Udupi is a beautiful coastal town located about 60 kms north of Mangalore in the state of Karnataka. Udupi is a major pilgrimage centre famous for its Shri Krishna temple and the Ashta Mathas. Udupi located amidst the calm Arabian Sea on the west and abundant Western Ghats in the east is known for its rich cultural heritage.
According to some beliefs Udupi originated from its Tulu name Odipu. According to other sources, the name Udupi is a result of combination of the Sanskrit words Udu (stars) and Pa (Lord).Udupi is the birth place of the 12th century saint Madhavacharya, who set up eight Matts in the town. These eight Mathas are Pejavara, Puttige, Phalimaru, Adamaru, Sodhe, Kaneyur, Shirur and Krishnapur. Popularly called as Parashurama Srishti, Udupi is also known by the many other laurels like ‘Rajata Peetha’, ‘Shivalli’ and ‘Shivabelli’,
Udupi is an important centre for education, social and religious activities. Udupi is also renowned for its world famous Udupi cuisine and its cultural traditions such as Yakshagana, Bhuta Kola, Nagaradhane, Aati Kalenja, Karangolu, etc.
Top Tourist Attractions & Places to visit near Udupi
Sri Krishna Temple
Udupi is famous for the Krishna Mutt dedicated to Lord Krishna. This temple was built in the Dravidian architectural style in the 13th century. The statute was set up by the great sage Sri Madhvacharya.The main attraction of Lord Krishna temple is the 'Kanakana Kindi' - a hole through which Krishna is believed to have given darshan to his ardent devotee, Kanaka who was denied permission to enter the temple. Pleased by the great devotion of Kankadasa Lord Krishna turned the statue in the direction from where his devote can have darshan of the lord. From then on lord Krishna is worshipped through this Kanakana Kindi only. The temple consists of a large tank called the Madhava Sarovar. Paryaya Festival, Ratha Saptami, Madhava Navami, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Navaratri, Madhava Jayanti, Diwali, Geeta Jayanti, etc are celebrated here with great religious fervour.
Ananteshvara Temple
Sri Anathesvara Temple is located in the middle of the temple square very close to Shri Krishna Temple, Udupi. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is known for its architectural beauty. The rear panel of the temple has a 'linga' which is flanked by elephants, guardians, peacocks and lotuses.
Chandramaulishvara Temple
This temple dedicated to lord Shiva is situated in the centre of the Temple Square. The Chandramauleshvara temple is Udupi s "Aajya" or "grandfather" temple. Legends say that the Moon consecrated a Shiva Lingam and worshipped Lord Shiva to get away from the curse given to him by Daksha Prajapati that he would lose his bright lustre. Lord Shiva was pleased by the moon and relieved him from his curse. It is believed that this is the same lingam which is worshiped today in the temple.
Pajaka Kshetra
This is the place where Sri Madhavacharya; the advocate of the Dvaita Doctrine was born in 1238 AD. The Pajaka Kshetra located just 12 kilometres from the Udupi. The place has many archaeological evidences associated with the life of Sri Madhavacharya. Some memorabilia of the seer can be found here like the Banyan tree planted by him and water pond blessed by Sri Madhavacarya himself.
Milagres Church
Milagres Church is situated 7 km from Udupi in Kallianpur. The Milagres Church of Kallianpur is a Roman Catholic Church that is dedicated to Mother Mary; Our Lady of Miracles
Malpe Beach
Malpe which is a port is located just 6 km from Udupi. Malpe beach which is lined with palm trees is known for its enchanting golden brown sand and turquoise blue waters. St Mary’s Islands is the most popular attraction in Malpe. These palm fringed islands are 6 km out at sea and can be reached by ferry or a local boat. St. Mary’s Islands are a cluster of four small islands namely Coconut Island, North Island, Daria Bahadurgarh Island and South Island. The island is known for its exclusive volcanic salt rock formations. These rocks are mainly vertical and hexagonal in shape. The island does not have a sandy beach and is a perfect place to watch the sunset. St. Mary’s Islands are listed amongst the 26 Geological Monuments of India by the ‘Geological Survey of India. This is one of the most sought after picnic spots around Malpe.
Kaup Beach
Kaup beach lies about 13 kilometres to the south of Udupi along the Udupi - Mangalore National Highway. Though not very commercialised the white sandy beach with its pristine waters attracts many tourists. The beach also has a 27.12 meters tall Lighthouse dated back to 1901 AD. Lighthouse offers a panoramic view of the entire beach and seashore. The three Mariamma temples and an old fort are other attraction here.
Places around Udupi
Manipal
Manipal is 5 Kms from Udupi. It is referred to as university town. It is home to the famous Manipal University. Manipal was founded by Dr. T.M.A Pai in 1950 who established various educational and industrial enterprises. The main attraction here is the Anatomy Museum, Brindavan Garden, planetarium, Hasta Shilpa, End Point, Venugopala temples and Yakshgana Institute of MGM College.
Maravanthe Beach
This beach is situated 50kms from Udupi to the north. The National Highway (NH17) passes at a close distance of 100 m from the shoreline. For a stretch of about one kilometer the road separates the Arabian Sea and Sauparnika River. The endless shoreline of the beach along with swaying coconut palms makes this a famous tourist attraction. Water sports, scuba diving and snorkelling at Maravanthe Beach are also some of the activities which the tourists can enjoy.
Karkala
Karkala is located about 37 km from Udupi is a famous Jain pilgrim destination. The place accommodates around 18 Jain Basadis. The major attraction here is the 42 feet tall monolithic statue of Bahubali made out of single stone. Moodabidri is situated about 53 kilometres to the southeast of Udupi. Referred to as Jain Kashi of the south, Moodabidri is one of the most popular religious destinations for Jains. The main attraction here is The Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani Basadi, also known as the ‘Savirakambada Basadi’ meaning the ‘Thousand Pillars Temple’. Kollur is situated about 80kms from Udupi. The main attraction here is the famous Mookambika temple dedicated to goddess Mookambika. The temple is located at the foot of the Western Ghats, on the top of Kodachadri hill. Kundapura located about 37 kilometres to the north of Udupi. This beautiful place is known for its charming backwaters and several places of religious importance. The most prominent religious destinations in Kundapur are Anegudde Vinayaka Temple, Hattiangady Vinayaka Temple and Shri Mookambika Devi Temple. Agumbe is situated about 55 kilometers to the northeast of Udupi. This place perched at the elevation of 826 meters above the sea level is one of the wettest places in India and receives second highest rainfall in the country second to Cherrapunji. There are several waterfalls in Agumbe like Barkana Falls, Kunchikal Falls, Onake Abbi Falls, Koodlu Theertha Falls etc.
How to Reach Udupi
The nearest airport is the Mangalore international airport earlier known as Bajpe Airport which is nearly 54 km away. Udupi railway station lies on the Konkan Railway line connecting Mangalore to Mumbai. This is a major station on the Konkan railway route. There are many trains to most major cities like Mangalore, Bangalore, Mumbai, Mysore, etc. Udupi is well connected by road. Mangalore city is only 60 km away from Udupi. Regular express buses ply between Mangalore and Udupi. Regular KSRTC buses, Airbuses and private Volvo buses also ply between Udupi and major cities in the state.
Where to stay in Udupi
Plenty of accommodation options are available in Udupi catering to different budgets.