Murudeshwara (Kannada: ಮುರುಡೇಶ್ವರ) is a town in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India. "Murudeshwara" is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. Famous for the world's tallest Shiva statue, this beach town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murudeshwara Temple.

Major Attractions in Murudeshwara:

• Murudeshwara Temple: This temple is built on the Kanduka Hill which is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea. It is a temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva, and a 20-storied Gopura is being constructed on the temple. Two life-size elephants in concrete stand guard at the steps leading to the temple.

• Murudeshwara Fort: A fort present behind the temple is said to have been renovated by Tipu Sultan.
• Statue of Lord Shiva: A huge towering statue of Lord Shiva, visible from great distances, is present in the temple complex. It is the tallest statue of Shiva in the world.[1][2] The statue is 123 feet (37 m) in height, and took about 2 years to build. The statue was built by Shivamogga's Kashinath and his son Sridhar and several other sculptors, at a cost of approximately 10 million Rs. The idol is designed such that it gets the sun light directly and thus appears sparkling.

How to reach Murudeshwara:

By Road: Murudeshwara lies at a deviation of 1 kilometer from the National Highway NH-17 between the towns of Honnavar and Bhatkal. A big arched entrance on the Highway marks the entrance of the road to Murudeshwara. From Mumbai and Mangalore, one can take the NH-17 to reach Murudeshwara. From Bangalore one can take the NH-206 to reach Honnavar and then take NH-17 to reach Murudeshwara. Total distance from Bangalore to Murudeshwara works out to be 455 km.

By Rail: Murudeshwara station lies on the Konkan Railway. Some trains from Mumbai and Mangalore stop here. There are no direct trains from Bangalore. Alternatively, one can alight at Bhatkal station.

By Air: Nearest airport is Mangalore International Airport, 165 km away. Hubli and Panaji airports are other alternatives.

Nearby destinations from Murudeshwara:

Idagunji (20kms), Gokarna (70kms), Banavasi (145kms), Kollur (65kms), Jog Falls (90kms), Udupi (100kms), Dharmastala (230kms), Subramanya (300kms), Sringeri (180kms) and Horanadu (240kms).