Gokarna India how to get to airport. Gokarna - life by the sea, part 1, India. When is the season? When is the best time to go

Nature reserve in Goa.

Destination – Gokarna. We left, as always, at the wrong time. We were already loading the bike, and Mohit had just woken up. He got ready, however, in about 3 minutes. As planned, we went to the reserve again , to try and see a leopard cub. The reception was empty, and we got inside unnoticed. The big cat was already frolicking.She was pursued by several local guys with huge camera tubes. Despite her still early age, she was already showing the habits of a real predator. Hiding in the greenery and suddenly attacking an object you like is a favorite pastime. In this case, Mohit’s helmet turned out to be a favorite, which the leopard pounced on every few minutes.

Soon it began to be used as a challenge pennant to attract the attention of the hunter. Both Mohit and Lera managed to pet the “kitty”; I refrained.

A couple of times the leopard noisily climbed onto low-growing trees, and only caring human hands placed under its back prevented it from crashing to the ground in shame. Charged with positive emotions as much as possible.

We jumped onto the federal highway and rushed, alternately overtaking each other. In addition to obvious advantages, major roads, compared to secondary ones, have equally obvious disadvantages. A large number of trucks and buses bring a certain amount of risk to travel and force you to be more concentrated and collected. Of course, any possibility of enjoying the landscape is out of the question. But if you just need to get from point A to B, it’s better to do an extra 30-40 km along the highway. This recommendation applies to almost all Indian roads, and has been tested for itself.

History of Gokarna.

Gokarna)is a small village on the seashore in Karnataka, which has sacred significance for Hindus. Gokarna is mentioned in the Vedas (one of the most ancient scriptures in the world, withXVI century BC). According to these texts, in the process of creating the world between Brahma(one of the Trimurti gods, along with Shiva and Vishna; the creator of the universe) and Shiva(represents the destructive and creative, as well as the masculine principle - lingam) disagreements arose, and Brahma created the world without the participation of Shiva. Having learned about this, Shiva rushed to the Earth. At the same time, the projection of the place where Shiva was supposed to appear fell on the center of the Earth. If this happened, Shiva would destroy the Earth. Having learned about this, Bhu-devi(the goddess of the Earth, associated in Hinduism with the cow), prayed to Shiva. As a result of the compromise, Shiva was reduced to the size of a “thumb” and exited through the “ear of a cow.” The place of Shiva’s “birth” turned out to be a cave in Gokarna (literally “cow’s ear”). There is also a Mahabaleshwar temple there. Atma Linga, known from the legend of Shiva, the demon Ravana from Lanka and Ganesha. – What is very striking in India is the very reliable correspondence of places, events, names mentioned in legends.

From the highway to Gokarna it is about 20 minutes drive. After driving around the city, we got to Kudle beach and started looking for housing. First we dragged ourselves to the beach itself, the shore of which, in defiance of the Goan style, turned out to be not flat at all. About 10 minutes down a narrow path strewn with stones, a small crescent of the coastline with rare sheks (cafes) opened up to our eyes.
In our opinion, there was no more or less decent housing on the beach. Where the rooms looked acceptable, there were no places. And we ourselves refused to settle in a bungalow made of palm leaves and a bed with a stone base. Although, there are fans. Because the price is very attractive, only 100-150 Rs/day. In particular, this place is preferred by our fellow citizens, who are ready to sleep even just under a palm tree, just to be away from the hated cold. We know several examples where people simply hung out here for a month or two, without having such a plan in the first place. In addition, our friend, who lived here for about 2 months, talked about a large number of free courses, such as yoga and Sanskrit lessons. Active recreation in the form of beach soccer and volleyball is also available.

By the way, just before you go down to the beach, on the left side there is a very inconspicuous temple dedicated to Hanuman(king of the monkeys, comrade Frames).
According to Mohit, according to one version, this temple was built at the place of his birth (but you and I know that Hanuman’s real birthplace is in Hampi!;)).

We were lucky to find accommodation on the way from the beach to the city. Somewhere in the middle of this two-kilometer path, right on the cliff, several attractive bungalows were waiting for us as we first approached. We negotiated for 300 Rs. More precisely, Mohit was bargaining, and we were silently present. In general, the question of how to find cheap housing in Gokarna is solved here once or twice.

By the way, we also reached the city. Many tourists stop on the street along the city beach. But the guesthouses offered to us were not satisfactory either in price or in appearance. Perhaps you were just unlucky or didn't search well. We met several people who claimed that they were renting very decent housing and also very cheap.

One way or another, the best view that comes with inexpensive bungalows cannot be found in all of Gokarna.
Moreover, its location, with its own transport, is simply excellent. Close everywhere.

MG Cottages Relax Inn, website, [email protected], tel. 9620468182, 9611566273.

The only thing is. The shower and toilet are located in separate sheds with a concrete floor and a large number of all kinds of living creatures such as insects and geckos (small lizards). Everything looks pretty neat but simple.

Almost immediately we went to the city. The road connecting Cudley Beach and the city is worthy of a separate description. More precisely, that part of it that is closest to Gokarna. It is a narrow path, on which it is difficult for even two motorcyclists to pass. In addition to this, it has a significant slope and several “blind” turns. At the very end, you literally have to squeeze between the stone walls to get to one of the central streets. Meeting an auto-rickshaw on your way is a very bad omen. And they, although with difficulty and a metallic grinding sound, still use this path quite often, since this, one might say, is one of the most popular directions.

