Udupi is a town and the headquarters of the Udupi District in the Indian state of Karnataka . Udupi is famous for the Krishna temple located here. It also lends its name to the Udupi cuisine .
It is widely believed that the name of Udupi was derived from its Tulu name
Odipu . The Tulu name in turn is associated with a temple at Malpe , devoted to Odabhaandeeshvara. Another story is that the name Udupi came from the combination of the Sanskrit words
Udu and
Pa , which mean "stars" and "lord." According to legend, the moon's light was once reduced due to a curse by King Daksha, whose 27 daughters (the 27 stars, according to Hindu astrology) were married to the moon. The moon prayed to Lord Shiva to get back its original shine. Lord Shiva was pleased with the moon's prayer and restored its shine. Legend says that the moon and his wives made their prayer at the Chandramouleeshwara temple at Udupi, creating a linga that can be seen even today. According to this story, therefore,
Udupi means the land of the "lord of the stars," the moon.
Religious significance
Udupi is known for the Krishna Mutt (Temple of Lord Krishna ). The Krishna Mutt was founded by the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhvacharya in the 13th century. The daily sevas (offerings to god) and administration of the Krishna Mutt are managed by the Ashta Mathas (eight temples). Each of the Ashta Mathas performs temple management activities for two years in a cyclical order.
During the Paryaya festival, held every two years, the temple management is handed over to the next Matha. Each of the Mathas is headed by a Swami , who will be in charge of the temple during his Paryaya.
The Krishna Matha is known throughout the world for its religious customs, traditions, and learning in Dvaita or Tatvavaada philosophy. It is also the centre of Daasa Sahitya, a form of literature that originated in Udupi.
These eight Mathas are Pejavara , Puttige , Palimaru , Adamaru , Sodhe , Kaneyur , Shirur and Krishnapura
Language
Tulu is the most widely spoken languages in Udupi. Other significant languages include Kannada , Konkani , Kundagannada (a dialect of Kannada spoken in Kundapur), and Beary .
Cuisine
The term Udupi (also Udipi ) is also synonymous with delicious vegetarian food now found all over world (see Udupi cuisine ). The origin of this cuisine is linked to Krishna Matha (Mutt). Lord Krishna is offered food of different varieties every day, and there are certain restrictions on ingredients during Chaturmasa (a four-month period during the monsoon season). These restrictions coupled with the requirement of variety led to innovation, especially in dishes incorporating seasonal and locally available materials. This cuisine was developed by Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins who cooked food for Lord Krishna, and at Krishna Matha in Udupi, the food is provided free.
Art and culture
Bhuta Kola , Aati Kalanja , Karangolu , and Nagaradhane are some of the cultural traditions of Udupi. The residents celebrate festivals such as Diwali , Dusshera , Ramzan , and Christmas . Folk arts like Yakshagana are also popular.
Rathabeedhi Geleyaru , a local non-profit organisation, was founded to encourage creative pursuits, especially those that keep alive the traditions of the region. Its primary focus has been drama.
Shopping
Large number of supermarkets are present in Udupi. Sampoorna in carstreet, Little Pai near Gitanjali cinema, Diana Stores in K. M. Marg and Court Road Junction to name a few.
Pantaloon Retail India Limited has opened its hypermarket format Big Bazaar in the heart of Udupi city near Taluk Office. The store area is 40,000 sq. ft. and is equipped with escalators. It consists of Food Bazaar, Depot, Footwear Bazaar, Cafe Bollywood, Farm Fresh, Srishti, Farm Fresh, DJ&C, Head to Toe sections to name some. This hypermarket has brought a new dimension to shopping for citizens of Udupi.
In addition Udupi is famous for jewellery. The designs of jewellery available here are world famous. People rush to jewellers during auspicious day of Akshaya Thritiya which comes in month of May. Sri Novelty, Abharan and Swarna are renowned jewellers in Udupi.
National Highway 17 passes through Udupi. Other significant roads include the State Highways to Karkala and Dharmastala and to Shimoga and Sringeri . The NH 17 provides a link to Mangalore and Karwar . Private as well as government buses connect Udupi to various parts of Karnataka . Udupi has a railway station on the Konkan Railway . The nearest airport to Udupi is Mangalore (Bajpe) Airport , which is 50 km away.
City and suburban transport is available for travel within Udupi and suburbs. The buses originate from the suburban bus stand (City Bus Stand). There are different route numbers.
