Mookambika Temple

One of Karnataka's most powerful and visited Devi shrines in the Western Ghats. Goddess Mookambika (the silent goddess) is a combined form of Saraswathi, Lakshmi, and Parvati. Adi Shankaracharya installed the Sri Chakra here after defeating the demon Mookasura. Receives 20 lakh pilgrims annually.

A famous goddess temple on a small island in the Sharavathi river backwaters — reachable only by boat. Goddess Chowdeshwari (a form of Durga) is enshrined here amidst the Western Ghats. The boat ride through the forested backwaters to the temple is a uniquely beautiful pilgrimage experience.

A coastal Shiva temple on the Arabian Sea in Karnataka, overlooked by one of the world's tallest Shiva statues, standing around 123 feet high. Its hilltop location on Kanduka Hill, surrounded by water on three sides, makes it one of the state's most photographed pilgrimage spots.

One of the most famous Ganesha temples in Karnataka, located on the banks of the Salpakaadu island in the Coastal Karnataka belt. The swayambhu (self-manifested) Ganesha idol here is revered as one of eight sacred Ganesha shrines (Ashta Vinayaka) in Karnataka. Pilgrims combine this with Gokarna visits.