Honestly, Gokarna is amazing. You won't be able to find anything like it in all of India. Temples, monks, beggars, passers-by, vociferous sellers, tourists who look like both monks and beggars at the same time, inexplicably intertwine into a place with an amazing atmosphere.

Urbanization has hardly touched this corner and even now the air is simply saturated with a thousand years of history. Time seems to flow at a different speed here. But, unfortunately, entry to all temples in the city is prohibited for non-Hindus.

A couple of days before our visit, Gokarna celebrated Mahashivatri in a big way.

Mahashivatri – a very important holiday for Hindus. The symbol of the holiday is the lingam. Hindus believe that the position of the Moon and Sun on this day increases the power of prayer 100 times, and those who observe all rituals are promised remission of all sins and liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

We learned from the locals that the city was simply overcrowded with pilgrims and tourists. The only evidence of this event was a huge chariot, which almost completely blocked the main street.Squeezing along a huge wooden wheel, you are acutely aware of the transience of your life in comparison with the ancient colossus.

Gokarna: where to eat deliciously.

Having completed all the necessary tourist rituals and tasted spiritual food, we threw all our remaining energy into searching for food. Not far from the public beach we came across an original and very popular cafe among tourists, MahalaxmiRestorant. The entire farm is run by a Tamil family who moved to these parts from South India and started the entire business from scratch. I don’t think that even today it has changed very much since those years. The spartan furnishings emphasize this: your choice is plastic chairs or a filthy old carpet. The undoubted advantages of this place are the opportunity to sit on the roof, low prices with fairly high-quality food and, of course, the staff. The owner's daughters, playing the role of waitresses, can cheer up even an inveterate pessimist with their smiles and friendliness. The only negative was the smell of a rotting swamp nearby, which was brought to our table from time to time by a random gust of wind. In any case, the question of where to eat deliciously in Gokarna was resolved by itself.

Among other things, we were quite surprised to find a large Russian-speaking group there. The crowd was very diverse: from young girls to ponderous and experienced aunts. The leader was a Messiah-like figure, dressed, as expected, in rags and a long beard. His meek look was strikingly unsuited to the phrase: “Paid for 300 rupees. We pay for everything on top ourselves.” Thanks to an English-language conversation with Mohit, they remained undetected for some time. But it was terribly interesting what kind of sectarian necessity brought them all together. They came out of the shadows, speaking Russian. After a few introductory phrases, they attacked us with the question: “What is heard there in Crimea?” Having learned that we had been traveling for about a month, they quickly lost interest in us. But we have already managed to find out that this group, which came to India on a trip to do yoga. They live in plywood bungalows without amenities, but with food. Excursions are paid separately. 14 days in the dog pose cost them almost 90,000 rubles (!) for their brother, including flights. Moreover, even yoga teachers are Russian. Once again we were amazed at the resourcefulness of our compatriots.

In the evening we went to admire the sunset on the edge of the cape, very close to our home.

The unromantic Mohit stayed behind due to work necessity. We discovered a separate building next door, which, to our amazement, turned out to be a library. Moreover, you can sit outside with a book in a very pleasant environment. To be honest, this is unprecedented for this country. Except , in which we met specially designated places for students to study in the city center and in the open air, we had not seen anything like it. We climbed the hill and were disappointed to find several more lovers of shades of red. Two Europeans of the semi-strong sex sat sweetly, holding hands. I had to climb even higher so as not to interfere with the union of two loving hearts. And let them not say that Russians are homophobes! The sunset was good.


Dinner too. I can't help but mention the local biriyani (a rice and chicken dish), which, for our taste, is the best in all of India (despite the fact that it is a North Indian dish).
We came to the general conclusion that we definitely like it here.

The next morning we left lightly for Murdeshwar, which is about 80 km south of Gokarna.

Upon returning, we dropped our things and went in search of Mohit’s old friend, an Italian woman named Marzia. She sent Mohit a message a week ago that she would be at Kudli Beach on that day. There was no more contact with her; the phone was silent. We randomly went to several cafes on the beach and asked around. No one has seen a 40-year-old lady matching the description. Still, luck smiled on us, and we just met on the beach.

Marzia traveled a lot. The list of countries she visited is extensive and constantly growing. But she loves India very much. Mohit calls her "Shanti Lady" because she constantly uses "shanti-shanti" at the end of her speech. I must say that with an Italian accent it sounds very entertaining.

