The mythological origins of Gokarna are traditionally set in the Treta Yuga. According to the
Skanda Purana and the
Ananda Ramayana, the narrative begins with the demon king
Ravana of Lanka performing rigorous penance at
Mount Kailash. This was motivated by his mother, Kaikesi, who expressed a deep desire to worship the
Atmalinga (the soul-lingam) of Shiva for her personal salvation. Pleased by Ravana's devotion, Shiva granted him the Atmalinga on the strict condition that it would become permanently rooted wherever it was first placed on the earth. As Ravana traveled south toward Lanka, the gods (Devas), fearing the king would become invincible with the Lingam, sought the help of
Ganesha. When Ravana reached the western coast at sunset, he needed to perform his evening sandhya rituals but could not put the Lingam down. Ganesha, disguised as a young cowherd, offered to hold the Lingam. However, Ganesha intentionally called out Ravana's name three times and, receiving no immediate response, placed the Atmalinga on the ground at Gokarna, where it immediately became immovable. In a fit of rage, Ravana attempted to uproot the Lingam with immense force. Though he failed to move the base, the pressure caused the Lingam to take the shape of a cow's ear, giving the town the name Gokarna (Sanskrit: Gokarṇa, "cow's ear"). The pieces of the casing that were shattered by Ravana’s strength are said to have flown in different directions, forming other sacred sites in the region:
Sajjeswara,
Dhareshwara,
Gunavanteshwara, and
Murdeshwara. The main body of the Lingam remained at Gokarna and is worshipped as
Mahabaleshwar (The All-Powerful). == History ==