Kunkeshwar Temple

The Kunkeshwar Temple stands almost on the sand of the Arabian Sea on the Konkan coast of Sindhudurg, an old Shiva shrine so revered that it is called the Kashi of South Konkan. White against the blue of the sea, with waves breaking just beyond its walls, it is among the most beautifully set temples of the Maharashtra coast.

A Shiva temple by the sea

Kunkeshwar enshrines Shiva in a lingam close to the shore, where the sound of the surf carries into the worship and pilgrims bathe in the sea before darshan. Its setting — a stone temple at the very edge of the beach, framed by coconut palms — has earned it both deep devotion and the title of the Dakshin Kashi, the Kashi of the south Konkan.

The legend of the rescued trader

Tradition tells of a seafarer — in some tellings a foreign trader — caught in a storm off this coast, who prayed and saw a light on the shore that guided him to safety; in thanks he is said to have built or endowed the temple. The shrine is traced to the medieval centuries and was developed by the rulers of the Konkan.

Maha Shivaratri on the shore

Maha Shivaratri brings the temple’s great fair, when thousands gather on the beach for days of worship, music and the market that springs up on the sand. Through the year Kunkeshwar draws pilgrims and travellers along the coastal road, who come for the darshan and for the rare beauty of the place.

How to reach Kunkeshwar

• By road: Kunkeshwar is on the Sindhudurg coast, about 14 km from Devgad and reached via the Konkan coastal road.
• By train: Kankavli and Nandgaon on the Konkan Railway are the nearer railheads.
• By air: Goa (Dabolim) and the new Sindhudurg airport are the nearest.

Frequently Asked Questions

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