I was amused by Marzia’s story about her first Couchsurfing experience (by the way, we wrote about our first Couchsurfing experience ) First hand:

“So I decided to try this topic. I heard a lot about it from travelers, but I never had to use it myself. It was just necessary to stay for a while in the city of Margao, where the hotels were somehow not very good, and it was boring, I wanted to communicate. I wrote a request. They responded very quickly, despite the small number of users. I met a middle-aged Indian man right at the station. While we were walking towards the house, the conversation somehow didn’t go well. And after his remark: “Do you know that many people use Couchsurfing to have sex?”, she completely died. We came home. Almost from the start, he said that nothing would work with a separate sofa and they would have to sleep together. Mild anxiety began to develop into panic, but I pulled myself together and didn’t show it. As soon as they lay down, she pretended to be dead. It helped. In the morning he left for work. When I woke up, I tried to leave the apartment. Failed. It turned out that he locked the door when leaving. Having come to terms with karma, I spent the whole day at home, waiting for the “hospitable host.” While I was waiting, I had time to think. I decided to play my role to the end. In the evening we went to dinner at a restaurant together. I paid. The same thing happened in the morning at breakfast. Thank God the train also left in the morning! After this adventure, I realized that I spent more on the host’s care than the cost of a guesthouse room. Judge for yourself the quality of the emotions received. In short, it’s not my thing.”

The evening was drowned in idleness. We chatted, took pictures, and admired the sunset.

It was already dark and everyone piled into the cafe next to our bungalows.

The cozy atmosphere, delicious food and helpful staff did their job, and in the future we only dined here.

Marzia, in her own words, had only one bad habit, which was prohibited in many countries, excluding Holland. It should be noted that the vast majority of tourists vacationing in India are also susceptible to it. The bad habit also turned out to be contagious. The rest of the evening became like a patchwork quilt and the memories looked more like a surreal painting.

In the morning we saw off Mohit. He had to get to Margao, buy a train ticket and send a motorcycle on the same train. We said goodbye very warmly, we became very friendly during the week we spent together. He even promised to come back if we fed him three times a day.

Closer to noon, we decided to dispel the melancholy of parting and went to wander around the cape, where we watched the sunset.

The plan was to get along the very edge of the coast to Cudley Beach. It was already starting to get pretty hot, but we naively believed that we could handle it within an hour and didn’t even bother about drinking water. The first part of the route was covered very easily.

It was a pleasure to walk along the well-trodden paths along the lower part of the cape along the cliffs and huge boulders. After some time, all the paths merged into one path, which, for some reason, did not become wider because of this. Moreover, the further we moved, the narrower and less traveled it seemed. At the same time, the coast became steeper and steeper. Several times we stopped in thought: “Should we turn back?” The sunshine and thirst began to bring tangible anxiety. At some point the path disappeared completely. It was visible in fragments on the slope, climbing higher and higher. Sometimes, in order to overcome the ascent, I had to sweat a lot, clinging to the plants with my hands and making sure that my supporting leg did not jump off the stone or end up on treacherously dangerous sand or clay. It began to darken before my eyes from the heat and fatigue, but there was no turning back. It took us at least half an hour to get to a more or less flat place. As a result, we fell out at the beginning of the beach, going down a very steep slope covered with trees. Along the way, they frightened several tourists with their appearance (wet with sweat, with red faces and cobwebs in their hair).

Gokarna: beaches.

Drinking a bottle of water in one gulp, water procedures and a light lunch brought us to our senses and we moved on. All four beaches: Kudli (Kudle), Ohm(Om), Halfmoon(HalfMoon) and Paradise (Paradise or ParadiseFullMoon), are located one after another and in the same sequence the quantity and availability of housing and food decreases. You can get from the first to the last along the coastline within 3 hours, each time overcoming the wooded hills that separate one beach from another. We only had time for Om Beach.


This beach, shaped like the sacred letter Om from Sanskrit, is definitely worth a visit. It seemed very interesting to us that it seemed to be divided by an invisible line into two parts: one belongs to foreigners, the other to Indians. It is not clear for what reason, but this boundary is clearly visible. I just walked surrounded by locals, and a minute later there were only foreigners around. The sunset was admired from the cape between Om and Halfmoon.



We had to make the way back in the dark. Walking along the beach even in the dark is child's play. But as soon as we entered the strip of forest separating Om from Kudli, there was no time for jokes. Choosing the right path turned out to be problematic. A couple of times we chose the wrong direction and had to turn back. It got so dark that only a lantern could help. In the end, they still took the wrong one that they came with. Fortunately, we chose the right direction and after a while we got to a bungalow, a little away from Kudli. The half-hour journey to our hotel passed under the auspices of local and slightly dangerous fauna. The scorpion and snake we met added some excitement to the already losing spice of the journey.

That same night, our acquaintance with the local nature continued. As mentioned above, the bungalows are made of wooden panels. The design is such that a large number of cracks allows many small insects (including mosquitoes, ants) to penetrate inside. The presence of a mosquito net above the bed should somehow compensate for this. Lera woke up at night because one of her hands was terribly, unbearably itching. It turned out that in her sleep she accidentally leaned her hand against the mosquito net. In the morning, we counted at least 19 bites on an area of ​​4 cm2.

