MURDESHWARA.....THE GODS LIVE HERE :

                                                              MURDESHWARA : 

THE GODLY PLACE , EVEN THE GODS LIVE HERE .

Murdeshwar is a town in Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka , India .

Murdeshwar is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. Famous for the world's second tallest Shiva statue, the town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murdeshwar Temple. Murdeshwar has a railway station on the Mumbai Mangalore-Konkan Railway route .

Major Attractions :

• Murdeshwar Temple and Raja Gopura: This temple is built on the Kanduka Hill which is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea.

•  It is dedicated to Shiva, and a 20-storied gopura is constructed at the temple. The temple authorities have installed a lift that provides a breath-taking view of the 123-feet Shiva idol from the top of the Raja gopura. 

• There is also a Rameshwara linga at the bottom of the hill, where devotees can do seva themselves. 

• A Shaneswara temple has been built next to the idol of Shiva. Two life-size elephants in concrete stand guard at the steps leading to it.

•  The entire temple and temple complex, including the 237.5-feet-tall Raja Gopura, is one among the tallest, was constructed to its present form by businessman and philanthropist R. N. Shetty.

• The temple is entirely modernised with exception of the sanctum sanctorum which is still dark and retains its composure. The main deity isSri Mridesa Linga, also called Murdeshwar. 

• The linga is believed to be a piece of the original Atma Linga and is about two feet below ground level.

• The devotees performing special sevas like Abhisheka, Rudrabhisheka, Rathotsava etc., can view the deity by standing before the threshold of the sanctum and the Linga is illuminated by oil lamps held close by the priests. The Linga is essentially a rough rock inside a hollowed spot in the ground. Entry into the sanctum is banned for all devotees.

• Statue of great Lord Shiva: A huge towering statue of Lord Shiva, visible from great distances, is present in the temple complex.

•  It is the second highest statue of Lord Shiva in the world. The tallest Shiva statue is in Nepal known as the(Kailashnath Mahadev Statue).

• The statue is 123 feet (37 m) in height and took about two years to build. The statue was built by Shivamogga's Kashinath and several other sculptors, financed by businessman and philanthropist Dr. R.N. Shetty, at a cost of approximately Rs 50 million. The idol is designed such that it gets the sunlight directly and thus appears sparkling.