Murudeshwar Temple (Karnataka) all Information

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this beautiful shrine is located in Karnataka, and is the second highest statue of God Shiva in the world. Surrounded on three sides by the Arabian Sea, it is built on Kanduka Hills.

At the entrance, the temple premise has a twenty storied Gopura, which is about 237 feet tall, and is known as Raja Gopuram. The magnificent view of the temple due to its location on peninsula attracts tourists all around the world.

There is also a temple of Shri Rameshwara located at the foot of the Murudeshwar temple. Next to it is also a temple dedicated to Shaneeshwara, while below is a small cave where Lord Shiva’s idol has been placed. The entrance has statues of two elephants that are believed as the guards of the shrine.

Key Points about the Temple

• Location : Murudeshwar Temple Main Road Murdeshwar Bhatkal Taluk,
Murdeshwar, Karnataka- 581350
• Affliation : Hinduism
• Deity : Lord Shiva
• Timings : 03:00 am to 01:00 pm & then continues from 03:00 pm to 08:00 pm
• Entry Fee : Free Entry
• Festivals : Maha Shivratri (February to March) & Kartik Purnima (November to
December)

Legend of the Temple

According to the legend, the Soul of Shiva, known as Aatma Linga, is the key to immortality and invincibility. Ravana prayed to Lord Shiva to acquire the same.

Pleased by his devotion, the god had granted him the Atma Linga but on a condition that until he reached Sri Lanka, the linga must not be placed on the ground. However, Lord Vishnu and Lord Ganesh tricked him to put the linga on the ground, and since then the linga has been immovably attached to the ground.

Ravana tried to destroy the Atma linga after being enraged, but ended up scattering it to different places. The places where the linga got scattered had become the sacred places throughout the country, and Murudeshwar is one of them.

Visiting Hours

• There is no fee for entry.
• The temple is open all days of the week.
• The timing of the shrine is from 03:00 am to 01:00 pm & then continues from 03:00 pm to 08:00 pm.
• Puja Timings-

Morning Puja- 06:30 am to 07:30 am

Afternoon Mahapuja- 12:15 pm to 01:00 pm

Night Puja- 07:15 pm to 08:15 pm

• The temple is open on all seasons but October to February are considered as the best time to visit it.

How to reach the Temple?

By Air- Mangalore airport is 160km away from the place and is the nearest airport.
By Train- Murudeshwar Railway Station is 2km away from the temple.
By Road- The temple is well connected with roadways buses as well as private taxis.

Nearby Hotels

• RNS Residency
• Shree Vinayaka Residency
• Kamat Executive Inn
• Shree Vishram Beach Resort
• Hotel Ambika International
• Nandavana Hospitality & Services
• Jog Sharada Homestay