Udupi

The beautiful city of Udupi along the Arabian Sea has many interesting legends intertwined with its history. It is believed that Chandra, the moon god, received redemption for his sins from Lord Shiva after doing penance here, which led to the naming of the city as Udupi. Udu essentially means star, and pa means leader - hence referring to the god of the stars or God Chandra. There are also many lores surrounding the city’s most popular attraction, the Krishna Temple.

According to the most famous legend, the great saint Sri Madhvacharya was meditating on the coast when he saw a ship about to capsize. He guided the ship to safety away from the waters, and in return, the grateful sailors offered him anything he wished from the ship as a gift. The sage asked for gopichandana, or clay, which unbeknownst to the sailors, covered a majestic statue of Lord Krishna that they had been transporting from Dwaraka, which is Lord Krishna’s birthplace. Sri Madhvacharya unearthed the statue and placed it in its current place of worship in the temple.

Udupi is extremely famous for its religious architecture devoted to the Gods and saints of the Hindu religion. The Krishna temple includes, in addition to its majestic statue of Lord Krishna, beautiful chariot structures or rathas. All deities in the temple face the west, and a unique feature associated with them is that they are worshipped through windows.

These windows are plated with silver and have nine holes - also known as Navagraha kindi. Next to the Krishna Temple lies the Udupi Anantheshwara temple, which is believed to be over 1000 years old. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The city also has the Tulu Ashta Mathas, which are Hindu monasteries set up by the saint Sri Madhvacharya. These group of 8 monasteries preach the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy.

Udupi is almost synonymous to Udupi restaurants popular all over the world and the traditional Udupi cuisine which gives the cuisine of Karnataka a distinct flavor and personality of its own. Hence, while in Udupi, one must experience the local Udupi cuisine which is rich in flavors, ingredients and variety. The popular items of the platter here are Upma, a wide variety of dosas, Bisi bele bath (a spicy preparation of rice), Idlis, Rasam, Goli baje, Payasa, Kheer, Pelakai Halwa ( Jackfruit Halwa) and countless more.
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A beautiful confluence of history and culture.

Extremely congested in peak seasons. Politically volatile.

Ideal for cultural seekers. Suitable for backpackers touring nearby sites like Bengaluru, Mysore etc.

The best time to visit Udupi is during Winters from October to March because of its unabated heat during summers. The winters are pleasant here, while the temperatures soar up to 40 degrees during the summers. However, evenings are relatively cooler in Udupi. Monsoon, on the other hand, is a suitable time for travelling to Udupi and the nearby places because the temple town has a lush green surrounding after the rains. Udupi is the cultural centre of Karnataka, and there are several festivals and events celebrated there with unmatched pomp. The mutts and temples are patrons of art, hosting many cultural events regularly. Most of these take place in winter. Visiting Udupi during the months when these events are in full swing is ideal because the aesthetic enthusiasm is at its zenith.

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Udupi is almost synonymous to Udupi restaurants popular all over the world and the traditional Udupi cuisine which gives the cuisine of Karnataka a distinct flavor and personality of its own. Hence, while in Udupi, one must experience the local Udupi cuisine which is rich in flavors, ingredients and variety. The popular items of the platter here are Upma, a wide variety of dosas, Bisi bele bath (a spicy preparation of rice), Idlis, Rasam, Goli baje, Payasa, Kheer, Pelakai Halwa ( Jackfruit Halwa) and countless more.
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Udupi is well connected to the rest of India by rail & road. Regular rail and bus services ply to and from the city of Udupi; buses being operated both by private and government owners. There is no direct flight connectivity from Udupi. But Mangalore airport, 60 km away, is the nearest airport that connects Udupi to the rest of  India and a few Gulf countries.
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The top things to do in Udupi are St. Mary's Island, Krishna Temple, Malpe Beach, Kaup Beach, Mookambika Temple, Kudlu Falls. You can see all the places to visit in Udupi here

The top places near to Udupi are Coorg which is 147 km from Udupi, Kudremukh which is located 58 km from Udupi, Gokarna which is located 143 km from Udupi, Mangalore which is located 48 km from Udupi, Goa which is located 260 km from Udupi