Shirali is located between Murdeshwar and Bhatkal in the southern part of North Kanara (Uttar Kannada) district of Karnataka state. Shirali is accessible by road (NH-17) and by rail (Chitrapur Station on Konkan Railways).

Shirali is home to two prominent temples: Bhavanishankar Temple at the Chitrapur Math and Maha Ganapathi Mahamaya Temple.

The Chitrapur Saraswat Math is the center of spiritual renaissance to the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community, and the Maha Ganapathi Mahammaya temple is the Kuladev of the Goud Saraswat Brahmin community.

Besides its spiritual significance to the Saraswat communities, Shirali also boasts beautiful white sandy beaches, tile factories, and cashew nut factories. About 12 km away near the village Baindur is a wonderful sunset point located high in the forest range where the vistas offer beautiful views of the Arabian Sea, the confluence of the Ganguli River & the Arabian Sea, and large tracts of green rice paddy fields.