Driving along the Western coast of India from Karwar to Bhatkal

Overview: I had always liked driving across coastal highways. This one was not exactly driving along the coast, but yes, it took me to some exciting places along India's west coast, particularly in North Canara region. Starting from Karwar, I covered several places all the way to Bhatkal. I have covered Karwar, Ankola and Aversa in one of my earlier posts.
According to legend, Ravana had won the Atmalinga from Lord Shiva after performing severe penance. On his way back to Lanka, while performing evening prayers, he requested a young Brahmin (Lord Ganesha in disguise) to hold the Atmalinga till he completes his prayers. But he was tricked and the Atmalinga was placed on the ground. Furious with this, Ravana tried to remove the Atmalinga from the found and threw it in all directions. It got established as 5 Atmalingas in this region- at Shejjeshwar, Dhareshwara, Gokarna, Gunavanteshwara and Murudeshwara.

      

Along this route are few of the prettiest beaches like Gokarna beach, Om beach, Kudle beach and several others.

    
Ramateertha: Around 3kms off the highway is a small pond where perennial water gushes out, called as Ramateertha. The water falls into a pond and can be reached via a series of steps.

Colonel Hill: A 30m tall column has been installed in the memory of Colonel Hill in 1845, who was the commander of Mysore Division of the East India Company.

 
Apsarakonda: A small waterfall cascading from around 80 feet is a pleasant sight here, and behind the waterfalls, on climbing down a few steps takes one to the Apsarakonda beach, one of the most serene beaches on the Western coast.

  
Bhatkal: Known as Bhattara Kallu in ancient times, Bhatkal has had a rich Jain heritage. Some of the ancient temples like Khetpaiya Narayana temple, Khetapayya Narayana, Joshi Shankarnarayana and  Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy are worth a visit.

  

How to reach: All the places lie along the NH66. Driving along this road is a pleasure, but other options include buses and Konkan railway.

Food/Accommodation: Food and accomodation is not a problem in the whole district, with major towns like Karwar, Ankola, Gokarna, Honnavar, Murudeshwar and Bhatkal

Map: