Pop: 120,000 Area Code: 08252

Udupi is located 58km north of Mangalore on the seashore. The great Hindu Vaishnava saint xe "Madhvacarya"Madhvacarya (1239-1319) was born in a small village near Udupi. He established the famous Udupi Krishna Temple here. There are several places in the Udupi area to see in reference to his life.
Information

You can purchase the small book Udupi, An Introduction for a detailed explanation of the spiritual places.

You can change money at the State Bank of India, opposite Affan Complex and the Canara Bank on Kanaka Dasa Rd.
The museum at MGM College, 5km from Udupi, has a collection of bronze sculptures.

Sri Krishna Math (Mutt)
Srila Madhvacarya founded the Sri Krishna Math. The temple has an energy-charged atmosphere, and is one of the most important Krishna temples in India. There is a lamp beside the Deity of Sri Krishna said to have been lit by Madhvacarya and has never gone out since.

The Krishna Deity in the temple is called Bala Krishna.

In order to display different pastimes for his devotees, Udupi Krishna has over 50 different dresses such as Cowherd Boy, Mohini Murti, Lakshmi and Durga. He wears a diamond crown worth over one crore rupees ($300,000). Sometimes Krishna is dressed with a diamond dress.

Visitors view the Deity through a window called the “Navagraha”. There are stands at which visitors can purchase maha-prasada and pictures of the Deities.

The temple is small, with black granite walls, sculptures and silver carvings. Lord Krishna was originally installed facing east, but he turned west to see his devotee, Kanaka das, who wasn’t allowed to enter the temple. One can have darshan from outside the temple from the same spot where Kanaka stood, through the crack/window on the western wall.

There are deities of Garuda and Hanuman on each side of the temple’s interior. They were brought from Ayodhya and installed by Vadiraja Tirtha.
Prasada is served twice daily. Visitors who wish to take the temple’s prasada must make arrangements with the priest. There is worship (puja) in the temple from 5.30 am to 8.45 pm. This temple is open to non-Hindus.

Story of the Deity
Lord Krishna himself made the Udupi Krishna Deity from a shalagram-shila, with the help of Visvakarma. It is said that the Deity was worshiped by Rukmini in Dwarka. He is Lord Krishna in child form. The Deity was worshiped by and event-ually given to Arjuna, who hid the Deity. After a lapse of time, the Deity was covered in gopi-candana (clay).

A sailor loaded the lump of candana in his boat as ballast. Upon reaching Vadabhandeswara (5km west of Udupi on the coast), the ship got into trouble and was almost totally lost. Sri

Madhvacarya signaled the ship to shore by waving his cloth. The ship captain came to Madhvacarya and requested him to take anything as a gift, as he was sure that by the grace of this holy man his ship was saved. Madhvacarya requested the gopi-candana.

Upon breaking the clay, Madhvacarya discovered the beautiful Krishna Deity. Madhvacarya carried the Deity to Udupi and commenced worship, and the puja has been continued by his disciplic line ever since.

Cart Procession
The small processional Deities are taken out nearly every night on a parade around Car Street. The procession has two decorated elephants and a musical band, and they stop at intervals along the route for the Lord to be entertained by fireworks or worshiped with offerings by his devotees. The parade starts around 8 pm and is usually over by 8.45 pm.

The cart normally used is about 15m (50 ft) tall. The cart festival travels around the small square in front of the temple (Car Street). According to the significance of the festival being observed, up to three carts may be used. A fourth cart, covered in silver, is used for special festivals.

Madhva Sarovar
The holy bathing tank called Madhva Sarovar is said to be fed by the Ganges every twelve years. It is located just to the right of the main temple entrance. Madhvacarya is said to have washed the Deity in this tank before installing it. Water from the tank is used for the daily worship.

Ananthasana Temple
The ancient Ananthasana (Ananteswara) Temple, located in the middle of the temple square, is dedicated to Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu and his personal expansion, the serpent Ananta Sesa, are said to reside within the linga in this temple. One who is seated on Ananta is known as Ananthasana.

The place where Sri Madhvacarya left his body while speaking to his disciples is north of the central mandapa (hall), just after you enter the sanctum.

Candramauleswara Temple
The ancient Candramauleswara Temple is dedicated to Lord Siva. Lord Siva has this name because he carries a crescent moon (candra) on his head. It is located directly across the street from the Krishna Temple.

Malpe Beach & St. Mary’s Island
Malpe Beach is 5km north of town. Visitors can take a boat to the nearby St. Mary’s Island, where it is said that Vasco da Gama landed on his first voyage to India in the 15th century. It is said that he placed a cross there. Malpe Beach is a good place for swimming.
Beach Guest House (26001) is in a peaceful location and has rooms for Rs 300.

Madhvacarya (1239-1319)
Madhvacarya was born in 1239 at Pajakaksetra. He founded the Dwaita system of philosophy and preached it vigorously across the country. Madhvacarya was a Vaishnava, a devotee of Vishnu. The basic tenet of his philosophy is that Vishnu is supreme, omniscient, and infinite. He taught that there is the existence of the Supreme Lord, the individual souls, and the material world, and that each is distinct from the other. He also taught that the individual souls are superior to matter yet still inferior to God, being his servants.
Madhvacarya possessed an unusually strong body and extraordinary intellect.

He traveled to almost every sacred place of pilgrimage, where he defeated scholars of rival schools and won them over to his faith. He gave sannyas to eight of his disciples, who then became the first heads of the Maths located on Car Street. He disappeared from this world while preaching to his disciples in the Sri Ananthasana Temple.

