Hidden Jewels on NH17

                                           Hidden Jewels on NH17

My Murudeshwara tale would be incomplete if I don't discuss "Hidden jewels on NH17" which are so precious, enticing and beautiful for any passionate traveler that one can not afford to skip and move ahead without visiting them.


Let me begin with the first jewel, falls on NH17, 30 km away from Karwar: Honey beach in Ankola.In fact, this is a kind of a private and secluded beach, owned by Honey Beach Resort. Beautifully designed, pricey rooms and cottages(well..we were lucky enough to get a really good deal as we bargained hard and had a great evening watching Rajasthani dance performed by a troupe ). One can have a splendid holiday break in this sun-kissed beach resort.

The second jewel is also not far away from here, between Ankola and Kumta: Gokharna literally means "Ear of a cow", a small temple town on the west coast in Utter Kannada..the place has its mythological story about its origin, also been discussed in Bhagavad Geeta. It is considered to be one of the seven important pilgrimage places of Hindus(Lord Shiva's origin place). There are some 6-7 temples including Mahabaleshwara temple, Uma Maheshwara, Bhadra kaali, Tamra Gauri, and Venkatraman,(the reason why the place is called a temple town). Don't be surprised to see"No entry for foreigners" written on the entry wall of Mahabaleshwara temple. Otherwise, the place is full of pilgrims and tourists, with dozens of pundits performing poojas, yagyas and  hommas for people.

Apart from religious tourism, the place is a perfect holiday destination because of its unique beaches. The most famous beach is OM beach because of its shape of om (surprises of nature). Other beaches are:
Half moon, Gokarna, and Kudale, all are unique in their own way.

Coming to the places to eat outside the temples: Prema's Restaurant, Mahalaxmi hotel and Pai hotel(We tried Pai hotel on temple road for its tasty, cheap and standard south Indian flavor).However, if you are planning to spend some more time here, few expensive resorts are on the beach sides(Namaste Cafe,OM beach resort,Kudle resort to name a few:,For a while you may get confused about the place as there are almost all foreigners except  the resort's staff  :)Besides theses pricey resorts, some affordable accommodations are also available (around the temple).

 Pristine OM beach



Let's go a little ahead from here, some 30 km away and reach another tiny coastal town: Kumta, famous for its wooden craft. The shop best known for the art is situated in the town with the name"Mahalsa".Some amazing art-pieces and well-crafted souvenirs are available, though the place is pretty pricey and can do holes in your pocket, nevertheless highly recommended for shopping. You can also buy good quality (and slightly cheaper than the market) cashews as there is a factory inside the town. You can also spot some local artists, sitting on the roadsides selling fantastic stone-craft.
From this town, a road goes inside towards another tourist place: Yana(nothing to do with the model Yana Gupta:), famous for two monoliths massive rocks and 61 limestone structures including a Shiva linga in the cave. One can also visit Vibhuti falls close to this place.

Move to another paradise from kumata to: Marwanthe(100km,2 hrs). See to believe (photo below).

Serene backwater



 
 Holy Supranik river(waiting for boat to reach palm grove Padukone island)



This is one of its kind of place where one can enjoy the beauty of a river and a sea together. NH17is sandwiched between the Arabian sea and Supranik river. On the other side of the river, an island like village known as "Padukone Village"( Badminton legend's Prakash Padukone's ancestral place). The only mode of transportation to reach this village is a hand-rowed boat which takes tourists and villagers across the river. This is certainly a must- visit place if you are looking to spend some time with yourself and nature peacefully. There are a couple of staying options available such as Turtle Bay beach resort(not pocket-friendly, though good and have sea sports activities) and Sai Vishram hotel (cannot comment). One can also visit a small temple constructed on the bank of the river
 From here one can reach another divine place called Mukhambika temple dedicated to Mukhambika Devi, on Kundapur-Kullur road, around one hour from Marwanthe. Be prepared to stand in long ques as the temple is frequently very crowded with worshipers. Also for men, it is compulsory to remove shirt like in most of the Kerala temples. Around the temple, plenty of hotels, dharamshalas and homestays are available ranging from a high end to very low end.
 Despite finding so much around NH17, I still hope there are many more hidden secrets of nature, yet to explore and to share with you...