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For the Night of Shiva and plenty of bhang, Gokarna, India is one divine pilgrimage town

Story and photos by Dennis Argenzia and Grace Cayosa

 

For many travelers, a trip to India can be best described with words such as “adventurous,” “challenging” or “gastrointestinally gut-wrenching,” but rarely “relaxing” . . . that is, unless they happen to be talking about the small coast

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For the Night of Shiva and plenty of bhang, Gokarna, India is one divine pilgrimage town

Story and photos by Dennis Argenzia and Grace Cayosa

 

For many travelers, a trip to India can be best described with words such as “adventurous,” “challenging” or “gastrointestinally gut-wrenching,” but rarely “relaxing” . . . that is, unless they happen to be talking about the small coastal town of Gokarna. Located along the Arabian Sea coastline in the Indian state of Karnataka, Gokarna is just south of Goa’s infamously hedonistic beaches. Unlike Goa, however, Gokarna is a destination for recreation seekers and religious pilgrims alike.

In Sanskrit, Gokarna translates literally into “cow’s ear,” a reference to both the town’s ear-shaped location between the Gangavali and Aghanashini rivers, and to the Hindu legend in which the god Shiva emerges from the ear of a cow. For Shiva devotees, Gokarna is revered as a holy pilgrimage town and one of India’s seven sacred places of salvation. Visiting pilgrims ritually fast, shave their heads and then bathe before entering the famous Mahabaleshwar Temple that enshrines the Atmalingam—a phallic representation of Shiva that purportedly bestows blessings on its worshippers—and a 1,500-year-old statue of the deity.

Come February/March, the population of Gokarna swells by almost 20,000 as pilgrims descend on the city for the four-day Shivaratri (“Night of Shiva”) festival. The visual highlight of this festival is when two massive wooden chariots are pulled down the main road by hundreds of volunteers. Prerequisites for participation are straightforward: you must be barefoot, male, with unbridled enthusiasm, resilience against sweltering heat and a willingness to be beaned by flying fruit (observers chuck bananas at the passing chariots—with varying levels of accuracy—hoping to land one inside for good luck).

Throughout Shivaratri, devotees consume bhang—a beverage made of cannabis leaves, almonds, spices, milk and sugar—as well as offer it to images of Shiva, who is believed to have been very fond of cannabis. Ganja (named for India’s Ganges River) or charas (tobacco mixed with local hashish and usually smoked in vertical clay or marble pipes called chillums) is also a popular way to achieve Shiva-approved states of bliss. However, while locals, especially holy men, can publicly indulge in bhang and charas with some immunity, marijuana is technically illegal in India, so foreigners should always be discrete. Extortion by authorities is common, unless you’re caught holding more than 100 grams of hashish or 1 kilogram of ganja, in which case you’re headed for jail. Keep in mind that police are particularly vigilant and inflexible during Shivaratri.

If you’re a non-pilgrim (and it’s between November and March), Gokarna has a flip side, namely, five stretches of beach—Gokarna, Kudle, Om, Half Moon and Paradise—each with its own personality.

Gokarna Beach begins where the main road ends and is the domain of fully-clothed, bathing pilgrims. Wandering cows and litter make Gokarna “Main” Beach generally unpleasant, so walk to “Middle” Beach for a cleaner, less conservative environment.

If you prefer more bikini and less bovine in your beach experience, respite starts with just a 20-minute walk south to Kudle Beach, a long span of white sand dotted with woven huts, Internet cafes and glistening sunbathers. Along the way, fill up your water bottle at the Rama Temple’s natural spring; locals believe the spring water has healing properties, but more importantly, the water is safe to drink and free!

A 30-minute walk further south is Om Beach, so named because its shoreline is shaped like the auspicious “OM” symbol. Easily accessible by foot, auto-rickshaw or boat, Om Beach tends to be the most crowded, drawing locals as well as foreigners. For those averse to thatch huts, this beach is home to two of Gokarna’s swankiest resorts, Om Beach and SwaSwara. For those averse to dieting, the Kit Kat Coffee shakes are wickedly tasty here.

Walk up to an hour more and you’ll arrive at Gokarna’s most remote beaches: Half-Moon and Paradise. Half-Moon offers simple, off-the-grid seclusion; only a couple of shacks operate here, none of which have electricity. Paradise here is equally mellow and basic (but with solar panels benefits), and has become a modern hippie haven, complete with bonfires, musicians, fire spinners, two friendly green suppliers named ”The Bushmen” (because, well, they like to pop out of the bushes) and an amusing dose of local suspicion. It’s somewhere you intend to stay for a day, but weeks later, you’re still drinking lassi from your hammock, wondering where the time went.

 

www.incredibleindia.org, www.swaswara.com.

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