Is Gokarna’s Gogarbha Cave connected to Uttarkashi? Legends about it

A short distance from Kudle beach in Gokarna, tucked away on a hillside, lies Shiva Cave or Gogarbha Cave.

One of the many interesting stories about the cave is that, one of the routes from the cave leads to Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.

The legend behind the Gogarbha Cave and the name Gokarna:-

According to local lore, Shiva gave the atmalinga (shivlinga) to the demon king Ravana after he attained penance on Mount Kailash.

However, there was a condition attached: Ravan was not permitted to erect the shivlinga on the ground because it would be installed there permanently.

As Ravana approached modern-day Gokarna on his way back from Mount Kailash, Vishnu temporarily obscured the sun. Ravana, who was timely with his evening prayers, assumed it was time for his evening rituals.

He had to now put the shivalinga to sleep so he could say his prayers. He quickly asked the Brahmin lad to hold the shivalinga for him for a time after realising that he was indeed Lord Ganesha in disguise.

Lord Ganesha agreed, but only on one condition: he would only hold the shivalinga for as long as he could support it before making three calls to Ravana. If Ravana did not appear, he would set the shivalinga down.

As Ravana started his nightly rituals, Lord Ganesha hurriedly shouted out three times, set the shivalinga on the ground, and then disappeared from view.

When Ravana realised what the gods were up to, he attempted to remove the shivalinga but was unsuccessful. The shivalinga became twisted as a result, and it now resembled a cow's ear.

Since that incident, the shivalinga has stayed in that location, which is now known as Go-karna, which means cow's ear. The Gogarbha cave is where this mis-shapen shivalinga is.