Udupi Shri Krishna Matha- Karnataka

Address

Udupi Shri Krishna Matha- Karnataka Temple Car St, Sri Krishna Temple Complex, Thenkpete, Maruthi Veethika, Udupi, Karnataka 576101 Phone: 0820 252 0598

Deity

Lord Balkrishna (child form of Lord Krishna)

Introduction

Udupi Sri Krishna Temple is a historic temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Dvaita Matha, located in Udupi, Karnataka, India.
The temple area resembles a living Aashram, a holy place for daily devotion.
Surrounding the Shri Krishna Temple are several other temples, including the Udupi Anantheshwara Temple, which is over a thousand years old.
It is regarded as one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in Southern India and a hub of Daasa Sahitya.

Puranic Significance

The temple was founded in the 13th century by Shri Madhvacharya, a Vaishnavite saint and the founder of the Dvaita school of Vedanta.
Legend has it that Madhvacharya discovered the idol of Lord Krishna buried in a large sandalwood stone.
According to mythology, when Rukmini, Lord Krishna’s wife, requested an idol of Balkrishna (the child form of the Lord), Vishwakarma crafted a beautiful idol from holy salaigrama stone.
This idol was worshipped at Dwaraka but became covered in sandalwood paste, which eventually led to it being lost during a great flood that engulfed Dwaraka.

Unique Idol Position

Initially installed facing east, the idol’s west-facing position is linked to the story of Kanakadasa, a devotee from a lower caste who was denied entry through the main entrance.
Desperate for a glimpse of his Lord, he prayed fervently from the western side of the temple, which moved Balkrishna to turn westward and reveal himself to Kanakadasa through the 9-holed window, known as Kanakana Kindi.

Discovery of the Idol

Centuries later, a sailor found the idol in rock form on an island and used it to balance his ship.
When caught in a storm, Saint Madhvacharya, meditating on the shore, prayed for mercy and signaled the ship to sail ashore.
Grateful, the sailor offered the sandalwood rock as a token of thanks. Upon breaking the rock, the Balkrishna idol emerged, leading Madhvacharya to bring it back to his Matha in Udupi.

Special Features

The 9-holed window allows devotees to glimpse the Lord from the Chandrasala hall, which has a serene atmosphere enhanced by the sound of bells and the glow of oil lamps.
The hall contains a shrine for Lord Hanuman in a meditative pose.
A four-pillared platform with a silver roof houses the deepastambam (sacred oil lamp).
Shri Madhvacharya’s statue stands in the circumambulation path, with the shrine of Lord Panduranga nearby.
The Madhwapushkarani, a holy tank, is located next to the southern entrance.
The eastern entrance to the sanctum sanctorum is adorned with a panchadhatu (five metals) figure of Lord Vishnu on Garuda, but it is only open once a year on Vijaya Dashami.