This is the 267th Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and only one sthalam in
Thuluva Nadu on the Arabian sea shore. This place can be spelt as Ko+Karnam-பசு+காது and obtained
this name as per the sthala purana. This place was also called as Rudra Yoni
and Varunavartham and Kokaranam during Thirugnanasambandar period. Now Called
as Gokarna.
In
Periyapuranam Sekkizhar records that, Thirugnanasambandar has sung the hymns on
Lord Shiva of this temple, Indraneela Parvatham and North Kailash / Mount Kailash from Kalahasti, without visiting
these temples. But, In Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal Puranam, Appar came to this
temple after worshiping Lord Shiva of Srisailam and Thirusilambai on the way to
Shiva’s abode Kailash, came to this tempe. In that Sekkizhar also mentions that Appar had crossed Telugu
and reached Kannada, since Gokarna is in Uttara Kannada.
கூற்று
உதைத்தார் மகிழ்ந்த கோகரணம் பாடிக் குலவு
திருப்பதத்தின் கொள்கைபாடி
Thirugnanasambandar
and Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of
this temple.
என்றும்அரி யான்அயல வர்க்குஇயல் இசைப்பொருள்கள்
ஆகிஎனதுள்சந்திரனுந்
தண்புனலுஞ் சந்தித் தான்காண் தாழ்சடையான்காண்
சார்ந்தார்க் கமுதா னான்காண்அந்தரதி
லசுரர்புரம் மூன்றட் டான்காண் அவ்வுருவி
லவ்வுருவ மாயி னான்காண்பந்தரத்து
நான்மறைகள் பாடி னான்காண் பலபலவும் பாணி
பயில்கின் றான்காண்மந்திரத்து
மறைப்பொருளு மாயி னான்காண் மாகடல்சூழ் கோகரணம் மன்னி னானே......
திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்
In
Angamala Thirupathigam Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal has sung like this...
கால்களாற்
பயனென் கறைகண்டான் உறை கோயில்கோலக்கோபுரக் கோகரணம் சூழாக், கால்களாற் பயனென்”......
திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்“கோபலத்திற்காண்பரிய கோகரணம்
கோயில் கொண்டமாபலத்து மாபலமா
மாபலமே........ திரு
அருட்பா Moolavar : Sri Mahabaleshwar, Sri Piranalingeswarar, Sri Aatma LingeswararConsort : Sri Gokarneswari, Sri Tamra Gowri
Some of the salient features of this temple are…The temple architecture is similar to Kerala style architecture with wood and Mangalore
tiles. Rishaba is in front of the sanctum. Moolavar is facing west and there
are entrance on the south and west side. Moolavar atma Linga is about 6 feet
tall surrounded by a square saligrama peeta. The lings is very small like betel
nut and can be touched through a hole in the / saligrama peeta / avudayar.
Devotees can do abhishekam and pooja to the moolavar through their own hands.
In
prakaram Thathreyar and Adi Gokarneswara, Vinayagar with two hands, Chandikeswarar and Mahisasura Marthini. Devi Parvati in this temple is as Ambal Tamra Gowri in
a separate Temple on the east side of the main temple. Ambal is in standing
posture with two hands. The entrance doors are flanked by ornate adornments. Paintings
of Nava Durga is on the walls of Ambal Temple.
There is
a Vinayagar sannidhi on the east side of the temple and there is a scar on his
head due to Ravana’s hit. He played the main in spoiling the attempt of taking
the Atma Linga to Sri Lanka by Ravana.
ARCHITECTUREThe gate
way to temple looks like a mansion with two floors. The Sanctum Sanctorum
consists of Sanctum, ardha mandapam and a maha mandapam. The
Temple from Adhithana to prastaram,
constructed with stone. A
Dravida stucco Vimana is over the sanctum sanctorum with out much stucco
images, except in the greevam. But the architecture seems to a mixture of North
Indian and Dravidian architecture.
The Atma Linga is enclosed within the Saligrama
Peeta is about 6 feet tall. The Corridor
is with a Mangalore tiled roof enclosure.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The
temple had the contributions from Hoysalas, Vijayanagars and Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji.
LEGENDS
The
sthala purana is connected to this temple and Murudeshwar Temple. Ravana aka
Lingeswara wants to attain immortality like Deavas. It was known
to him that immortality can be achieved by worshiping Atma Linga ( Soul of Lord
Shiva ) belonged to Lord Shiva. So Ravana Prayed Lord Shiva with devotion
Pleased by his prayers Lord Shiva, appeared and asked him what he wants. In the
mean time Narada requested Mahavishnu to change the mind of Ravana. As a result
of this Ravana asked Ma Parvati instead of Atma Linga. Lord Shiva gave ma
Parvati and took her to Sri Lanka. On his way Narada told that Lord Shiva had
not given the Real Parvati and she is at Patala Loka. Ravana released ma
Parvati went to Patala loka and married the Kings daughter and went to Sri
Lanka. When his mother asked for the Atma Linga, Ravana realized the foul play
of Narada and maha Vishnu
So again
Ravana prayed Lord Shiva and requested him to pardon him for asking ma Parvati.
This time Ravana asked for the Atma Linga as a boon to worship Lord Shiva at
Sri Lanka. If Shiva Linga is installed and worshiped at Sri Lanka, Ravana will
become more powerful, so, Devas requested Vinayaga to stop him. Lord Shiva gave
the Atma Linga on one condition that the Atma Linga should never be placed on
the ground, if placed cannot be lift back and all powers will return back to
Lord Shiva. Happy to receive the atma Linga, Ravana started back to Sri Lanka.
