(64) Gokarna and Om Beach

The additional 12 hours of bus ride were not something we had anticipated. Finally, we arrived at Gokarna in the late morning. Exhausted, Donna and I stumbled like zombies from the bus and began our search for lodging. We were drawn to a friendly guesthouse by the sounds of a young man playing an instrument we had never seen or heard before. 

Bowed and fingered on three main strings as nearly 40 sympathetic strings resonated, the tones were close to a human voice in a large hall. I asked the young man, “What is this amazing-sounding instrument?” 

“This is a sarangi!”

I told Donna, ”I want one of these!” 

“Of course you do. Let’s check if they have a room for us,” she said as she pulled me to follow her to reception. Fortunately, there was a room available, and we checked in. It was small but comfortable. We settled in and soon drifted off to sleep to the beautiful music in the courtyard below.

Shiva

Gokarna, which etymologically translates as “cow’s ears,” is a popular pilgrimage destination for Hindus. It’s well known for sacred sites like Mahabaleshwar Temple, which houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, a reverential portrayal of Lord Shiva. Jyoti signifies ‘light,’ and linga signifies ‘mark.’ They are deemed the most sacred Shivalingas, and millions of devotees visit every year to worship them.

Who is Shiva, you may ask? Hinduism has many gods and goddesses, but the main three are Brahma, the creator. Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer. In Sanskrit, Shiva translates to “Auspicious One.” Shiva is seen as the source of both good and evil and is regarded as the one who combines many contradictory elements. Shiva is known to have untamed passion, which leads him to extremes in behavior. Sometimes he is an ascetic, abstaining from all worldly pleasures. At others, he is a hedonist. 

He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. Shiva. God of Destruction. Master of Poison and Medicine, the Great Yogi, God of Time, the Cosmic Dancer. He is known as the Destroyer or Transformer. The more profound symbolism is that we can overcome our inner demons and embrace the shadow within through self-awareness, self-awakening, and self-control. By working on ourselves, we can transform the darkness into light within and around us.

Exploring

We awoke to a combination of the afternoon sounds of Gokarna and the rumbling of our stomachs. It was time to explore and find something to eat! Strolling into the heart of the town, we discovered that we had arrived during preparations for Pongal, a harvest festival. After finding some food, we decided to hike up the large hill overlooking the beaches and sea. 

Gokarna, situated on the Arabian Sea coast, has beautiful beaches and crystal-clear waters. The beach closest to the town seemed a little crowded. On the hilltop, we found a small shrine in ruins, but still being serviced with offerings of flowers and food. On the other side of the hill was a beach with few people. 

This, we later learned, was Om Beach and beyond, the more secluded Half Moon and Paradise Beach. To get there was treacherously rocky with the wild brush. Perhaps there was another way. We decided to check out the other beach another day. After watching the sunset over the Arabian Sea, we returned to the guesthouse before it got too dark.

Guesthouse Chatter

At the guesthouse, we sat in the courtyard listening to the sweet sounds of the sarangi and talked with other travelers. “How do we get to the other beach over the hill,” we asked. 

“Oh, you mean Om Beach! There is only one way. Along the beach and over the hill,” someone offered.

“Yeah, you just have to climb through the brush and over the rocks,” another said. “But it is a really nice place.”

“Is there someplace to stay there?” Donna asked.

“You can get a little hut on the beach or sleep in the chai shops.”

The conversation continued to evolve in different directions. Discussions of where people were going and where they had been. Eventually, we decided to call it a night and rest up for tomorrow’s explorations at the temple.

Rangoli

We woke up early, got breakfast, and hit the street. People were sweeping out their homes and drawing ornate symbols in chalk, called Rangoli, on their doorsteps. The designs begin with a matrix of dots which are joined to create intricate designs. A pinch of Rangoli powder is taken using the index finger and thumb. As the Rangoli is a coarse powder of a particular soft white stone, it can flow freely when slowly released from the pinch of the index finger and thumb. (Here is a video example)

Why is Rangoli drawn? When sweeping the floor or smearing with cow dung, subtle lines are created on the surface. These lines manifest specific frequencies. As these lines are irregular, their vibrations, too, are irregular. These are harmful to the body, eyes, and mind as well. To overcome these unfavorable frequencies, cones, and auspicious symbols are drawn systematically with rangoli on the swept or smeared floor. The ill effects of sweeping and smearing are overcome, and favorable results are obtained.

Temple Disappointment

After wandering through the streets admiring the different Rangoli designs, we found the Mahabaleshwar temple. Unfortunately, we learned that non-Hindu people cannot enter the temple. We did manage to see the giant chariot garaged nearby.  During Shivaratri festival celebrations, devotees ceremoniously pull the chariot through the town, accompanied by drum bands. Donna and I decided it was time to check out Om Beach, which everyone was talking about.

That night we packed our small bags giving notice that we would be leaving come morning. The following day we started our treacherous hike over the hill, through the brush and craggy rocks. After about 45 minutes of fighting our way through, we arrived at Om Beach. We passed the first two of about five chai restaurants on this long stretch of beach. We spotted a small bamboo hut that was available to rent. While not much larger than a tent, and with a mud, straw, and cow dung floor, this would be our new dwellings for the next week or so. Not bad for 33 cents a night!

Next: Life on Om Beach