Maha Ganapati Temple Gokarna (Timings, History, Entry Fee, Images, Pooja, Location & Phone)

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Being a popular tourist place in Karnataka, Gokarna has a lot of attractions all around. One of them is the holy Maha Ganapati Temple, one of the most popular pilgrim sites in South India. Dedicated to Lord Ganesha (a popular deity worshipped in the Hindu religion), the temple is visited by thousands of Hindu devotees from all over the country every day.

In Hinduism, it is believed that Lord Ganesha should be worshipped before starting with any good work or before worshipping any other deity.

While the temple is beautiful enough to be popular, the Mahabaleshwara temple situated near it makes it even more famous among pilgrims and tourists.

Therefore, people generally visit the Maha Ganapati Temple to pay their obeisance to Lord Ganesha before visiting the Mahabaleshwara temple. If you ever visit the Maha Ganapati Temple, you might get curious about the hole on the head of Lord Ganesha's statue there. There is also a popular historical event behind this.

#Trivia: Mahabaleshwara Temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, is one of the most attractive sites in the Gokarna region.

History of Maha Ganapati Temple, Gokarna

According to Hindu mythology, Ravana was once returning to Lanka from Mount Kailash after a penance of Lord Shiva. As an appreciation for his efforts, Lord Shiva gifted him a Shiv Lingam, but the thing was it could only be kept on the earth once, and the place where it would be kept would become its final stop.

But, all the other gods didn't want him to reach Lanka with Shiv Linga because they didn't believe Ravana and thought it was not safe to let him take the Lingam to his place.

All of them asked Lord Ganesha for help and made a plan to stop Ravana. This was when Lord Ganesha took the guise of a young boy and came to earth. All the other gods created an illusion of sunset from above the sky as they knew that Ravana was very strict and disciplined with his rituals. As soon as he noticed the sunset, he wanted to get done with his evening rituals.

At the same moment, Lord Ganesha (in disguise) appeared before him, and Ravana asked the young boy if he could hold the Lingam for a while. The young boy agreed but clarified that he would only hold it as long as he could, then would call Ravana thrice and put the Lingam on the earth after that.

Ravana was confused, but he had no option other than to agree with the young boy. He handed over Lingam to Lord Ganesha and started with his prayers. After some time, Lord Ganesha called him, but to complete his prayers, he asked the young boy to hold it for some more time. The young boy called him a second time and a third time soon. Before Ravana could come and hold the Shiv Linga, he put it on the earth.

Meanwhile, when Ravana was trying to get the Shiv Linga back, the young boy started walking away. But, the Shiv Lingam was now placed and could not be placed anywhere else. Ravana was in anger and threw a stone at the young boy.

The stone attacked his head, and this was when Lord Ganesha appeared in his own identity, and Ravana realized how all the Gods had tricked him. So, the place where Shiva Lingam was placed was built and developed as the Mahabaleshwara temple.

As Lord Ganesha played a vital role, the Maha Ganapati Temple was made close to the Mahabaleshwara temple. Lord Ganpati's statue in the temple, which is around 1,500 years old, has a hole on the top of its head, which reminds us of the stone that Ravana threw at him.

Image Gallery of Maha Ganapati Temple Gokarna

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Architecture of Maha Ganapati Temple, Gokarna

The Maha Ganapati Temple is beautifully designed and has some amazing structures inside it that will mesmerize you thoroughly. The temple is situated on the road, and you can find several people selling flowers and incense sticks to offer to the Lord. Once you enter the temple, you will see separate queues of people waiting to pay their respects to the Lord.

The reverberation of a hundred bells echoes through the temple hall making you relax and enjoy the calmness all around. The idol of Lord Ganesha is small in size with a hole on its head. Once you reach the idol, you will be guided to take a few rounds (parikrama) around it, and then the priest will offer you Prasadam.

The temple is not very large, and hence it will take only 15-30 minutes to offer your prayers and come out.

Best Time To Visit Maha Ganapati Temple

Anytime between August to December is considered good to visit the Maha Ganapati Temple as the weather conditions are decent during these months. Visiting from April to July can be challenging as the temperature in South India is high during these months.

Other than this, February and March is also the ideal time to visit the temple as Mahashivratri is celebrated as a seven-day festival in the Mahabaleshwara Temple, which is very close to the Maha Ganapati Temple.