This
time, Narada seeks Sri Vinayaga’s help to stop Ravana. When Ravana was nearing
Gokarna, Mahavishnu made that place dark with his Chakra. So, Ravana stopped at
this place to carryout the evening prayer
ie Sandhyavandanam. So, Ravana searched for somebody to keep the Shiva Linga on
hand. Vinayagar took the form of a small Brahmin Boy and appeared before him. Ravana
asked the Brahmin boy to hold the Shiva Linga and not to keep on the ground
till he returns back after the prayer. Vinayagar
told that he will call three time, if Ravana
didn’t turned up, he will place the Shiva Linga on the ground. Agreed Ravana
went to carryout the evening prayer ( In some legends it states that Ravana
went for Urinate ). Before he returns, Vinayagar called Ravana three times and
placed the Shiva Linga on the ground.
On
return Ravana found that the Shiva Linga is on the ground. He tried to take out
from the ground using all his strength ( Maha balam ), but he couldn’t do so.
Instead the Shiva Linga had transformed – குழைந்து- like a cow’s ear. Hence this place
obtained the Name as Go+karnam-Gokarna. Since Ravana used all his strength (
Maha balam மகா பலம்
), Lord Shiva in this temple is called as Mahabaleshwar. Ravana got angry and
hit on the Brahmin boy’s head. Still there a Vinayagar temple at the beginning
of the street with Ravana’s hit Mark on head. 
Vinayagar Temple
The temple is considered as one of the 7 Mukti stalas
of Karnataka. The other six temples are, Udupi, Subramanya, Kollur, Kumbasi Sankaranarayanan and Koteshwara.
This temple is also considered as one of the Baskara
Sthalam. The Sun rays falls on moolavar during evening hours may be three days
in a year. The rest are Kasi, Pushpagiri, Kanchipuram, Srisailam, Sethu and
Kedarnath. Devotees has to take bath first in the Kodi Theertham then in Sea.
After giving pindam to their ancestors they have to take bath once again and
worship Lord Mahabaleshwar. It will be auspicious to do this rituals on
Amavasya days.
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONSApart from regular Poojas, Shravan ( Mondays –
celebration of the start of south west Monsoon
) and Maha Shivaratri is celebrated in a grand manner with a
participation of thousands of Devotees. The speciality of this temple is, the
devotees can perform Abhishekam to the Shiva Linga through their own hands
TEMPLE
TIMINGSThe Temple will be kept opened between 06.00 hrs to
12.30 Hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.
CONTACT
DETAILS The
temple web site : CLICK HERE Contact: Administrator,Shri Samsthana Mahabala Deva,Post: Gokarna, U.T,KarnatakaPhone : +91 9482331354 / 08386-257956E-Mail : info@srigokarna.org
HOW TO REACH Gokarna
is on the train route Mangalore to Goa and about 5 KMs from Railway station. Buses
are available from Udupi and Mangalore.The
Temple is 78 KM from Murdeshwar, 133 KM from Goa, 177 KM from Udupi, 236 KM
from Mangalore, 281 KM from Dharmasthala, 840 KM from Chennai.Nearest
Railway Station is Gokarna Road and nearest Junction is Mangalore.
LOCATION
OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE
Western entrance - the fig above is the swayambhu Linga 
Adi Sankara 
Adi Sankara
Beach
Hill side Temple
Hill side Temple
Hill side Temple
Hill side Temple
PC: Web site --- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
கூற்று
உதைத்தார் மகிழ்ந்த கோகரணம் பாடிக் குலவு
திருப்பதத்தின் கொள்கைபாடி
என்றும்அரி யான்அயல வர்க்குஇயல் இசைப்பொருள்கள்
ஆகிஎனதுள்
சந்திரனுந்
தண்புனலுஞ் சந்தித் தான்காண்
....... திரு
அருட்பா
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
LEGENDS
This
time, Narada seeks Sri Vinayaga’s help to stop Ravana. When Ravana was nearing
Gokarna, Mahavishnu made that place dark with his Chakra. So, Ravana stopped at
this place to carryout the evening prayer
ie Sandhyavandanam. So, Ravana searched for somebody to keep the Shiva Linga on
hand. Vinayagar took the form of a small Brahmin Boy and appeared before him. Ravana
asked the Brahmin boy to hold the Shiva Linga and not to keep on the ground
till he returns back after the prayer. Vinayagar
told that he will call three time, if Ravana
didn’t turned up, he will place the Shiva Linga on the ground. Agreed Ravana
went to carryout the evening prayer ( In some legends it states that Ravana
went for Urinate ). Before he returns, Vinayagar called Ravana three times and
placed the Shiva Linga on the ground.
Vinayagar Temple
This temple is also considered as one of the Baskara
Sthalam. The Sun rays falls on moolavar during evening hours may be three days
in a year. The rest are Kasi, Pushpagiri, Kanchipuram, Srisailam, Sethu and
Kedarnath. Devotees has to take bath first in the Kodi Theertham then in Sea.
After giving pindam to their ancestors they have to take bath once again and
worship Lord Mahabaleshwar. It will be auspicious to do this rituals on
Amavasya days.
Western entrance - the fig above is the swayambhu Linga
Adi Sankara
Adi Sankara
Beach
Hill side Temple
Hill side Temple
Hill side Temple
Hill side Temple
PC: Web site