Distance:- |
420 km West of Bangalore |
By Road:- |
9 hours |
By Air:- |
1 hour and 1 hours by road |
Route:- |
Take NH48 to Mangalore via Hassan, Sakleshpura & Mani; NH17 to Udupi . |
When to go:- |
October to December would be ideal. |
| Tourist offices:- |
KSTDC(bookings and info) Badami House, NR Square, Bangalore Tel: 080-2275869, Fax: 2352626 Email: kstdc@vsnl.in |
| Where to stay :- |
Hotel Suhag Gopal Towers,
Near Bus Stand,
Karkala, Udupi - 574 104
Tel: 08258-231991
Tariff Range: Rs. 175/- to Rs. 900/-
Hotel King's Court A S Road, Karkala,
Udupi - 574 104
Tel: 08258-230827, 231432
Tariff Range: Rs. 150/- to Rs. 700/-
Hotel Swagath Near Bus Stand,
Karkala, Udupi - 574 104
Tel: 08258-230355
Tariff Range: Rs. 150/- to Rs. 506/-
Hotel Tulsi Nitte, Karkala,
Udupi - 574 104
Tel: 08258-231291
Tariff Range: Rs. 150/- to Rs. 500/-
Bhagirathi Tourist Home Gopalkrishna Temple Road,
Kollur Post, Kundapur Taluk,
Udupi - 576 220
Tel: 0820 - 2758290, 2758235
Tariff: Rs. 300/
Karavali Hotels NH 17,
Adi Udupi,
Udupi - 576 103
Tel: 0820-2522861/66
Fax: 0820-2522862
Email: karavalihotel@hotmail.com
Web site: www.karavaligroup.com
Tariff Range: Rs. 450/- to Rs. 5000/-
Hotel Sri Rama Residency Opposite Head Post Office,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2530761
Tariff Range: Rs. 385/- to Rs. 1320/-
Hotel Swadesh Heritage Maruti Veethika Road,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820- 2520560
Fax: 0820 - 2520205
Email: udupi@hotelswadesh.com
Web site: www.hotelswadesh.com
Tariff Range: Rs. 250/- to Rs. 1050/-
Palm Grove Beach Resort Fisheries Road,
Yermalbada,
Udupi - 574 119
Tel: 0820-2577115
Tariff Range: Rs. 600/- to Rs. 1000/-
Hotel Sharada International NH 17,
Bannanje,
Udupi - 576 103
Tel: 0820-2522913
Tariff Range: Rs. 295/- to Rs. 1000/-
Hotel Kediyoor Shribeedu,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2522381
Fax: 0820-2522380
Email: kediyoor@sancharnet.in
Tariff Range: Rs. 300/- to Rs. 900/-
Hotel Janardhana Near Service Bus Stand,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2523880
Fax: 0820-2523887
Tariff Range: Rs. 190/- to Rs. 700/-
Hotel Shreshta A S Road,
Karkala,
Udupi - 574 104
Tel: 0820731853
Tariff Range: Rs. 200/- to Rs. 650/-
Kalpana Residency Upendra Baug,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2520440
Tariff Range: Rs. 90/- to Rs. 650/-
Hotel Udupi Residency Near Service Bus Stand,
Opposite Shankar Vittal Garage
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2530005
Tariff Range: Rs. 270/- to Rs. 640/-
Shri Ramakrishna Lodge Geetanjali Road,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2523189
Tariff Range: Rs. 170/- to Rs. 610/-
Hotel Amar Comforts NH 17,
Padubidri,
Udupi - 574 111
Tel: 0820-2577077
Tariff Range: Rs. 250/- to Rs. 600/-
Hotel Shaan Near City Bus Stand,
Mosque Road,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2523901
Tariff Range: Rs. 120/- to Rs. 600/-
Hotel Swagath Near Bus Stand, Karkala,
Udupi - 574 104
Tel: 0820-2730755
Tariff Range: Rs. 150/- to Rs. 506/-
Hotel Karthik Main Road,
Malpe,
Udupi - 576 118
Tel: 0820-2537887
Tariff Range: Rs. 250/- to Rs. 500/-
Hotel Ramadev NH 17,
Yermalbada,
Udupi - 574 119
Tel: 0820-2577127
Tariff Range: Rs. 250/- to Rs. 500/
Dharmavara Resort NH 17,
Opposite All India Radio,
Brahmavar,
Udupi - 576 213
Tel: 0820-2560399, 2560913
Tariff Range: Rs. 200/- to Rs. 500/-
Hotel Mallika K M Road,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2530290, 2521121
Tariff Range: Rs. 200/- to Rs. 500/-
Hotel Mother Palace NH 17,
Brahmavar,
Udupi - 576 213
Tel: 0820-2560788
Tariff Range: Rs. 145/- to Rs. 500/-
Hotel Shantala Near Service Bus Stand,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2534381
Tariff Range: Rs. 150/- to Rs. 250/-
Hotel Usha Court Road,
Udupi - 560 852
Tel: 0820-2520021
Email: ushahotel@yahoo.com
Tariff Range: Rs. 140/- to Rs. 220/-
Hotel Brindavan Boarding & Lodging Near City Bus Stand,
Udupi - 576 101
Tel: 0820-2520037
Tariff Range: Rs. 60/- to Rs. 100/- |
| Where to Eat :- |
Mitra Samaj
Amantran & LX Brasserie (Tel:2523189)
Ideal Restaurant (Tel:2526576)
New Cinema Restaurant (Tel: 2526607) |
