Murdeshwar (Murudeshwara - ಮುರುಡೇಶ್ವರ) is a town located in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India, situated along the coast of the Laccadive Sea.
Murdeshwar is home to the world's third tallest Shiva statue, as well as the Murudeshwara Temple. The town also has a railway station on the Mangalore–Mumbai Konkan railway route.
The name "Murdeshwar" traces its origin to the time of the Ramayana. According to legend, the Hindu gods gained immortality and invincibility by worshipping a divine Linga known as the Atma-Linga (Soul of Shiva). The Lanka king, Ravana, sought to attain immortality by obtaining the Atma-Linga.
As the Atma-Linga belonged to Shiva, Ravana worshipped Shiva with great devotion. Pleased by his prayers, Shiva appeared before him and granted him a boon. Ravana requested the Atma-Linga, and Shiva agreed to give it to him, with the condition that it should never be placed on the ground before Ravana reaches Lanka.