Gokarna, this is not the first day. The next day was spent on the two remaining beaches, Halfmoon and Paradise. Walking the same route was boring and uninteresting. We decided to go from the other side and set off on a motorcycle. The dusty lane meandered through the trees for a long time, but never led us to our goal. The navigator told us that we should turn back already, since we were going to the wrong place. We didn’t argue, we turned back and, in search of the way to Paradise, turned onto the most well-trodden road, which, as it seemed to us, should have led to our intended goal. Having passed the open gate, after a few hundred meters we came across several well-kept houses and a shed with a couple of motorcycles. We parked and began to examine the area for a sign or insight from above. A local woman appeared in the distance, moving in our direction. We happily hurried to meet her. She didn’t speak English, but we hoped that the words “Beach” and “Paradise” were definitely familiar to her. Therefore, we discarded all the other husks of unnecessary words and began to lean on these two. Apparently quantity turned into quality, and she, waving her hand, led us along. It turns out that we were overjoyed in vain. She took us to an Indian who spoke a foreign language better than her, i.e. knew two words - “private property”. This meant that our presence here was highly undesirable. Having spat, we pushed our bike out of the gate, but on the other side, which seemed closer to the beach, and set off to find the way to the water on our own. Having climbed the hill along the only path, we found a house and the owner sitting in a chair. He turned out to be a portly, European-dressed gentleman who politely and in clear English asked: “Why the hell did we forget here?” After listening to our story, he once again repeated the “Private property” so beloved by the Indians and added that since we were here anyway, we could use an inconspicuous gate, the only way to the beach through a solid stone wall. And he even provided us with a guide. The indicated path actually led us to the beach. Having passed through a disorganized row of tents, we came to the shore.
A certain number of destroyed stone buildings, garbage and bewildered looks from people hanging around here made up the main impression of this place. It's pretty dirty around here. The people who live here don’t really care about the place where they live. Tolley visiting tourists do not care about the place of temporary residence of vacationers. There were also some interesting characters there. One slender lady, not at all embarrassed by us or the party of tourists who arrived by boat from the main beaches (yes, yes, this is also possible!), swam in what her mother gave birth to and clearly felt at home. On the way back we again had to ignore the right to private property. The gate turned out to be closed and we had to climb over.

On the way back we stopped at Halfmoon. We abandoned the bike at a fork; the road (read: wide path) did not inspire confidence in it. It turned out to be a long walk, about 3 kilometers in one direction. On the beach we found one shake and a place to spend the night.He failed to impress us. This time we watched the sunset from the porch of our house. Thank you Gokarna!

Summary

Number of days: 4

During this time covered: 260 km

Visited: Murudeshvara, Kudle, Om, Half Moon and Paradise or Full Moon.

We would like to visit: Cafe Prema (many people praise it, it is located not far from).

(+): relative solitude (almost no “package” tourists); unique atmosphere; the opportunity to combine a beach holiday and long walks; clean beaches (except for the city one); a great place for a relaxing time.

(-): a small selection of housing with “improved” living conditions; a huge number of mosquitoes (repellents are required!).

Our expenses, rub.:

Total: ≈2855 rub.

Gokarna is an ideal place for spiritual development and second in popularity after Hampi. The village was founded in the fifteenth century, and many tourists still come here to make a pilgrimage and cleanse themselves of sins in the sacred reservoir of Kotitirte. Among modern travelers, the village has become famous for its beaches and religious monuments. Spontaneous parties with drums and dancing around the fire are often organized on the beaches.
If you want to go to religious monuments, you should know in advance that foreigners are most often not allowed into churches, and in this case it is worth paying tribute to culture. It's better not to walk around the city in the outfits you wear to the beach. You will be lucky if you get to Gokarna on Shivaratri holiday– Shiva’s birthday, which is usually celebrated on the February full moon. On this day, on the streets of the village, Brahmins carry the sacred fire between processions with wooden chariots.

Beaches of Gokarna

Gokarna has several magnificent sandy beaches, where tourists from Goa often come to relax. The most popular of them are the beach Kudle beach, Half-Moon Beach, Paradise Beach And Om Beach. All these beaches are practically deserted and are perfect for a secluded holiday.

Book a tour to Gokarna online!

Location of Gokarna on the map

How to get to Gokarna from Goa

You can get to Gokarna by intercity bus, which departs from the city of Morgao. The bus travels for about 4 hours depending on the traffic situation. Ticket price is 65 rupees.

From Goa to Gokarna, a city in the neighboring state of Karnataka, we took a somewhat unusual route. With the help of the old manager of Morjim Sunset Guesthouse, we planned the next route to Gokarna: we took a taxi to the town of Margao, from where there was a direct bus to Gokarna, and by bus we had to get to the town, which was highly recommended to us by friends of friends. For a taxi we paid 400 rupees per person and drove for one hour, for a bus we paid 118 rupees and trudged along bumpy and narrow roads for another 4 hours. The choice of the bus route was dictated by issues of economy - taxi drivers charged exorbitant prices for crossing state borders.

Gokarna was the only destination where we didn't book a hotel even at the last minute. The reason for such self-confident laxity was banal - there was simply not a single hotel or guesthouse in Gokarna on booking.com.

Upon arrival, we checked into the first guesthouse we came across - not luxurious, but not exactly horror-horror, and the next day we went to look for normal accommodation for the remaining three days in the holy city of Karnataka.

We were lucky and found accommodation close to the beach and restaurant. Unfortunately for us, the Nimmu House guesthouse is mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide, so the owner has long since doubled the prices listed there. But the restaurant next door had obscenely low prices, a huge menu and very funny waitresses.

