Beaches could either be chaotic or peaceful.  Which type the beach will be would depend on the surrounding area.

The beaches of Gokarna coast would be more of the latter type, as the village itself is a peaceful one, filled with so many temples.  Most of the locals are peaceful Hindus, and although tourism is promoted and visitors arrive frequently, the solemn attitude of the native people prevails over the place.

History of Gokarna

Not much is written about Gokarna and its history.  It is said though that the people migrated to this area during the 15^th century in order to avoid the forced conversion of Indians from whatever religion they had to the religions that the foreign invaders brought with them.  It didn't stop the British and the Portuguese from pushing forward and invading Gokarna, and in the early 1700s, the Portuguese invaded the city and destroyed a few of the temples.  These were rebuilt in the 18^th century.

Tourism in Gokarna

The beaches are the main reason why one would visit Gokarna.  There are four main beaches near the village, namely Kudle beach, Om beach, Paradise beach and Half-moon beach.  All of them are not readily accessible from the village as they can only be accessed by rickshaw or by foot.  Half-moon and Paradise beach are smaller beaches that are more remote as they are accessible only by foot or by boat.  Though it may take time to travel to this area, the solitude and the silence of the beaches would be worth the travel.

Do take note that since the village could be considered as conservative, the party scene on the beach is somewhat policed.  Alcohol is still readily available though, and parties still consist of bonfires on the beach coupled with music.  Alcohol should not be requested within the city though as this is a banned substance for religious reasons.

For tours of the local area, there are a lot to see in and around the village.  Temples are abundant, though a lot of them are off limits to the non-Hindus.  Visitors are still permitted to get a glimpse of what can be seen inside.  There is the Mahabaleshwar Temple of the lord Shiva, which contains the lord's symbol within.

Pilgrims flock to this city during February and March for the Shivaratri festival.  This happens near the Ganpati temple.  Tours are also available at this time, as this is when two huge chariots are paraded around town, and these would be carrying a Shiva idol.  Practitioners of Hinduism throw bananas at the idol for luck.

Vacations are always best spent on a beach.  There are times though when people would prefer to have something to do aside from lounge around in the sand, and this is where the village of Gokarna steps in.  With the number of sites to see, coupled with the peaceful beaches and kindly people, a visit to Gokarna would definitely give any tourist a one-of-a-kind vacation in India.