Entry Fee and Timings of Maha Ganapati Temple, Gokarna

You don't need to pay any entry fee to visit the Maha Ganapati Temple as it is a religious place and is open to all. However, the visitors need to make sure that they are dressed decently as you might not be allowed to visit the temple otherwise.

Another thing to remember is that photography is strictly not allowed inside the temple. The temple is open all year round from 5 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm. Take cognizance of the timings before you decide to visit the temple.

Other Pilgrimage Sites Near Mahaganpati Temple

Along with being one of the top tourist attractions in Gokarna, following are some of the other temples that are close to the Maha Ganapati Temple and can be accommodated in your itinerary.

1. Mahabaleshwara Temple: The Mahabaleshwara Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the region's most popular and oldest religious sites. You can always find hundreds of pilgrims visiting the temple as it is believed that staying for more than twelve nights makes your soul pure and free of evils.

Mahashivratri is the most popular festival here, and at that time, people from all around the country visit the temple.

2. Murudeshwara Temple: This temple is not situated in Gokarna but is within a driving distance of around one and a half hours from the region. It is popular for the beautiful 123 feet high statue of Lord Shiva sitting against the sea. All this makes a really beautiful sight, and hence the temple is worth visiting.

3. Koti Theertha: Koti Teertha is a 350 years old temple pond that is majorly known for immersing idols and for ritual bathing. It is surrounded by green coconut trees on one side and by water on the other side. Being a temple with a man-made pond makes it unique.

4. Shri Venkataramana Temple: It is a temple dedicated to Lord Venkataramana, a personification of Lord Vishnu. The temple is also popular for its beautiful architecture. A trip to the religious places of Gokarna will not be complete without visiting this temple.

Other Attractions nearby Mahaganpati Temple

Besides the religious places mentioned above, there are many non-pilgrimage tourist sites in Gokarna. Following are some of them:

1. Gokarna Beach: Gokarna Beach is a long beautiful beach known for different types of water sports and activities accessible there. People who love spending holidays at a place where they can find beauty and peace often come here with their loved ones and create lots of memories.

2. Mirjan Fort: Mirjan Fort is another popular tourist site in Gokarna and is more famed for being a historical place. The strong high walls at the fort make it even more attractive and a photogenic location for photographers.

3. Aghanashini River: Aghanashini River also flows along with the Mirjan Fort and is known for its beauty that tourists enjoy from the fort itself. The eye-catching waterfalls that the river makes on its way are one of the most significant reasons why tourists should not miss a visit to the river.

Location and Ways To Reach Maha Ganapati Temple Gokarna

The Maha Ganapati Temple is situated on Ganagavali Road, Nadumaskeri, Gokarna, Karnataka.

You can reach Gokarna either-

Via Flight: If you are thinking of coming to the temple via flight, you will have to book a ticket to the Dabolim Airport (Goa), around 155 km away from the temple. After that, you can book a taxi, and it will take around three hours to reach the temple.

Via Train: For visitors coming by train, the nearest railway station is Konkan, around 10 km away from the temple.

Via Bus: The nearest bus stand to the temple is the Gokarna main bus stand, around 5 km away. You can also book a private cab from top car rental companies in Gokarna to visit the temple and other tourist places of Gokarna.

Distance From Some Popular Cities:
- Bangalore to Maha Ganapati Temple: 491 km.
- Chennai to Maha Ganapati Temple: 844 km.
- Madurai to Maha Ganapati Temple: 932 km.
- Mumbai to Maha Ganapati Temple: 694 km.
- Goa to Maha Ganapati Temple: 139 km.
- Delhi to Maha Ganapati Temple: 2026 km.

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Maha Ganapati Temple, which is famous because of its historical story, is the best place to visit for pilgrims and those who believe in exploring the beauty of the Hindu religion.

Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, it is visited by the people before visiting any other temple around the region because it is believed that Ganapati should be worshipped first. Pilgrims generally visit the Gokarna beach to take a dip before going to the temple.

The temple exudes peace and calmness all around and the aura will help you relax better. As a wanderlust, traveller, or a history buff, don’t miss out on visiting this beautiful temple, and the other popular tourist spots of Gokarna right away! Book a Gokarna tour package from Gokarna Tourism, a division of Holidays DNA to visit this beautiful destination and create everlasting memories. Please fill the Contact Us form to get in touch with us.

Location Map for Maha Ganapati Temple Gokarna