Udupi – The abode of Lord Krishna

Udupi – the name reminisces the steaming hot Idlis and Sambhar in almost every Indian’s mind and mouth alike because Udupi has become synonymous to Pure Vegetarian Restaurants not only in India but also in many other parts of the world. Thanks to the enterprising spirit of the people from this coastal town that has made the local cuisine popular globally. Yet, the lipsmacking staple cuisine is not the only reason why Udupi is famous so read on and find out why you must visit Udupi.

Parashurama – the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu was born to Sage Jamadagni and Renuka. His parents get murdered by King Kartaviryarjuna – a Kshatriya King belonging to the very warrior clan that has vowed to protect the subjects and sages alike. Parashurama in rage vows to rid the earth of all such Kshatriyas who have forgotten their duties towards the society and have been perpetrating evil acts.

Parashurama himself becomes a warrior and goes around the earth 21 times killing all Kshatriyas who have diverted from their duties. At the end of his expedition, his anger subsides. To bring about a new order, he donates all the kingdoms gained thus to Sage Kashyap.

Since according to dharma Parashurama can’t be residing on the land that he has already donated, he with his immense powers reclaims a large tract of land from the sea and settles on it. This tract of land that stretches from Goa to the Southern tip of Kerala State is called as Parashurama Kshetra. This Kshetra lies along the West Coast between Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats and is blessed with immense natural beauty, pristine rivers, beautiful beaches, clear backwaters, abundant flora and fauna.

Udupi lies right in the middle of this Parashurama Kshetra and enjoys the same bountiful nature that Goa and Kerala do. On a hill named Kunjaragiri Parvatha some 12km away from Udupi, there is a Durga temple believed to be installed and worshiped by Parashurama. The view from this temple is breathtaking as one can see the vast green land and the sea from atop the hill. Right opposite the Durga Temple on another hillock is temple dedicated to Lord Parashurama himself.

In the 13th Century, Vaishnava Saint Jagadguru Sri Madhwacharya established Sri Krishna Matha by installing the Lord Krishna idol he secured from Dwarka. The idol is believed to have been consecrated and worshiped by Goddesss Rukmini – the chief consort of Lord Krishna during Dwapara Yuga. The idol of Krishna is as a boy tied to a Whisk Beater used to churn out the butter in olden days using a rope. This is depiction of Krishna’s baala leela where Devi Yashoda ties Balagopala Krishna to the beater trying to prevent him from conducting mischief around the house and in Nandagokula.

Towards the end of Dwapara Yuga, it is believed that the idol got covered in a large lump of Gopi-Chandana and stayed safe into Kaliyuga till it reached Sri Madhwacharya’s hands in 13th Century. Sri Madhwacharya installed the idol with all Vedic rituals at Udupi and built a temple around it.

The administration of the Matha was also established by Sri Madhwacharya through 8 different Mathas that were setup around Sri Krishna Matha. These 8 Mathas are Pejavara Matha, Palimaru Matha, Adamaru Matha, Puttige Matha, Sodhe Matha, Kaniyooru Matha, Shirur Matha andKrishnapura Matha. Each of these 8 Mathas are headed by Swamijis who take turn and worship the main deity for a period of two years. The festival at the turn of these two years when the administration and worship is handed over to the next Matha is called Paryaya. It is one of the grandest celebrations you get to see in Udupi apart from the annual car festival.

Udupi – the coastal town in Karnataka overlooking the Arabian Sea has pristine beaches and many temples worth visit. The prominent ones are listed below:

Sri Krishna Matha

Situated in the heart of Udupi city, Sri Krishna Matha is a must-visit place for Hindu pilgrims coming to Udupi. The temple is open from as early as 5:30 in the morning. The holy pond Madhwa Sarovara is present within the temple premises and devotees can take a dip in the pond before going into the sanctum of the temple for darshana though the dip in the sarovara is not compulsory. Special poojas are carried out during festivals and the waiting period in the queues can become long on such days. All other days, the waiting time in the queue is relatively short and you may be in and out of the temple within an hour.

The temple also has a practice of serving prasada (a full meal served on banana leaf and people are required to sit on the floor and eat) the devotees and dress codes may be prevalent. Please check with the temple administration for the prasada timings as the prasada is not served till the pooja is not complete. You can also check out the bookshops, pooja bhandars and souvenir shops within the temple premises that have many religious books and pooja items including conchs and Gopichandana.

Also check out the Goshala – the cow shed within the temple premises which shelters many local breeds.

