Gokarna Math

Gokarna Math

Gokarna Matha is one of the 24 mathas of the Dvaita order, a system established by Madhvacharya in the 13th century AD.

This matha is also called Partagli Jivothama and is headquartered in Partagli, a small town in South Goa, on the banks of the river Kushavati. There is still ongoing research to establish who exactly founded the math and when exactly it was founded. As per historic lore it is said that it was initiated by Shri Raghothama Theertharu (Bhavabodharu) of Uttaradi Matha. It is said that this matha was formed after it split away from Palimar at Udupi initiated by Shimad Ananda Theertharu (Madhvacharya).

The first pontiff of the matha was Narayanatirtha. The deity worshiped by the institution is Ramdev Veervitthal. The math became well known as Jivottama Matha after the third pontiff, Jivottama Tirthar.

This math was also a victim of Portuguese Christian missionary activities that drove the original establishment from Madgao to Bhatkal in Karwar District in Karnataka. Shri Narayana Theertharu was a great scholar of the Dvaita order and earned the name "Shri Paada Wodayaru", for which he is still known today. During the late 1950s, Shri Dwarakanatha Theertharu established several educational institutions and republished several seminal works.