Here's a destination as much for the ardent pilgrim as the beach-lover. This ancient temple town and centre of Sanskrit studies, called the Kashi of the South, has been attracting Shaivites for hundreds of years. After all, this is the place literally meaning cow's ear where Lord Shiva is believed to have emerged from the ear of a cow. In the last 15 years, the southern beaches of Gokarna have also been the hub of a new hippie culture, although not as obtrusive as Goa's Anjuna or Calangute of the 1970s. Gokarna's maze of narrow lanes and alleys are reminders of its hoary tradition, which continues to this day in the form of the ubiquitous Brahmin priests who busily go about their religious duties, or hail tourists offering them accommodation. The Car Street, which runs through the heart of the town, is typical of pilgrim centres, flanked by small businesses hawking knick-knacks, puja paraphernalia, souvenirs and foodstuff.
Everything is quaint here the central courtyards of houses, the temple tank, wooden stairs, open gutters and the wandering sadhus. After you negotiate what is the last alley to the west of the town, you're thrown open to the sea. During Shivratri in February, the town gets so overcrowded with pilgrims that many choose to sleep in the porches of homes and under the awnings of shops.