Gokarna Beach is not your typical beach
yes there are a few fishermen on the shore with their casting nets
but there are far more pilgrims who stop by the beach in connection with their journey to Mahabaleshwara and Maha Ganpati Temples. it is customary to bathe in the sea before visiting the temples and for many it is the first time in their life they are seeing the ocean.
and of course romantics write in the sand knowing full well the script shall be swallowed by the coming tide
the locals use the beach more for their fishing boats of which there are many on the south end near the Ram teerth temple. the temple's natural springs are known for their exceptionally pure water.
but the fishermen are busy landing their boats and pulling them up out of reach of the tides
once they manage to lift the boat on the round pipes it is relatively easy to roll the heavy wooden boats over the hard-packed wet sand
then it is time to tend to the nets and gather the catch
to which spectators gather to see
while some are leaving
others are coming
and yet others are just relaxing in the sun
but this beach has another dimension. while many of the pilgrims come to the temples of Gokarna to seek blessings and perform darshan others come to perform obsequies
the ritual may be performed on this beach. in that case the items used during the ritual are mostly left for the sea to claim. while flowers and such are quickly swept away, textiles are more likely to be buried by the waves shifting sand over them. of course these may just be dhotis left behind after visiting the temples but either way the two we found on the beach had acquired distinctly animistic forms.
the beach is otherwise kept very clean. we didn't find any trash left behind by thoughtless people.
thanks for stopping by. hope to see you again soon. bye now
