Murudeshwar Beach, Murudeshwara, Karnataka India

Murudeshwar is a town located in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district. Murudeshwar beach situated between Honnavar and Bhatkal, 1 km off the National Highway is the scenic holy place of Murudeshwar.
Murudeshwar is a popular picnic spot, having beautiful blue waters of the sea and the majestic mountains. With the roaring sea to the west, the towering hills to the east and the coconut and areca groves nearby, the temple attracts a lot of devotees and tourists as well.

A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Idol of Lord Shiva are main attractions of Murudeshwar. The huge fort found nearby the temple is believed to be restored by Tipu Sultan.

 The picture-perfect beauty of the place appeals as much to the casual tourists as to the devotees who come tom pay homage to the deity. This Beach is 16 km from Bhatkal, Murudeshwara is a sacred spot for Hindus with Murudeshwara Temple as its highlight. 
It is said that the elaborately carved temple atop the small hillock of Kanduka Giri with fine sculptures to boast of enshrines a piece of the Pranalinga of Mahabaleshwara that was thrown by Ravana, the mighty demon-king and devout worshipper of Lord Shiva. Some of the old-fashioned rituals that one would like to witness here are Bhuta (spirit) worship, Kambala (buffalo race) and Korikatta

The Murudeshwar temple is situated atop a small hill called Kanduka Giri is a major tourist attraction. The temple is ornamented with Chalukya and Kadamba sculptures in the Dravidian style and is believed to be located on the spot where Ravana flung the cloth covering the Atmatlinga at Gosrakana while lifting it.
A huge 15 m. statue of Shiva towers over the town and has an overwhelming presence. The statue, which is only a couple of years old, is in a complex which encompasses the 500-year-old Shiva temple. The huge fort located nearby the temple is believed to be renovated by Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore.

Located in the picturesque landscape between Honnavara and Bhatkal; Murudeshwar, bound by the Arabian Sea and the rolling hills of Western Ghats, is a destination in Karnataka with huge potential for tourism. Murudeshwar probably has the finest white sand beach in Karnataka.

 The centuries-old temple has two life-size concrete elephants guarding its steps. While one treks to the temple there is another smaller shrine of Jattiga seated on a horse on the way. Besides this attractive temple, blue seas and dancing trees, this beach also offers the native delicacies of coastal Karnataka including the delicious coconut sweets, spicy fish curries, a number of rice preparations, juicy fruits such as mangoes, jackfruit, cashew nuts and bananas. In case, you decide to elongate your visit to the beach a bit, you may stay in the temple cottages too.