On a headland jutting into the Arabian Sea in Karnataka, the Murudeshwar temple is bound to the great Atmalinga legend of Gokarna: when Ravana strained to lift the rooted Atmalinga, the coverings he flung away fell at several places, and here — where a covering of the linga came to rest — arose the shrine worshipped as Murudeshwar, a form of Shiva.
Set on a hill ringed by the sea on three sides, the temple is famed for two modern landmarks that draw visitors from across India: a colossal statue of Shiva, among the tallest in the world, seated serenely against the ocean, and a towering twenty-storey Rajagopura. Uniting ancient legend, coastal beauty, and grand modern devotion, Murudeshwar is one of Karnataka's most striking pilgrimage sites.
