The worship of Lord Krishna is always adorable like the Playful God himself. The Udupi Sri Krishna Matha is a congenial temple 60 km away from Mangalore. It is located in the town of Udupi in Karnataka. Jewels and the Golden Chariot adorn the idol of the god.

The worshipping pattern is utterly unique in this temple. Prayers and all kinds of processions happen via a silver-plated window with nine holes (Navagraha Kitiki) in it. Numerous temples surround the Krishna Matha and these temples are more than 1000 years old. Krishna devotees surround this holy temple.

The temple is also known as the Mathura of South India. The temple has a striking similarity to a living ashram. “Daasa Sahitya”, a literary form of Udupi was born here. On a daily basis, “Ashta Mathas” or the eight monasteries manage the offerings of Sri Krishna Mutt. The temple has worldwide familiarity due to its customs, religious traditions, and learnings of Dvaita.

Palimaru, Puttige, Pejavara, Sodhe, Adamaru, Shirur, Kaniyooru, and Krishnapura are the eight Mathas. Donation for the administration of this temple is collected from devotees of Lord Krishna. Lord Balakrishna (child form of Lord Krishna) is the presiding deity of the temple. Unlike other Lord Vishnu Temples, Lord Krishna faces the west with idols in the Ashta Mathas too.

History of Srirangapatna Temple :

Legends and stories surrounding Lord Krishna are umpteen. Shri Madhwacharya had found this temple in the 13th century. He is the founder of the Dvaita school of Vedanta and also a Vaishnavaite Jagadguru (a profound teacher). “Vishwakarma” often considered as the engineer of the universe and a meticulous architect had made this Krishna idol according to mythology.

Madhwacharya while performing his usual morning ablutions in the Maple Beach saw a ship in an unstable state. As he was blessed with divine powers, he saved the ship and later discovered the idol of Lord Krishna covered in clay inside it. The “Murti” (idol) was kept facing “Paschimabhimukha” (the west) as said by him. Another story is the tale of the Window of the Kanakadasa or Kanaka Kindi.

During the 16th century, a Lord Krishna’s devotee was denied access to the temple and the following Darshan. To show his love towards Lord Krishna, he carried out an intense meditation and got into the good books of him. Lord Krishna created a hole in the wall and turned the east facing idol to west facing making it easy for Kanaka to perform his prayers.

Specialty of Srirangapatna Temple :

• The nine-holed silver-plated window is connected to the Chandrasala hall via the wall.
• The atmosphere of the hall area is accentuated by the presence of the bells near the arched entryway.
• Devotees cannot go near the Lord Krishna idol and so the 9-holed window is utilized for this purpose.
• Lord Hanuman can be seen in the meditation pose in this temple.
• There is a statue of the founder in this temple - Shri Madhwacharya and in the north Lord Panduranga’s statue is located.
• Lord Vishnu on his Garuda with the conch is there in the eastern part of the temple.
• Only on Vijayadasami, the eastern temple gate is opened.
• “Madhwapushkarni”, the sacred tank is located on the south entryway.

Temple and Pooja Timings :

General Time : 4.0o AM - 9.00 PM

(Nirmalya Visarjan Pooja happens around 5.30 AM)

Temple Festivals:

Ugadi: Coconuts, fruits, jewels, and a mirror is kept facing the idol of Lord Krishna. It is done before the first day of “meesa”. “Kani Darsha” (Kani means fruit) is a ritual where first in the morning these auspicious things are looked at. The priest of the temple reads the yearbook while the deity takes the oil bath. Devotees are offered special sweet dishes on this day.

Ramanavami : On this day, Lord Krishna is decorated with the bow and arrow instead of the churning rod and rope. Morning for Prasadham and night for the Car Festival.

Akshaya Tritiya : This is the renowned third day in the bright fortnight of Vaishaka (April-May) of the Hindu Calendar. It is believed Lord Vishnu transformed into Lord Parashurama on this day. The idol is offered an ax as a way of remembering the heroic deeds.

Dress Code :

The temple has a strict dress code.

Men: Pant and Shirt, Traditional Mundu (a shiny dhoti), Lungi is not allowed.

Women: Half-Saree, Saree, Set-mundu, Salwar-Kameez, Skirt and Blouse.

(Attires should go all the way down below knee level otherwise entry is denied).

Nearby Temples :

• Kamalashile Brahmi Durgaparameshwari Temple (59.4 km away from Udupi Krishna Temple)
• Ananteshwar Temple (900 m away from Udupi Krishna Temple)
• Shani Temple (1.3 km away from Udupi Krishna Temple)
• Ananta Padmanaba Temple (25.8 km away from Udupi Krishna Temple)
• Hattiangadi Vinayaka temple (43.9 km away from Udupi Krishna Temple)

Best Time to Visit Sri Krishna Temple:

October to March is the best time to visit this temple. The temperature can go up to 40-degree Celcius during the summer season. Evenings are cooler like many other places in Karnataka. Post-monsoon is the best time to capture the luscious landscapes of the holy surroundings. Winter is when most of the celebrations occur in the cultural capital of Karnataka, Udupi. Indulge in the cultural events and festivals during the monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter seasons.

How to Reach Sri Krishna Temple :

By Air : Mangalore Airport is the nearest airport connecting Udupi (58.5 km away). NH 66 connects Udupi with the airport where a taxi or cab can take you to the temple.

By Rail : Udupi Junction connects the rest of India on a daily basis.

By Road : Regular bus service from Mysuru and Bangalore operate on a daily basis. There are shared taxis and cabs too.

Address : Temple Car St, Sri Krishna Temple Complex, Thenkpete, Maruthi Veethika, Udupi, Karnataka 576101.