Eight Sannyasi’s Maths
Madhvacarya appointed eight sannyasi disciples to oversee the worship of the Sri Krishna Math. The responsibility of the worship is rotated in two-year periods, called paryaya, among the eight disciplic successions from his original eight disciples. The Paryaya Mahotsava, or “Handing Over Festival,” occurs in even-numbered years on January 17 or 18.

The incoming sannyasi goes on pilgrimage two months before Paryaya and returns a week beforehand. He is greeted on the outskirts of the city and brought in a procession to Car Street. He then pays his respects to the Deities of Chandreswara, Ananthasana, and Sri Krishna.
The eight main Maths are located on Car Street, the road circling the Candramauleswara and Ananthasana Temples and running past the main entrance to Sri Krishna Math. The eight maths and the Deities worshiped in the maths are the Sode (Bhu-varaha), Puthige (Vitthala Krishna), and Adamar (Kaliya Mardana Krishna) on the southern side; the Pejawar (Vitthala Krishna) and Palimar (Sri Rama, who was presented by Sri Madhvacarya to the first leader of the Math) on the western; the Krishnapur (Kaliya Mardana Krishna) and Shirur (Vitthala Krishna) on the northern; and the Kaniyur (Narasimha) on the eastern.

Sri Jagannatha Kshetra 
This is a small ISKCON Temple in Udupi. The contact information is 5-60 Manipal Cross Rd, Alevoor, Udupi (08252 31012; email: dvija@usa.net). They have a few rooms to stay and good prasada.

Festivals
The main festival of the year is the Saptotsava (seven utsavas) festival, which is celebrated in the middle of January. On the first day of the festival the Deity of Sri Krishna is taken out on a boat in Madhva Sarovara. This is known as Teppotsava, or “float” festival. Then there is a huge chariot festival. For the first five days of the festival, two chariots are drawn each day.

On the sixth day, three chariots are drawn around the square. This is the day that Madhvacarya installed the Deity of Sri Krishna. On the biggest chariot (Brahma Ratha) is the Deity of Sri Krishna, and on the smallest chariot is the Deity of Mukyaprana. On the medium chariot are the deities of Anantheswara and Chandreswara. This is the only day of the year when three chariots are taken around the square. On the seventh day, the Deity is taken to Madhva Sarovar and bathed. Everyone else bathes at the same time, as it is considered especially auspicious.

Sri Madhva Navami (February) celebrates the disappearance day of Madhvacarya. There is a special puja (worship) done at the spot where he left this world  in the Ananthasana Temple.

Where to Stay—Lower
There are several simple dharamshalas here. There is a good one located across the street from the Woodlands Restaurant, about a five-minute walk from Car Street.
Bhasker Vihar is a simple place near the bus stand with rooms for Rs 150/225.
Hotel Vyavahar Lodge (22568), Kanakadas Rd, near the temples, has big, clean rooms with bath for Rs 100/175. It is a good value.
Hotel Shaan (23901), near the Private bus stand, is a good value with good-size, clean rooms with bath for Rs 150/200.
Hotel Sindhu Palace (20791), Court Rd, has basic rooms for Rs 135/160.
Tourist Hotel, across the street, is similar, with rooms for Rs 200.
Kalpana Lodge, by the bus stand, is a dump, but rooms are only Rs 125/200.
Hotel Shaan is a good value with rooms for Rs 70/90.

Where to Stay—Middle
Hotel Janardana (23880), conveniently located by the bus stand, is a good place with rooms for Rs 185/250 and Rs 550 with A/C and a TV.
Shri Rama Krishna Hotel (23189), about a five-minute walk from the temple, is a good value with rooms for Rs 225/300 and Rs 600 with A/C. Recommended.
Hotel Mallika (21121), KK Marg, has rooms for Rs 250 up to Rs 700 with A/C.
The Kediyoor Hotel (22381, 23382; fax 08252 22380), about a five-minute walk from the bus stand, has rooms with TV and hot water for Rs 300/350 and deluxe rooms with A/C for Rs 700/900. 24-hour checkout. It has a separate vegetarian kitchen and restaurant. Accepts credit cards. It is the best place in town with clean, modern room.
Also good is the Sharada International (22912), outside the center of town, 3km from the bus stand. Rooms are Rs 650 up to Rs 950.

Where to Eat
Woodlands Restaurant, a five-minute walk from the Sri Krishna Temple, just southwest of Car St, is one of the best restaurants in India. The thali is both excellently prepared and a good value. The owner personally ensured that everything was done perfectly. Highly recommended.
Dwarika, Car St, facing Temple Square, is a good modern place serving Western and South Indian food and ice cream.
For good, authentic South Indian veg cuisine, try the Anuradha Restaurant on Car Street, across from Dwarika.
Mexican Garden, in the Kediyoor Hotel, has a garden location and good food. The vegetarian restaurant in the Kediyoor Hotel is a good and reasonably priced.

Travel
Air  The closest airport is in Mangalore, 60km south.
Train You can take a train to Mangalore. Udupi is on the new Konkan railway line and is connected to Mumbai and Delhi.
Bus  You can get over-night luxury buses to Bangalore (10 hr, twelve buses daily) and Mysore (10 daily). There are also two buses to Panaji in Goa. Buses to Mangalore (1 hr) depart every fifteen minutes. There are four daily buses to Mumbai (11 am, 3.20 pm, 5 pm, 7.20 pm). There are frequent buses to Dharmasthala and Hubli.

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