A two-&-a-half hours journey by train cutting its way through hills, tunnels, sometimes over backwaters led us to the beach-house of Lord Shiva – Murudeshwar.
Perched upon a hillock, Kanduka Giri, is the abode of Lord Shiva. If we turn the pages of history, we find that the shrine dates back to a few centuries, bur mythology has it that the place is sanctified by a piece of cloth that covered the Pranalingam of Mahabaleshwar, thrown by Ravana. The shrine holds the record of having a 123-feet tall statue of Shiva in the sitting posture, the tallest in the world. A 20-storey high Gopura is under construction on the front side of the shrine.
With the sea on three sides & the beach on two, each one more tranquil than the other, the place is picturesque. A stroll along the beach in the evening mesmerizes one’s soul & the sunset is breath-taking. We kept walking along the flat stretch of beach & the coconut grove & came upon scenery too perfect to be expressed in words. Calm sea, clean sand & a lagoon enchanted us to spend most of our time sitting there. One of the most beautiful places I've ever visited.
The place has everything for tourists apart from boating facilities; it has para-sailing as well. The charges are nominal. Kayaking is also available. Murudeshwar has it all. From tiny food stalls to fancy restaurants, a local market that caters to the daily needs of a thirsty tourist or a reel-starved camera.
Other attractions are Murudeshwar Fort at the back of the shrine which, according to the locals, was reconstructed by Tipu Sultan. apart from this, a camel ride along the beach is pretty enjoyable. Rituals like Bhootakola, Kambala (buffalo race) should not be missed out. Best time to visit is from December to February
PS: Photographs attached.. check out the posts on Apr 13