Gokarna Beach deserves a separate story about it. It was here that we saw, so to speak, a classic Indian beach: a large sandy beach, cows, dogs, garbage from the sea and garbage from the city, vacationing Indians and rare white tourists. To find a piece of the beach where it doesn’t stink, you have to try really hard. To swim, we walked about three hundred meters away from the main entrance to the beach. But within fifteen minutes, groups of two or three Indians were heading our way, unobtrusively walking back and forth or simply hiding behind the boat on the shore to look at the undressed white women. Indian women, like Arab women, bathe in clothes.

Of course, this can hardly be called swimming. The waves near the shore cover you completely and drag you into the sea. If you go into the water above your hip, there is a high risk of not returning to shore. The power of water is indescribable. Shy Indians generally splash only in shallow water, where the water is ankle-deep, but we went deeper to plunge into the wave, but without fanaticism, so as not to be dragged away.

Efim and I also went to the neighboring beach, Kudle Beach, to admire its even greater beauty and be horrified by the even greater amount of garbage.

It makes sense to visit Karnataka for a long time. Five national parks, twenty-five nature reserves, of which five are bird reserves, many temples, palaces and statues attract tourists both from India itself and from abroad. Unfortunately, we managed to capture all this rich diversity only from the corner of our ears and eyes. On the morning of the second day in Gokarna, we left by taxi along the waterfalls route - a large statue of Shiva. You can also get to the famous Jog Falls by bus, but watching the next round of serpentine roads, I looked at the buses with a feeling of slight anxiety: the road is narrow, difficult to travel, and it’s easier to endure an hour in a taxi than a couple of hours on a mountain serpentine road in a cramped bus. Despite the fact that technically we arrived at the end of the monsoon season and could count on really powerful flows of water, the four branches of the Shiravati River did not really want to impress anyone. However, during the tourist season, which starts in October, pitiful streams will remain on the rock walls. I was impressed by the approach of the Indian authorities to organizing the review process. This is not just some kind of observation deck, but a whole park with stairs, fences and restaurants. But it’s true, to our regret, the staircase to the foot of the waterfall was closed.

Having taken a dizzying taxi ride to the foot of the mountain, we drove towards the largest statue of Shiva, built in the early 2000s. And they almost suffocated.

If we thought that we were already accustomed to the eternal stench of India, then we were deeply mistaken. After an hour and a half of repeated patches of unbearable rotten smell, we came to the conclusion that the problem was, after all, some kind of fertilizer plant and the trucks that transport rotten raw materials to this plant. And at the entrance to the temple complex in Murudeshwar I had to stop breathing altogether and make short runs to get to the entrance. The smell of rotten fish was unbearably beautiful.

The entrance to the temple itself was closed, but in our tourist opinion this was not a big deal. The gopuram - the tower above the gate - 75 meters high, satisfied the craving for beautiful Indian architecture. True, I had to take off my slippers in order to trample the dusty floor around this very gopuram together with all the Hindus. In India, by the way, shoes are not allowed in most temples. You should have seen the torment of our friends about walking or not walking barefoot on the floor along with all the Hindus!

To get to the huge statue of Shiva, slippers were found and put on. The sun was already mercilessly hot and I remembered with longing the gloomy, but simply warm Goa.

I cannot speak for all Hindus, but the joy with which they celebrate religious holidays, I think, speaks in favor of the fact that Hindus are a religious people. They were lucky: no one canceled Shiva and Ganesha for them. These deities were always with them. And around the statue in Murdeshwar there were many local tourists who came to see their shrines. We also walked around the statue, marveled at its size, and fought off beggars and intrusive sellers.

On the way back to Gokarna enjoyed the views of tropical forests with palm trees and again practiced long breath-holds as taxis drove behind trucks carrying rotten fish.

But, as they say, there was a holiday on our street. The truck with cookies did not overturn, but due to its proximity to the beach, we were repeatedly able to observe the solemn processions of carrying Ganesha statues into the sea. The last days of a great holiday passed - the Ganesha Festival. In Goa, the hotel manager invited us to his house to celebrate the beginning of the holiday, and in Karnataka we already saw the end of the festival. Moreover, if on the penultimate day it was still somehow quiet, then on the last night of the festival we heard very loud music and Efim, unable to bear it, ran to look. On the shore, Hindus performed a fire show in a circle of drummers, and the statue of Ganesha, brought on a trailer, was the largest and most beautiful of all those that we had seen in the previous days.

And the next day we had a long journey back home. We selected a flight from Goa airport to Delhi in such a way as to avoid the bustle of the Indian capital, but after waiting 3-4 hours in the terminal we could simply transfer to a plane to Moscow. From Gokarna we took a taxi to Dabolim airport in Goa. We reached Delhi without incident, but with a slight delay. There, we spent a long time translating ticket printouts from Russian to the security guard using our fingers (you can’t enter the terminal if you don’t have a ticket), stood in several queues, and barely had time to grab a bite to eat and run into a store before departure.

We flew the way I like: on a half-empty plane. After sleeping for most of the flight on empty seats in a wide row, we had breakfast with coffee and cookies and landed safely in early morning Moscow. The customs officer at passport control looked at Efim’s passport and at Efim himself for a long time. Then he looked at his passport again. Having received the answer that we were from India, he aptly noted that those who fly there are like those in the passport photo (clean-shaven), and they return like Efim now - overgrown to the very eyebrows.

