Temples in Gokarna

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Mahaballeswara Temple

This Siva temple is said to be next in sanctity only to the Vishwanath Siva Temple in Varanasi. It is often called the Kashi of the South. Hindus come here to perform the death rites of their departed ancestors. Lord Caitanya came here and visited the temple of Lord Siva.

The story of this place is Lord Rudra (another name of Lord Siva) was sent to Patalaloka by Lord Brahma to undergo penance. He eventually came up through the ear of mother Earth and blessed her with the name of Gokarna - go (cow) and karna (ear). Thus, this place served Rudra as a womb. It is also known as Rudra Yoni and Adi Gokarna. As time passed, Rudra collected the essence (sakti) of all Brahma's creations as well as His own, and created a golden deer having four legs, three eyes, and three horns. EventualIy the three horns (representing the three guna-avataras) were placed at puskhar (Brahma), Saligram (Vishnu), and Gokarna (Siva). These places are known as Siddhi Ksetras.

Ravana desired to possess Siva's powerful horn-linga, also known as Prana!inga or Atma-linga. So Ravana performed great penance and received the linga in a box at Mount Kailasa. He then headed south with the powerful linga on the condition that wherever he placed the linga on the ground, it would remain permanently rooted.

Upon the request of the demigods, lord Vishnu contrived a means to trick Ravana through Ganesh, disguised as a brahmacari. Eventually the Atma-linga was placed at Gokarna, rooted all the way through to Sapta Patala and became known as Mahaballeswara (maha-great and bal-strength).