Marina Bay Beach Resort.

The town has several other historic temples that you could visit. We had no time, hours had gone by, and we had to leave.

The next time however, we plan to visit the surrounding areas that we have been told most tourists miss out on or don’t prefer to go to due to the travel involved. Within a 15 to 20 km radius from Murdeshwar lies that Apsara Konda Falls and the Netrani Islands which most shopkeepers and vendors we had a chat with recommended highly. The Netrani Island also known as Pigeon Island is one of the few places for snorkelling in Karnataka, and is also famous for diving. You can take a boat to reach the coral island.

Our visit ended with some piping hot coffee after a simple lunch and an insightful chat with our tea vendor. We took the Bengaluru-Sakleshpur route. The spectacular journey through Sakleshpur is a story replete with lush greenery, though for another day.

We reached Bengaluru in eight hours, with a generous sprinkling of pit stops for snacks and tea-breaks. The next two days had us craving Vitamin-sea and reminiscing the beauty of Murdeshwar.