And then there were meat burgers in FARSH and delicious coffee, conversations with friends and a flight to Dahab.

In Dahab we were met with heat.

Gokarna is a small village in the state of Karnataka near Goa. This is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus, there are many Hindu temples here, and according to legend, it was in this place that Shiva was born from a cow's ear. Translated from Sanskrit, “gokarna” means “cow’s ear.”

Gokarna has many beautiful beaches and other natural attractions, it is quiet and peaceful, and tourists from Goa love to come here to take a break from parties and in search of real authentic India.

Keep in mind that if you have issued a visa at the border - TLF (Temporary Landing Facility) / TLP (Temporary Landing Permit) upon arrival at Dabolim Airport, then traveling between states without a passport can be problematic.

How to get there

From Goa

Most tourists come to Gokarna from Goa. A bus leaves from the Margao bus station once a day, the journey takes 4 hours, the fare starts from 116 INR. You can also get there by train, it’s faster - there is a train that leaves at noon, it takes two hours (fare starts from 170 INR), and another train that leaves at 14:30 and goes to Gokarna for 1.5 hours. Prices on the page are for April 2019.

Apart from these direct trains, you can take trains to Mangalore or Cochin. The fastest way to get from Goa is to take a train to Kumta or Ankola, from where you can take a bus to Gokarna or a rickshaw (150 INR).

From Karnataka

The largest airport in Karnataka is Bangalore Airport. There are no direct flights from Russia to Bangalore, so you will have to fly through Delhi. Gokarna is about 450 km away from here, first you need to get to the city bus station (shuttles run there around the clock - about 180 INR per passenger), and quite comfortable sleeper buses (buses with sleeping berths) go from Bangalore to Gokarna. You will have to spend a night on the way, the fare is about 500 INR.

You should be prepared for the fact that, as elsewhere in India, the schedule in Margao is quite often kept approximately.

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Weather in Gokarna

The best time to go to Gokarna is from late October to early March. At this time, the weather here is dry, sunny and windless, and at the beginning of November the colorful Diwali festival (one of the main Hindu holidays) takes place, and life begins to bustle. Air temperature - +27...+29 °C.

In April, the heat and rainy season begins, the humid air warms up to +31...+33 °C. In June, this heat is complemented by strong waves in the Arabian Sea, but surfers don’t come here - it’s too stuffy.

Gokarna Hotels

In Gokarna you can stay right on the beach or in the village. The distances here are very short, so even if you live in a village, you can get to the beach in a few minutes by bike or rickshaw for about 100 INR. In the village, the main tourist accommodation is a room in a guesthouse. Most often, these are residential buildings of ordinary Indian families who rent out temporarily empty rooms to tourists. It is usually quite clean, cozy, with home amenities, and is also an opportunity to see the non-touristy Gokarna.

Housing on the beach costs 20-30% more than in the village. Mostly they offer beach houses made of bamboo with a toilet outside, but there are also more comfortable options - concrete bungalows with amenities inside. Accommodation booking sites for the query “Gokarna” provide few options - mostly expensive hotels (there are few of them here) and only a few guesthouses. There will be much more choice on site, but it is worth remembering that Gokarna is a place more likely for unpretentious tourists.

You can find a room in the village for 100-200 INR per day, for this money you will get a very ascetic room and not necessarily a clean one. Prices for more comfortable options with a fan and shower in the room start from 400 INR.

A palm bungalow on the beach with outdoor amenities will cost from 300 INR per day for two, a concrete bungalow with a personal shower - from 600 INR. A room in a 3* hotel costs 2000-3000 INR, a room in the most luxurious hotel in the Kahani Paradise resort will cost at least 12,000 INR per day for a double room. For this money you will get a huge room with a living area, a balcony or terrace overlooking the sea and a continental breakfast.

Beaches of Gokarna

Gokarna has several beaches, each with its own characteristics.

Central Beach - Gokarna Beach- wide, sandy, popular among locals. It is quite dirty, and swimming there is not particularly comfortable, since it is also not customary to undress here. Pilgrims usually come here - men sit in the water with their clothes on, women are also dressed and stand knee-deep in the water, only children run around naked. You can swim here only in the northern part of the beach, where there are no people; you can get there on foot or by boat for about 100 INR.

Nearest to Gokarna village - Cudley Beach, this is where most tourists settle. Here you can safely undress, swim, sunbathe, there are cafes on the shore (for example, pizzerias - the Italians loved this place). Between Kudli and Gokarna Beach there is a very beautiful headland with red land.

20 minutes from Cudley Beach Om Beach, it got its name because of the shape of the coastline - it resembles the Om sign. This is also a nice sandy and uncrowded beach with beautiful bays. Om Beach is a half-hour walk from Half Moon Beach and Paradise Beach.

It is not so easy to get to “Paradise Beach”: you can take a boat or take a bus from Gokarna and for 10 INR get to the final station, then through the jungle (it is better to use the services of a guide).

