Kurumgad Narasimha Temple

Kurumgad Narasimha Temple is located on a tortoise shaped island which is a kilometer away from Devbagh Beach in Karwar of Karnataka.

Karnataka is the store house or haven of Narasimha Temples. There are more than one thousand ancient temples of Lord Narasimha just in Karnataka. These Narasimha temples are at least one thousand years. The Coastal Karnataka is not behind when it comes to temples of Lord Narasimha.

One such temple is the Kurumgad Narasimha Temple. This unique temple is located on a tortoise shaped beach in Karwar District of Karnataka. It is around 3 kms from the Karwar town. Kurumgad Island is well known for coastal tourism in terms of boating, water sports and beaches. The island is much more famed due to the presence of this ancient temple.

In Sanskrit Kurma means tortoise. Since the beach is in the shape of a tortoise, it is called Kurumgad. The popular belief here is that Lord Narasimha swam across the sea from the beach and created this island by tearing apart the sea.

Although the origin of this temple is not known, there are many legends associated with the temple which are narrated by the locals. One such legend is that of the pujari who would swim from Karwar to reach the temple. His character and devotion were so pure that he would sit on a banana leaf and sail easily to the island. Once due to his wife’s ignorance, he was not able to sail on the banana leaf, instead drowned within the Arabian sea.

The fishermen revere this temple a lot. They believe that Lord Narasimha shall protect them while they are out fishing.

Kurumgad Narasimha Temple attracts a great amount of footfall every year especially during the annual festival celebrations locally called Jatre, in January. During this time thosuands of

The Narasimha Temple is atop the hill in Kurumgad which can be accessed by a flight of stairs.

The Temple Timings of Kurumgad Narasimha Temple

The temple remains open on all the days of the year. The temple is open from morning 5 to noon 12 and then in the evening from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Weekends are crowded. Better to visit the temple during the weekdays. Months like January are very crowded.

Best time to visit Kurumgad Narasimha Temple is from September to February when the weather is ideal and not very hot.

How to reach Kurumgad Narasimha Temple?

Kurumgad beach is in the Karwar District in Karnataka State. The best way to reach this temple, you may join the Udupi Yatra of Tirtha Yatra or get a customized tour for a group of more than 15 members. Generally, it is quite challenging to reach the temple on its own due to its location. If you still wish to take up the adventure, you may try the below mentioned ways.

By Air – the nearest Airport to Kurumgad Narasimha Temple is Goa Airport which is well connected with the major airports in the Bharat. Mangaluru and Bengaluru airports are the next options. You may also use Bengaluru Airport and take up land route.

By Rail – Karwar has got a railway station is connected with the major cities in Karnataka and more cities in Bharat. From the railway station, you may take a jetty which travels for around 4 kms to reach Kurumgad Narasimha Temple. You may also take up the railways from Udupi District or Mangaluru District.

By Road – Karwar is a major district in Karnataka. It is connected with a National Highway. After landing at Goa or Mangaluru or Bengaluru, you may drive along the coastline of Karnataka to reach Karwar and then take up a jetty service to reach Kurumgad Narasimha Temple.