Gokarna is a village in the Uttara Kannada district of the Karnataka
state, India. It is a Hindu pilgrimage centre as well as a tourist
destination in India. Gokarna is a temple town and is referred to in a
number of Hindu historical literature pieces. The main deity is Lord
Mahabhaleshwara a form of Hindu GOD Shiva. Around the town lie a number
of beaches and these serve as a major attraction for travellers.
History
The earliest history of the city is not known. It is an established
fact that Mayurvarma of the Kadamba kings brought Brahmins from
Ahicchatra. It was a center for India's traditional and ancient Ganja
Culture.[citation needed] A sect of Brahmins fled from the Gomantak to
escape forcible conversions by the Portuguese and British and settled
in and around Gokarna in the 15th century. It was part of the Sodhe and
Vijayanagar kingdoms. Later, when the Konkan region - including Goa -
was occupied by the Portuguese, it became part of their rule. A few
temples were destroyed by the Portuguese in 1714 and then rebuilt later
in the 18th century and also under the supervision of Guru H. H.
Shrimat Anandashram Swamiji in 1928.