Paradise Beach lives up to its name - especially when you look at the lagoon from above. At the same time, there are a couple of cafes and houses made of reeds and palm leaves that are rented to tourists. And here you can sunbathe topless and even naked - if you get into the lagoon on the left before no one takes it. Finally, Paradise Beach is also the most popular beach among partygoers, with many beach parties held here. It’s especially fun here on a full moon night - you can get into a real Sabbath. However, there is no special infrastructure on the beach - at most a couple of cafes, a few fruit stalls and free books that previous guests left here.

Shopping in Gokarna

There are several streets in Gokarna, with a bazaar along the central one. You can buy clothes there, but it will mostly be cheap consumer goods, albeit made from natural fabrics - enough for the season. At the same bazaar you can buy souvenirs, postcards, fruits and vegetables. On Thursdays, not far from the exit from the city, a large fruit and vegetable market opens.

If you need high-quality clothing, it is better to go to Goa - there is a much more interesting selection of clothes in the national style, dresses, tunics, T-shirts and stoles made of natural cotton, silk and cashmere.

In Gokarna there is one ATM on the road from the bus station to the main street. It may not accept cards from some banks, so it is better to withdraw cash in advance.

Cuisine and restaurants

The village has many cafes for locals - here they are called dhabbas. The cuisine is mostly vegetarian, but even meat-eaters usually don’t complain about the monotony. A full meal of two or three courses with a drink can be had for 100-150 INR.

There are much fewer catering establishments on the beaches, with the exception of Kudli Beach, which was chosen by the Italians several years ago and supplies everyone with pizza (the price of a large pizza for two is about 200 INR). In a few cafes on the beaches you can find European cuisine and Indian cuisine adapted for Europeans. Prices here are 2-3 times higher than in the village; you can have lunch for about 300 INR per person.

Gokarna is a sacred city, alcohol is difficult here. The maximum you can count on is beer from the counter, 3 times more expensive than in neighboring Goa.

Entertainment and attractions in Gokarna

Gokarna is a city of pilgrims and has many temples. One of the most important for Hindus is the Mahabaleshwar Shiva Temple, which houses the ancient linga of Shiva - the male genital organ of this deity, which symbolizes his remarkable strength. Only Hindus have the right to look at the lingam, but tourists are not prohibited from entering the temple itself.

There is another one nearby - the Ganapati Temple. It was built in honor of Lord Ganesh and wisdom is worshiped here and prosperity is sought.

The Ram Temple is located on the mountain on the left side of Gokarna Beach. It is famous for the fact that there is a spring with holy water, and in the surrounding area you can meet many Hindus who wash themselves and wash their clothes with this water.

Natural attractions

The rectangular lake Kotitirtha is considered sacred here and is popularly called “Little Ganga”. One of the legends says that the water in the lake was brought from the Ganges, another that Shiva was born here, and the lake is the very ear of a cow. Bathing in Lake Kotitirha washes away all sins, so in the mornings pilgrims from all over the country rush here to swim in the local waters among the lotuses. Warning signs near the lake say that in addition to lotuses, there are also crocodiles, but no one has seen them live for a long time.

Adi Gokarna Cave is another sacred place in Gokarna. This is another place that is called the same cow's ear. This is a small stone structure to which numerous pilgrims have trodden a path. Locals believe that if you go down into the cave, grace and harmony will soon descend on you. Foreigners are prohibited from entering the cave, but no one checks passports, and this is not at all difficult to do in a crowd of pilgrims.

In the north of its Arabian coast. The small village has long become an important place of pilgrimage for followers of the cult of Shiva, and in recent years has become a popular tourist attraction. In the first case, this is the veneration of sacred corners, one way or another connected with a Hindu deity, and in the second, a manifestation of interest in a certain cultural layer of Indian religious traditions, as well as the presence of “sparsely populated” beaches near them.

The toponym “gokarna” has a somewhat strange translation from Sanskrit and means “cow’s ear”. According to one version, this is due to the fact that Gokarna is located on an area that resembles an animal’s ear in plan. But the main legend mentions a completely different fact. Shaivaites believe that it was in these places that the god Shiva was born from the ear of the ancient Indian mythological goddess Prithivi, who at that moment took on the zoomorphic image of a cow. However, in the texts compiled in the traditions of Hinduism, there are many other references to the old city and its great significance for Hindus.

Sights of Gokarna

The city is home to a huge number of temples, ranging from the oldest and most important for Shaivites, Mahabaleshwar, to tiny chapels that can accommodate no more than five people. Tourists can see some of the religious objects only from the outside, or by accidentally looking through a slightly open door. Out of respect for the feelings of believers, one should not try to get into such temples by deception. It must be understood that pilgrims have the right to privacy and tranquility within the holy spaces.

Restrictions on entry into Gokarna temples were introduced several years ago due to a number of incidents caused by foreigners. They too clearly demonstrated their disrespectful attitude towards the main Hindu shrines.

Tourists are given the opportunity to get acquainted with some religious monuments and sites. You can also walk through the areas of the temple complexes that are open to the public.

Old Gokarna is considered one of the seven pilgrimage centers of Hindus. Tourists should not be surprised to see white cows in temples and the fact that the Brahmins living in the city, who belong to one of the highest castes in India, lead a rather modest lifestyle.

The main religious attractions of the city include 4 objects.