Sri Ananteshwara Temple

Sri Ananteshwara Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The deity here – a Shiva Linga is believed to be the family deity of Jagadguru Sri Madhwacharya and that Sri Madhwacharya had often spent a lot of time here in his formative years. The temple is in the middle of Car Street and is within 100 metres from Sri Krishna Matha.

Pajaka Kshetra

Situated at a distance of 12km from Udupi is a small village named Pajaka. It is called a Kshetra – a place of eminence because it is the birthplace of Jagadguru Sri Madhwacharya. Over here, the house in which Sri Madhwacharya was born and the places where he engaged himself as a child are at display. There is also a small temple/shrine within the premise, and it is worth a visit. Pilgrims and tourists are advised that this is a residence of the family members of Sri Madhwacharya who still live in the house so please be respectful and ask for permission before entering the premise, seek guidance/directions and do not go astray all over the house.

Kunjarugiri Betta

This steep hill situated about a kilometre before Pajaka on route Udupi to Pajaka houses Sri Durga Temple and opposite to it Sri ParashuramaTemple. The view of Arabian Sea and the Kaiga Power Plant from Durga Temple is breathtaking so walk around the temple and absorb as much of the views as possible.

Malpe Beach

Situated approximately 7 km from Sri Krishna Matha is the serene and beautiful Malpe beach. It is here that Jagadguru Sri Madhwacharya consecrated Sri Vadabandeshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Balaram – Sri Krishna’s elder brother in Dwapara Yuga and an avatar of Sheshanaga. The beach offers a nice sunset view so make sure to visit the beach closer to evenings.

Kapu (Kaup) Beach & Lighthouse

Kapu, also spelt as Kaup is situated about 15km southwards from Sri Krishna Matha. This beach is relatively less crowded than the popular Malpe beach but the crowd can vary on days. There is a lighthouse built in the year 1901 and has served as a warning beacon for over a century of the rocky terrain along the Kapu coast. The terrain is rough and strewn with rocks and boulders – one of the reasons why the sea is rough here compared to Malpe.

Kapu has been a shooting location for many movies since a long time and it is not uncommon to run into a movie scene being shot when you visit the beach. Since the beach is vast, you can enjoy your beach holiday without much interference. Again, like Malpe, the sunset from Kapu beach -especially the lighthouse can be a majestic view you will cherish for a lifetime.

By Road From Bangalore

Udupi is well connected by road from Bangalore through a 400km National Highway NH75. This route is very scenic with several beautiful rivers, waterfalls, temple towns, forest ranges and tourist attractions along the way.

For patrons driving their own vehicle, consider this journey with stops along the way – either overnight stops or pit stops for a couple of hours to breakthe monotony of a long drive. The route has several religious and heritage monuments of importance along the way. A short list of places of importance along the highway include the following – Adichunchanagiri (approx 10km detour), Shravanabelagola (approx 12km detour), Manjarabad Fort (pitstop along the highway), Kukke Subramanya (approx 22km detour), Dharmasthala (approx 21km detour), Venoor (along the route), Moodabidri (along the route), Kateelu (along the route) and Mangalore (along the route).

The distances mentioned in the brackets are one-way drive from the main highway to the place. Carry out some research about these places before deciding upon the itinerary as some of the temples or monuments have timings and/or require physical activity like climbing 600 steps to reach the place.

If you are looking for a direct non-stop transport service to Udupi, there are many buses that ply from various points in Bangalore. Most of these are overnight sleeper buses and most convenient to get on the bus and fall asleep to reach Udupi early morning.

By Air

For people coming by air route, Mangalore International Airport is the closest airport. There are flight routes connecting different parts of India to Mangalore including direct flights from/to Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Goa. It is a short 1-hour (~65km) drive from Mangalore Airport to Udupi. There are buses available from Mangalore City to Udupi plying several times in a day and several buses in an hour during business hours.

Udupi being a seaside city has humid conditions through most part of the year. The weather can seem pleasant though if it is a breezy day. The winter months from October/November to February can be pleasing. In terms of festivals and special events, the Sri Krishna Matha Paryaya Utsava – where the administration of Sri Krishna Matha is handed over from one of the 8 Mathas to the next in line – is a grand event. This generally falls in January and the date may vary according to the Hindu Almanac. Equally grand is the Car festival – a fair in which a large wooden chariot is drawn around on the Car Street. Again, the dates can vary according to the Hindu Almanac so check the dates before making your travel bookings.

Notable places within a couple of hours vicinity from Udupi are Agumbe, Mangalore, Moodabidri, Kateelu, Karkala, Thirthahalli and Sringeri.