Udupi

The beautiful pilgrim 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 a 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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Day 1- You can go to the main market for a stroll, especially in places like Ratha Beedi, where you can buy precious curios and souvenirs and taste the delectable local cuisines.
 Day 2- You should begin ideally with the Udupi Krishna Temple. Then, you can proceed to the famous Coin Museum, which houses an exquisite collection in the coins, from ancient to modern history.
Day 3- The final day can be reserved for a refreshing retreat at one of the beaches in Udupi, be it Kodi Beach, or the Kapu Beach. You can also visit Shri Ananteshwar Temple & Shri Kundeshwar Temple.  

Extremely congested in peak seasons. Politically volatile.

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