Cow's Ear- for that's what `Gokarna' actually means- is a mundane way of describing a place as pretty as this. Named for the ear-shaped confluence of two rivers, Gokarna, is noted more as a pilgrimage centre than as a beach. This is not apt, because Gokarna, with its coconut palms, blue seas and clean sands, is perfect for an idyllic vacation by the sea. Situated along the Karwar coast, in northern Karnataka, Gokarna is beach-utopia. A somnolent one-street town consisting mostly of wooden houses, Gokarna is in close proximity to four beaches. Of these, Kudle Beach (Kutle Beach), a kilometre-long stretch of white sand fringed by palm trees, is the nearest; just about 20 minutes' walk from Gokarna.