Udupi

Overview:

The town of Udupi is stationed in the south-western parts of the Indian state of Karnataka. The town is the headquarters of the district of Udupi. The popular Udupi cuisine borrows its name from the town as well. Udupi is also called as RajataPeetha and Shivalli or Shivabelli, which is a pilgrimage center, located close to 58 kilometers north of Mangalore and is at a distance of about 422 kilometers away from the north-west parts of Bangalore. The town is considered to have had derived its name from its Tulu name Odipu, which in turn is associated with the temple devoted to Vadapandeshwara at Malpe. An alternate belief regarding the derivation of Udupi’s name is that it came from the combination of the words ‘Udu’ and ‘Pa’ from Sanskrit, which literally translate into "stars" and "lord". According to the Hindu mythology, due to a curse by King Daksha, the light of the moon was once reduced. King Daksha had 27 daughters (considered as the 27 stars according to the Hindu astrology) all of whom were married to the moon. In order to get back its original shine, the moon prayed to Lord Shiva, pleased by the moon's prayer Lord Shiva restored its shine. Legend dictates that the moon along with his 27 wives offered their prayers at the Chandramouleeshwara Temple at Udupi, where they created a ‘linga’ that exists and is revered even today. Hence, Udupi was named as the land of the "Lord of the Stars". Aligning itself with the bulk of other South Indian coastal towns, the city of Udupi too agglutinates the ancient and the spiritual with leisurely beaches. It is widely believed that the ancient town of Udupi was reclaimed from the sea by Lord Krishna. The city is renowned for the ancient and very important Krishna Temple which is sited here. The entrance of the temple is adorned with intricate stone carvings. The best time to visit Udupi is in winter, between October and February. The easiest way to reach the coastal city is to rent a Bangalore taxi or car to commute to Udupi. The distance between the two cities is around 400 kilometers, and the trip from Bangalore to Udupi by car takes around 7 hours. Visitors prefer to hire cabs or taxis in Bangalore for visiting various places of interest in Udupi. These Bangalore taxi services allow visitors to travel comfortably while enjoying the scenic beauty on the way.

Places of interest:

Udupi presents some very important temples. The spiritually minded or the religiously inclined should definitely pay a visit to these sites.

Apart from the Krishna Temple, the other important temples in Udupi are the ancient temples of Chandramouleeshwara and Ananteshwar. These temples often called by their nick name of ‘the grandfather temples’. Few of the other prominent temples and spiritual spots of the region include the Ambalpadi Devi Temple, The Kadiyali Mahishamardini Temple, Karkala Jain temples, Moodabidri Jain temples and the imposing Bahubali statue.

Situated only 13 kilometers from Udupi; on the way between Mangalore and Udupi beside National highway 66 is the popular village of Kaup. The Kaup Beach is one of the most touristic spots. Pronounced as ‘Tapu’ in the regional dialect of Tulu, an inroad connects interior places like Manchakal, Shirva with Kaup. The village is famous for the fort built by the great Tipu Sultan and the three Mariamma Temples. Swimming here isn’t advisable, especially during the monsoons, as the sea is quite rough with choppy waters.

Lying at a distance of just 14 kilometers away from Udupi is St Mary’s Isles. The isle’s beach is curtained by coconut trees. Unusually shaped rocks can be found littered on the beach. It is also rumoured that Vasco da Gama, the great explorer docked at this island before his ultimate entry into the Indian sub continent.

At a distance of 7 kilometers from Udupi lies the lovely beach of Malpe. This pristine beach is barely crowded and offers blissful solitude and seclusion.

Things to do:

Udupi is famous as a pilgrimage destination for Hindus with it myriad of temples and ‘Maths’. The chief activities include visiting the various temples and tasting the local cuisine. However, the city is adorned by both beaches and nearby hills which can make for a pleasurable experience.

Udupi is also synonymous with the world renowned local cuisine of Udupi, called by the same name. The Krishna Matha is linked to the origin of this cuisine. Food of different varieties is offered to Lord Krishna every day. During the period of Chaturmasa there are certain restrictions on the ingredients used. An amalgamation of these restrictions with the daily requirement of variety, translated into innovation. Hence, the famous cuisine was stemmed. The cuisine can be tasted at any of the sundry restaurants, roadside eateries and hotels which are sprinkled all over the city.

The beach of Malpe is an ideal destination for long boat boating. Long boats are cylindrical in shape, accommodating a small group of people. The pace of the ride is leisurely idyllic and perfect for taking in the scenic beauty of the place while blissfully relaxing to the gentle rhythms of the water and the plop of the oars.

St Mary’s Isles offers speed boat rides. However, the rides are not available during the rainy season as the sea gets rougher in the season. The beach is ideal for long relaxing walks. The beach houses a lighthouse, the top of which supplies amazing views of the sea.

The landscape of Udupi has the ideal characters of a good trekking and camping destination. The Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, at a distance of 50 kilometers from Udupi offers excellent jungle safaris.