8 Best Murudeshwar Tourist Places

Murudeshwar is a well known pilgrimage and beach destination located in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka. Murudeshwara is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. Famous for the world’s second tallest Shiva statue, the town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murudeshwar Shiva Temple. Murudeshwara has a railway station on the Mangalore-Mumbai Konkan railway route.

Murudeshwar Temple

Murudeshwar Temple is built on the Kanduka Hill which is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea. It is dedicated to Shiva, and a 20-storied gopura is constructed at the temple. The temple authorities have installed a lift that provides a breath-taking view of the 123-feet Shiva idol from the top of the Raja gopura. There is also a Rameshwara linga at the bottom of the hill, where devotees can do seva themselves. A Shaneswara temple has been built next to the idol of Shiva. It is among the main places to visit in Murudeshwar.

Lord Shiva Statue

The statue of Lord Shiva, visible from great distances, is present in the temple complex. It is the second highest statue of Lord Shiva in the world. The tallest Shiva statue is in Nepal known as the(Kailashnath Mahadev Statue). The statue is 123 feet in height and took about two years to build. The statue was built by Shivamogga’s Kashinath and several other sculptors, financed by businessman and philanthropist Dr. R.N. Shetty, at a cost of approximately Rs 50 million. The idol is designed such that it gets the sunlight directly and thus appears sparkling.

Idagunji Ganapati Temple

Ganapati Temple at Idagunji is one of the famous temples in this region and among the popular places to visit near Murudeshwar. The temple’s popularity as a religious place is recorded by about 1 million devotees visiting it annually. It is one of the six famous Ganesha temples on the west Coast of India, which is also popularly called the "Ganesha Coast". Lord Vinayaka can be seen in standing posture at this temple, which is a rare sight. Vinayaka Chathurthi is the major festival celebrated here. Idagunji can be reached by bus from Honavar or Manki.

Apsara Konda Falls

Apsara Konda Falls is a small waterfall located in the Uttara Kannada (North Canara) district of Karnataka. It is one of the scenic tourist places near Murudeshwar. The specialty of this pond is that it faces the sea and appears like a lagoon. People say that Angels used to come from heaven and take bath in that pond, hence the name Apsara Konda. Reaching the base of the waterfall is an easy as steps have been built to make the trail easier for the public. A unique fact about the waterfall is that the water flows down through the roots of a peepal tree while descending to the pond below. The pond is very safe for swimming and playing.

Netrani Island

approximately 10 nautical miles from the temple town of Murudeshwara in Bhatkal Taluk. Views from above give this island the appearance of being heart-shaped. Besides pigeons, the other inhabitants of the island are wild goats. This island has scuba diving facilities and the place is easily accessible from Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai or Bangalore. There are dive shops at Murdeshwara and Goa, that regularly organize diving tripes to the island. It is one of the very few places for snorkeling in Karnataka. It is also one of the top things to do in Murudeshwar.

Kollur Mookambika Temple

Sri Mookambika Devi Temple is a Hindu temple situated at Kollur in Udupi district of Karnataka. The temple is located in the valley of Kodachadri Mountain Peak on the banks of Souparnika River. Kollur is regarded as one of the Seven Mukti Stalas created by Parashurama and the other places are Udupi, Subrahmanya, Kumbasi, Kodeshwara, Sankaranarayana and Gokarna. It is a famous site of pilgrimage in Karnataka and one of the top places to visit near Murudeshwar.

Kodachadri

Kodachadri is a mountain peak with dense forests in the Western Ghats in South India. Kodachadri forms a background to the famous temple of Mookambika in Kollur. The name comes from native word "Kodacha" or "Kodashi" which means hill of Kutaja flowers and "Adri" a Sanskrit word, both combined together coined the word Kodachadri. It is located at a distance of 21 km from Kollur and 15 km from Nagodi village, in Hosanagara taluk. There are different routes to reach the Peak of Kodachadri and the difficulty varies highly with respect to the route chosen. However it is challenging to reach the peak in monsoon due to heavy rains that make the routes slippery.

Murudeshwar Beach

Murudeshwar Beach is a beautiful beach situated near Murudeshwar Temple. This beautiful beach is situated just beside the Kanduka Giri on which Lord Shiva Temple is located. It is among the prime places to visit in Murudeshwar. It is one of the best beaches in Karnataka. Murudeshwar offers magnificent natural views with serene and calm surroundings. One can come down to Murudeshwar beach for a great view of the sunset. It is one of the Top Tourist Places in Murudeshwar.