STUDY NOTES FOR ENGINEERS: KARNATAKA

Showing posts with label KARNATAKA. Show all posts

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Murdeshwar Beach, Murdeshwar, Karnataka , INDIA

Murudeshwara Info

State: Karnataka
Famous for: Beach

Murudeshwara is a popular pilgrimage and beach destination located in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada District, in the South Indian state of Karnataka. Bounded by the Arabian Sea on its three sides and the rolling hills of the Western Ghats, the coastal town of Murudeshwara lies in between Honnavara and Bhatkal, on National Highway 17.

History of Murudeshwara

Murudeshwara town, earlier known by the name ‘Mrideshwara’, is named after the ancient Murudeshwara Temple of Lord Shiva. The ancient scriptures point to the existence of the town to the period of the Ramayana.

As per legend, the Demon King Ravana brought Atma - Linga or Mahabaleshwara Linga - from Kailasa Parvata but Lord Ganesha placed it in Gokarna. Ravana, in great anger, flung the other parts of the idol such as the casket, the lid, the string around the lingam and the covering cloth of the idol to Sajjeshwara, Guneshwara or Gunavanthe, Dhareswara and Kanduka Hill of Mrideshwara respectively. The lid took the form of Vamdev Linga, the thread as Tatpurusha Linga and the cloth became Aghora Linga or Mridesa Linga.

Knowing about this incident from Lord Vayu, Lord Shiva, along with Goddess Parvathi and Lord Ganesha, visited these places and consecrated the lingas. He declared these lingas as his ‘pancha-khshetras’ and also that worshipping these idols can wash off the sins of the devotees and transcend them from the cyclical re-incarnation of the soul by attaining Moksha.

‘Mrideshwara’ was later renamed as ‘Murudeshwara’ after the construction of the temple atop Kanduka Hill. Murudeshwara Temple is the chief attraction of the place with its 123 feet tall idol of Neelkanta or Lord Shiva and 249 feet high entrance tower, the Raja Gopura. Apart from being a pilgrimage destination, Murudeshwara is also known for the ‘Murudeshwara Fort’ located in its vicinity, which was renovated by Tipu Sultan.

Things to do in Murudeshwara

Murudeshwara has beaches and activities like swimming, snorkeling and boat rides among other activities. Opportunities for trekking are available at Yana, located near the Sahyadri ranges - Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and the Mohini Shikhara. From Murudeshwara, excursions can be taken to destinations like Sirsi, Karwar, Gokarna, Kollur, Udupi, Mangalore, Dharmasthala and Subramanya.

Travelling to Murudeshwara

Murudeshwara is located at a distance of 165 km from Mangalore, on NH 17. This town is connected to other destinations by some trains on the Mumbai – Mangalore route. Bajpe Airport of Mangalore is the nearest airport to Murudeshwara. To reach Murudeshwara, travellers can also travel by road. The destination is connected to other cities in Karnataka and neighbouring states. The best time to visit Murudeshwara is from November to February.

Murdeshwar Beach, Murdeshwar, Karnataka , INDIA

Monday, 30 September 2013

The second tallest statue of Lord Shiva in the world

The second tallest statue of Lord Shiva in the world

The second tallest statue of Lord Shiva in the world, the town of Murudeshwar gets its name from the Hindu god, Shiva. Located in Bhatkal taluk in the state of Karnataka, it is a beach town on the western coast of India.

The western most point of the town is the landmass that juts out of the mainland to form a small peninsula about 2 km west of the Murudeshwar Temple. The temple is on a hill known as Kanduka Giri.

The town is a popular pilgrimage and renowned for the Murudeshwar Temple. Legend has it that, Ravan brought the Atma Lingam also known as the Mahabaleshwar Lingam from Kailash Parbat (Kailash Mountain). However, Lord Ganesh tricked him and planted it at Gokarna. Angered by this, Ravan tried to uproot the lingam. In the process, pieces of the lingam broke and pieces of the lingam were cast away. The covering the lingam fell at Kanduka Giri and the Murudeshwar temple was built at the site.

The town is a holy place with amazing natural beauty. The small town is largely known for the 123 ft tall statue of Lord Shiva that was built close to the coast. The statue is placed in such a way that the back of the Shiva statue is towards the Arabian Sea.

The temple tower at 249 ft is among the tallest structures, It is called Rajagopuram.

Apart from the immense religious value of the place, it is also a popular picnic spot. The Murudeshwar beach stretches north of the temple for a few kilometres. It has silvery sand and the Western Ghats form a scenic backdrop to the beach. There is a fort near the Murudeshwar temple that was renovated by the ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan.

History

The town was earlier known as ‘Mrideshwara’, and was renamed after the age-old Murudeshwar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, was built. The town is believed to have been in existence since the Ramayana period.
When Ravan tried to uproot, he damaged the lingam and pieces of it were cast away. Wherever the parts fell were later visited by Lord Shiva along with Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesh and aiedll the parts were installed at the same place. The five places where the pieces landed were named ‘pancha-khshetras’ by Lord Shiva. He also declared that worshipping his lingams will wash off sins of the devotees and help then in attaining Moksha or immortality.