Karkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, located about 380 km from Bangalore. It lies near the Western Ghats. The town was called Pandya Nagari during the period of Jain rule, and later became known as Karikallu, then Karkal and finally to Karkala. Karkala is a town of historical importance and a pilgrim centre for Jains. Jainism is widely practised here. The single stone 13 meter high statue of Gomateshwara (Lord Bahubali) is located about 1 km from the center of the town and is the second tallest in Karnataka. The cancellation depicts a seated Tirthankara.