The Udupi Sri Krishna Matha founded by the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhwacharya in the 13th century is a famous temple located at the heart of Udupi,Karnataka.Thousands of pious devotess throng the Udupi Krishna temple all round the year to catch a glimpse of Lord Krishna.The Unique feature of the temple is that the Lord is worshipped only through a window with nine holes called the Navagraha Kitiki.The window is exquisitely carved and silver - plated. It has been a tradition in this temple to worship the Lord only through this window.Reaching Udupi Sri Krishna Temple
By road
Udupi , located 60kms north of Mangalore lies on the NH 66 from Kochi to Panvel near Mumbai. Frequent buses are available from Mangalore , Kundapura , Kollur,Karwar to Udupi . The KSRTC and a few other operators ply buses to Bangalore mostly during Night time. Parking facility is ample near the temple premises.By rail
The Udupi Railway Station (code UD ) is a major railhead in the Konkan Railway . Trains are available to Trivandrum,Kochi,Calicut,Mangalore,Bangalore,Goa,Mumbai,Delhi etc. Almost all trains stop at Udupi.Railway staion is about 6 kms from the temple .Auto/Taxis are available to reach the temple.
By air
The nearest airport is Mangalore International Airport(60kms) with frequent flights to Mumbai,Bangalore,Dubai etc.
The Sri Krishna Temple is situated in the heart of the city . It is within walking distance from the bus stand though an auto is recommended.
Timings
A specialty of this temple is that it is open from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm without a break in the afternoon.
Accommodation
Various options are available for the pilgrims ranging from budget Lodges near the temple to luxury hotels at the city at decent distance from the temple. The latter can be booked through hotel booking websites like makemytrip , goibibo etc.
What more at Udupi and nearby places
Temples
There are a few temples adjacent to the Krishna Mutt like the Anantheshwara temple. Also if interested , head over to nearby temples in 2-3 hour distances like Kollur Mookambika temple , Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple, Gokarna temple , Murudeshwara etc.
Eat
The Udupi cuisine is famous for its vegetarian food and can be seen widely in most cities of India.The origin of this is linked to the Krishna Mutta and when in Udupi , don't miss out this chance to try this . Restaurants serving the traditional cuisine can be seen plenty in this temple town
This is my humble attempt at blogging about the temples I have visited . Please comment about areas to improve so that this blog can be beneficial to all. Also comment if you have any other question and doubts related to a pilgrimage here.
