Sri Mahabaleshwar Temple / Samasthan Mahabaleshwar Temple / Atmalinga Shree Kshetra / திருக்கோகர்ணம் மகாபலேஸ்வரர் கோயில், Gokarna / Thirugokarnam, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka State, India.

This is the 267^th 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

ஏற்றின்மிசை வருவார் இந்திரன் தன்நீல

        பருப்பதமும் பாடிமற்று இறைவர் தானம்

போற்றியசொல் மலர்மாலை பிறவும் பாடிப்

        புகலியார் பெருந்தகையார் புனிதம் ஆகும்

நீற்றில் அணிகோலத்துத் தொண்டர்சூழ

        நெடிது மகிழ்ந்து அப்பதியில் நிலவுகின்றார்.

...... திருஞானசம்பந்தர் புராணம்

அம்மருங்கு கடந்துபோம் அவர் ஆர்கொள் சூல அயில்படைச்

செம்மல் வெண்கயிலைப் பொருப்பை நினைந்து எழுந்ததொர் சிந்தையால்

எம்மருங்கும் ஓர்காதல் இன்றி இரண்டு பாலும் வியந்துளோர்

கைம் மருங்கு அணையும் தெலுங்கு கடந்து கன்னடம் எய்தினார்

....... திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள் புராணம் 

Thirugnanasambandar and Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal has sung hymns in praise of  Lord Shiva of this temple.

என்றும்அரி யான்அயல வர்க்குஇயல் இசைப்பொருள்கள் ஆகிஎனதுள்

நன்றும்ஒளி யான்ஒளிசி றந்தபொன் முடிக்கடவுள் நண்ணும் இடமாம்

ஒன்றியம னத்தடியார் கூடிஇமை யோர்பரவு நீடரவமார்

குன்றுகள் நெருங்கிவிரி தண்டலை மிடைந்துவளர் கோகரணமே

......திருஞானசம்பந்தர்.

சந்திரனுந் தண்புனலுஞ் சந்தித் தான்காண் 

        தாழ்சடையான்காண் சார்ந்தார்க் கமுதா னான்காண்

அந்தரதி லசுரர்புரம் மூன்றட் டான்காண்

        அவ்வுருவி லவ்வுருவ மாயி னான்காண்

பந்தரத்து நான்மறைகள் பாடி னான்காண்

        பலபலவும் பாணி பயில்கின் றான்காண்

மந்திரத்து மறைப்பொருளு மாயி னான்காண்

        மாகடல்சூழ் கோகரணம் மன்னி னானே

...... திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்

In Angamala Thirupathigam Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal has sung like this...

கால்களாற் பயனென் கறைகண்டான் உறை கோயில்

கோலக்கோபுரக் கோகரணம் சூழாக், கால்களாற் பயனென்”

...... திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்

“கோபலத்திற்காண்பரிய கோகரணம் கோயில் கொண்ட

மாபலத்து மாபலமா மாபலமே.

....... திரு அருட்பா

Moolavar  : Sri Mahabaleshwar, Sri Piranalingeswarar,

                 Sri Aatma Lingeswarar

Consort    : 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.

ARCHITECTURE

The 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

As per Karnataka web site Considering the granite stone structure and the style of construction, the temple was built in Dravidian architecture style. As per the archaeologists the temple may be built in 6^th Century, during the reign of the King Mayurasharma of the Kadamba Dynasty. 

The temple had the contributions from Hoysala, Vijayanagar and Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji.

LEGENDS

Brahma, Agasthiyar, Kamadhenu, Markandeyar, Saraswathy, Vasistar, Ravanan, Nagarajan  worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple.

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 CELEBRATIONS

Apart 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 TIMINGS

The 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,Karnataka

Phone :  +91 9482331354 / 08386-257956

E-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

West 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 ---