Murudeshwara Temple, home to the second tallest statue of Lord Shiva in the world, is a revered landmark on Karnataka's western coast, on Kanduka Hill, surrounded on three sides by the Arabian Sea. The 123-foot seated statue is visible from both land and sea.
Origin Story: The temple town's story dates to the Ramayana era, involving Ravana, a devotee of Shiva who performed severe penance to receive the Atma Linga (soul of Shiva), on the condition that he never set it down before reaching Lanka. To stop him gaining such power, the gods tricked Ravana into handing the linga to a cowherd boy - actually Lord Ganesha in disguise - who placed it on the ground near Gokarna. When Ravana tried to move the now-fixed linga, he broke off pieces that scattered to create holy sites at Sajjeshwara, Gunavanthe, Dhareshwara, and Mrideshwara on Kanduka Hill, now called Murdeshwar.
Architecture: The temple features a massive 237-foot, 20-storey Raja Gopura, the second tallest temple entrance tower in the world, with intricately carved pillars. A cave museum called 'Bhukailash' at the base of the Shiva statue houses life-size sculptures depicting the story of the Atma Linga.