Udupi

Sri Udupi Krishna Temple

Sri Krishna Temple at Udupi is also known as Sri Krishna Matha and was established by the renowned Saint Sri Madhwacharya in the 13th century. According to the legend, the idol at the temple originally belongs to the Sri Krishna Temple of Dwarka. Once the idol got covered in sandalwood and was being transported by a sailor from Dwarka, when the ship got caught in a storm. Madhwacharya escorted the ship to the shore safely near Udupi and the sailor presented him with the idol as a sign of gratitude. Madhwacharya established the idol at the present day temple, which soon became a popular pilgrimage site. The temple’s administration is looked after by the descendants of Madhwacharya’s 8 disciples, each of whom have established their mathas (monasteries) around the temple. Every 2 years, the festival called Paryaya is celebrated and the administration changes hand from one matha to another. The temple also hosts spectacular celebrations for different Hindu festivals round the year. An interesting aspect of the temple is that the main idol can be viewed from what is known as Kanakana Kindi, a window with nine holes. As per the popular legend, the lord turned towards the window so that his ardent follower Kanakana (who was denied entry to the temple for being non-Brahmin) can see him. Other highlights of the temple include its sacred pond called Madhva Sarovar and temple chariots.