The Krishna Temple in Udupi is a very popular and historic Hindu temple that is dedicated to the Dvaita form of worship and to the Lord Sri Krishna, which is located in the quaint little town of Udupi in the state of Karnataka, India. The entire temple and premises of the temple resemble the facade of an ashram, and the temple is known to be a holy place meant for the practice of Bhakti Yoga, devotion and spiritual living. This temple is also called Sri Krishna Temple Math Udupi. There are many different temples which surround the Sri Krishna Udupi temple including the ancient Anantheshwara temple, a temple which is more than 1000 years old.
Rich History Of Sri Krishna Temple In Udupi
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This Krishna temple, Udupi, was first founded and set up by the great Vaishnavite saint Madhvacharya back in the 1200s CE. Hence it is a very ancient temple. Madhvacharya belonged to the Dvaita school of Vedanta, of which he was the founder patron. The traditional story attached to the temple is that Madhvacharya found the statue or the vigraha of the Lord Sri Krishna within a large Gopichandana ball. Madhvacharya describes in his book Tantrasara Sangraha that the deity is placed facing the West, which is very unique. The other statues and vigrahas of this temple all also face West, following this. This facing of the West was called Paschimabhimukha. Devotees can have a darshan of Sri Krishna through a small window on the door of the garba griha, and this is called the Navagraha Kindi. There is also an outer window through which darshan can be had, called the Kanakana Kindi. Another window covers the front of the statue, which is the Navagraha Kindi. The Navagraha Kindi has nine holes and is a silver-plated window, through which worship is offered in the temple.
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The Sri Krishna Matha
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The temple administration and the daily poojas and sevas offered to Lord Sri Krishna are managed by the eight monasteries or the Ashta Mathas. These eight monasteries all manage these sevas for the deity for a period of two years each and it proceeds amongst all eight mathas in a cyclical order. Each of these Mathas has their own patron deity called the Pattada Devaru. The Eight Mathas or the Ashta Mathas are:
- Krishnapura Matha
- Admaru Matha
- Palimaru Matha
- Puttige
- Sodhe Matha
- Shirur Matha
- Pejavara
- Kaniyoor Matha
Each of these mathas follows their specific religious customs, traditions and formats of worship, all falling within the Dvaita school of philosophy founded by Madhvacharya. In the year 1975, the temple, which owned large amounts of land, lost it all because of the enactment of the Land Reforms Act 1975 by the Government of Karnataka.
Swamis Of The Ashta Mathas
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The different swamis of the Ashta Mathas and their successors are as follows:
- Pejavara Matha – Shri Vishvaprasanna Teertha Swamiji
- Palimaru Matha – Shri Vidyadeesha Theertha Swamiji, Shri Viyarajeshwara Theertha Swamiji
- Adamaru Matha – Shri Vishva Priya Teerha Swamiji, Shri Eeshapriya Teertha Swamiji
- Puttige Matha – Shri Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji, Shri Sushreendra Teertha Swamiji
- Sodhe Matha – Shri Vishwavallabha Teertha Swamiji
- Kaniyooru Matha – Shri Vidyavallabha Teertha Swamiji
- Shirur Matha – Shri Vedavardhana Teertha Swamiji
- Krishnupura Matha – Shri Vidyasagara Teertha Swamiji
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Festivals Of Krishna Temple In Udupi
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There is a festival called the Paryaya festival which is held here every two years. This is the time when the temple management and affairs are handed over to the next in line in the Eight Mathas. The Ashta Mathas have been entrusted with running the temple affairs and taking care of the Udupi Krishna temple in succession. Each Matha is headed by a presiding Swami, and this Swami is in charge of the temple affairs during his term, called a Paryaya. The Paryaya is usually held for even years, and so far, this tradition has completed more than 500 years successfully. The temple celebrates many festivals such as Ratha Sapthami, Hanuman Jayanti, Madhva Navami, Makara Sankranthi, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Madhva Jayanti, Navarathi Mahotsave, Deepavali, Vijaya Dashami, Geetha Jayanti, and Naraka Chaturdashi every year.
Legends Of Krishna Temple In Udupi
There are many legends associated with the Krishna Matha temple in Udupi. History buffs and devotees will be very interested in going through these legends to understand the significance of this temple.
The Legend Where The Ship Is Saved
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According to one story, the main idol of Sri Krishna at Dwaraka was completely covered by gopi chandanam or divine sandalwood paste. A sailor from Dwaraka loaded this heavy idol in his boat in the form of gopichandanam and used it as a ballast, in one of his sojourns across the Western Coast. While his ship was sailing near the coast of Malpe, it got caught in a terrible storm. During his meditation, Sri Madhvacharya, who possessed divine powers, came to know about the perils of this ship and he used his powers to control the weather and save the ship, bringing it safely ashore. He did this by waving the end of his saffron robe gently to calm the storm. The ship’s captain, pleased by Madhvacharya, offered him anything as a token of his gratitude. Madhvacharya requested the gopichandana of Sri Krishna, which contained the Krishna idol in it. As the story proceeds, Madhvacharya took the idol to the lake, purified the idol and then had it installed in its current place in the matha.
The Legend Where The Ship Was Sunk
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Devotees will be surprised to note that there is yet another legend to the Udupi Krishna temple. According to this other Krishna temple Udupi story, the ship with the idol collided with a rock and sank because of the storm, and the entire cargo also sank along with the ship. When Madhvacharya reached Udupi to spread his philosophy, he awoke from his meditation and moved to Malpe suddenly without notice, then he located the wreckage and was able to pull out the idol from the cargo which had sunk. He then placed the idol in the lake which is now near the Matha. On Sankranti day, he removed the idol from the pond, and he installed the idol in the garba griha or the sanctum sanctorum of the current temple. He arranged for daily worship of the statue at the temple as well. The lake near the Math became known as Madhva Sarovara. Sources say that the statue was installed in the late 13th century.
The Legend Where God Turned His Face On The Caste System
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There is another legend which says that in the 16th century, during the rule of Sri Vaadiraja, a pious and ardent worshipper of Sri Krishna called Kanakadasa visited Udupi to take darshan of the Lord. However, since he was from a lower caste, he was not allowed to enter the temple. Then, Lord Krishna, pleased by the worship and piousness of Kanakadasa, created a small hole at the back wall of the temple, and then the idol turned to face the hole so that Kanakadasa could see him and take darshan. This hole still exists and is called the Kanakana Kindi.
Note: The timings are usually between 4:00 am to 9:00 pm. A special Nirmalya Visarjan Pooja is done at about 5:30 am.
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Visiting the Sri Krishna Temple in Udupi recreates the experience of visiting the Lord in his holy abode. Add the Sri Krishna Temple in Udupi to your next trip to Karnataka and bask in the glory of Govinda!
Frequently Asked Questions About Sri Krishna Temple Udupi
What is the dress code to be followed at Sri Krishna Temple Udupi?
There is no official Udupi Krishna temple dress code. However, it recommended to wear something sophisticated and full-length
What are some special tips for devotees and travellers to Sri Krishna Temple Udupi?
The deities are taken on a chariot in the mornings as well as the evenings, do not miss it.
Is photography allowed in the temple?
Photography is prohibited inside the temple campus
Is there offering of any prasad or holy food at the temple?
Devotees will be pleased to note that Anna prasadam or offering of holy food for everybody takes place every afternoon.
Are there any facilities for VIP darshan in the temple?
There is just one single queue for everyone irrespective of background, and there is no special or VIP darshan concept in this temple.
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