Mahabaleshwar

The temple is the oldest and main sanctuary in Gokarna. Its age is 1500 years. The complex houses one of the most powerful shrines of the Shivaites - the atmalingam. According to legend, the king of Lanka, Ravana, stole it from Shiva in an insidious way, but the elephant-headed god Ganesha, who temporarily turned into a sweet young man, managed to cunningly take possession of the lingam and place the shrine on the ground. It was immediately filled with the “heaviness of the three worlds” and took root. Returning after meditation, Ravenna could not move the linga from its place. This is where it stands to this day.

Hindus believe that the atmalingam can bestow special powers and rid oneself of all sins, even the most serious ones. The shrine is a stone pillar with a rounded top. Pilgrims prepare for the ritual meeting with the lingam in advance. They fast, bathe properly in the sea or Kotitirtha pond. Many people shave their heads.

Mahabaleshwar is located on Gokarna Beach Road, which runs from the city's Gokarna Beach to the realm of Hindu temples.

Maha Ganapati

The temple of the elephant-headed god of wisdom and prosperity, Ganesha, is a two-minute walk from Mahabaleshwar. According to reviews from tourists, it is allowed to enter the small Maha Ganapati. For a small offering or donation, you can ask for a tilak (a characteristic Hindu mark on the forehead), receive prasada (blessed food) and a flower garland, and ring the bell upon entry.

Maha Ganapati is rarely crowded, since before the start of each work, Shaivites come into the temple to pray to the god Ganesha.

Kotitirtha

The lake is considered sacred and is used for ritual ablutions, mass washing of clothes and farewells to the dead. The reservoir is located surrounded by Hindu temples, half a kilometer from Mahabaleshwar. The place is very calm, cows are walking around, large fish are swimming in the water, and lotuses are visible. The lake is not clean, although the residents themselves clean it from time to time. Locals claim that this cloudy water is quite suitable for drinking, but tourists are not recommended to experience the veracity of their statements.

Shiva Kave

According to legend, it was in this quiet cave that Shiva was born, and he emerged into the world from a hole located in the vault of the main cave hall. Tourists sometimes come across a ladder here. Perhaps those wishing to be born again leave the caves through a sacred hole.

When planning to visit Shiva Kave, it is recommended to take a flashlight with you. In addition, it is necessary to mentally prepare for an encounter with bats. There is a Shivalinga in the cave and a place for meditation. You can spot the cave, which is located at a distance from the city center, by the accumulation of rickshaws waiting for tourists.

Entrance to Shiva Kave - Google panorama

What you need to know

Very often people come to Gokarna from neighboring Goa. But, unfortunately, not everyone realizes that the atmosphere of the holy city is too far from the relaxed atmosphere of tourist areas. There are guesthouses and lodges here, but there is a lack of civilized conditions for relaxation and a lack of variety in the menu. You need to walk around the city in relatively closed clothes, finding bars with alcoholic drinks and getting into a party is incredibly difficult. However, the number of vacationers in this small town increases every year. They are attracted by lower prices for food and housing, the opportunity to get closer to the “real” India and a quick return, if desired, to the noisy atmosphere of riotous fun that reigns in Goa.

It is almost impossible to get lost in the old city. The main temples are located on Gokarna Beach Road, so it is recommended to start your walk around the city from this street, or more precisely, from the southern border of the city Gokarna Beach. Next, follow Car Street to the triple intersection and turn right towards Kotitirtha Lake.

Considering that the old city of Gokarna is considered sacred, you should not parade through the streets in beach or too revealing clothing, much less approach religious sites in this form.

When visiting Hindu temples or places of worship, you need to remember a few important rules:

• It is not allowed to go inside wearing shoes;
• you should cross the threshold with your right foot;
• you only need to move clockwise;
• leaving a small donation is considered the norm.

Gokarna has a market that sells souvenirs and ethnic clothing. You can taste local cuisine in the cafe.

The festival of Lord Shiva - Mahashivratri - is widely celebrated in February-March. Idols of the deities Shiva and Parvati are placed on decorated chariots and taken around the city. The action is accompanied by chants, mantras, ringing of bells, and many lit lamps. The event is spectacular and memorable.

Beaches nearby

A visit to the sights of Gokarna can be combined with a beach holiday. Until recently, the coastal areas were completely empty, but today the picture looks different. There are more and more tourists who prefer to lie on the sea coast.

Women near pilgrimage sites and the main temples of the city will not be allowed to strip down to swimsuits.

There are several beaches in the Gokarna area:

The Gokarna Road Station railway station is located 9 km from the city. From South Goa, trains run here from Margao - via Agonda, Canacona and Mazhali. Through Karnataka - through Karwar, Aversa and Ankola. The distance from Gokarna Road Station to the city can be covered by using the services of a bicycle or auto-rickshaw.

Buses run from Ankola and Karwar railway stations to Gokarna. There are also regular bus services between the city's Bus Main Stand located on Main Street and several cities within the states of Karnataka and Goa. The trips are operated by RedBus (starting stops in Mumbai and Bangalore), Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (buses from Margao) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

You can get to the Gokarna bus station from the neighboring state of Goa in just 3-4 hours. Traveling by train is much faster and, in most cases, more comfortable.