About Udupi
Udupi is a coastal district in Karnataka, carved out of Dakshina Kannada District in 1997. It is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, delicious cuisine, and vibrant traditions. Udupi is famous for its food, temples, beaches, and educational and financial institutions. The name Udupi is believed to come from the Sanskrit words "Udu" and "Pa," which mean "stars" and "lord," respectively.
Visitors to Udupi will experience the warm hospitality and affection of its residents. The town exudes a homely atmosphere, making you feel at home even when you are hundreds of miles away from your own. Udupi boasts a high literacy rate; as of 2001, the literacy rate was 83%, which is higher than the national average. As a result, Udupi is also a center for education, banking, and healthcare.
While in Udupi, you will have the opportunity to taste the famous Udupi cuisine. This cuisine is entirely vegetarian, with its origins linked to the Krishna Temple. The dishes are now popular and available in different parts of the world, celebrated for their unique flavors and wholesome ingredients. Udupi is truly a destination that offers a blend of spirituality, education, and culinary delights.
About Manipal
Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is a private deemed university located in Manipal, India. The university also has campuses in Mangalore, Bangalore, Melaka, and Dubai. As of 2021, MAHE offers over 350 programs across 30 disciplines and ranks 7th among Indian universities. In 1953, Dr. T.M.A. Pai founded India’s first private medical school, Kasturba Medical College. Five years later, Manipal Institute of Technology was established. Degrees were initially awarded by Karnataka University and later by the University of Mysore and Mangalore University. The current organizational structure was formed in 1993, with MAHE becoming a constituent unit in 2000.
Things to Do in Udupi and Manipal
The Krishna Matha
The Krishna Matha was founded by the Vaishnavite saint Jagadguru Shri Madhvacharya in the 13th century. He was the founder of the Dwaita school of Vedanta. It is believed that Madhvacharya discovered the vigraha of Shri Krishna in a large ball of Gopichandana. According to Shri Madhvacharya's Tantrasara Sangraha, the vigraha is placed Paschimabhimukha (facing west). All the other vigrahas in the Ashta Mathas also face west.
Devotees view Krishna through the inner window, known as the Navagraha Kindi, and the outer window, known as the Kanakana Kindi, which is decorated with an arch named after the saint Kanakadasa. A statue has also been erected. A similar window covers the immediate front of the vigraha and is called the Navagraha Kindi, often mistaken for the Kanakana Kindi.
The temple opens at 5:30 AM. A unique feature of the temple is that the deity is worshipped through a silver-plated window with nine holes (Navagraha Kindi). The temple also offers prasada at noon, popularly called Anna Brahma, as it feeds a vast number of devotees.
The daily sevas and administration of the Krishna Matha are managed by the Ashta Mathas (eight monasteries). Each of the Ashta Mathas performs temple management activities for two years in a cyclical order, collectively known as the Ashta Mathagalu in Kannada. Each Ashta Matha has its own deity, called Pattada Devaru.
The Eight Mathas
- Palimar Matha
- Admaru Matha
- Krishnapura Matha
- Puttige Matha
- Shirur Matha
- Sodhe Matha
- Kaniyur Matha
- Pejavara Matha
During the Paryaya festival, held once every two years, the management of the temple is handed over to the next Ashta Matha, which is entrusted with the responsibility of running the temple in turn.
Pajaka
Pajaka is a village in Udupi Taluk and district of Karnataka state in India. It is the birthplace of the Dvaita philosopher Sri Madhvacharya. The village is located near the Kunjargiri Durga Temple. The significance of Pajaka Kshetra is also narrated in a small biographical poem called Sampradaya Paddhathi, authored by Sri Madhvacharya’s direct disciple, Sri Hrushikesh, the Mula Yathi of Sri Palimar Matha. Pajaka is situated 13 km away from Manipal.
Kunjargiri Temple
Kunjargiri is a village in Udupi district, Karnataka. It is located about 11 km from Udupi City, near Shankarpura.The main attraction of the village is a hill known as Durga Betta, on which stands a temple dedicated to Durga, known locally in the Tulu language as Kunjar Amma. Parashurama is credited with erecting the temple in honor of the divine mother, Adi Shakti. It is said that when he created Kerala, he found a pearl in the depths of the sea, which he fashioned into a nose ring and used to decorate the idol of Kunjar Amma. According to legend, however, the sea always retrieves whatever is taken from it.
Malpe Beach
Malpe Beach is a natural port in the Udupi district of Karnataka. Located at the mouth of the river, about 6 km west of Udupi, it is an important and major fishing harbor on the Karnataka coast. The town of Malpe is largely associated with the settlement of the Mogaveera fishing community. Malpe is an ancient seaport and harbor where Tuluvas and the Western world traded. Malpe has been mentioned as early as the second century CE by the Greek geographer Ptolemy. It is 13 km from Manipal and 5 km from Udupi.
St. Mary's island
St. Mary's Island, also known as Coconut Island and Thosepar, is a group of four small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi. They are renowned for their distinctive geological formations of columnar rhyolitic lava.Scientific studies indicate that the basalt of St. Mary's Island was formed by sub-aerial subvolcanic activity when Madagascar was attached to India. The rifting of Madagascar occurred around 88 million years ago.The western coasts of the islands are a haven for seashells, with shells of various shapes and sizes scattered along the shore. There is no sandy beach for swimming and relaxation, as the area is covered with basaltic rocks.The islands are 13 km from Manipal and 5 km from Udupi.