Udupi Sri Krishna Matha — A Visitor’s Guide

Udupi is a small town with a very large reputation, and both come from the same place: the Sri Krishna Matha at its centre. The temple was founded in the thirteenth century by the philosopher Madhvacharya, it has fed pilgrims continuously ever since, and the style of vegetarian cooking developed in its kitchens travelled far enough that "Udupi restaurant" became a category of its own across India.

It is about thirty minutes inland from the coast, and it is worth the trip even if you are not religious.

Timings

The temple generally opens very early and closes late, with a long afternoon break:

• Morning: around 4:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Break: roughly 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
• Evening: around 3:00 pm to 9:30 pm

The Mangala Aarti, at about 5:30 am, is the most atmospheric moment of the day and the one worth setting an alarm for. Ritual timings shift with festivals and with the calendar, so confirm locally if you are travelling specifically for a particular service.

The window: Kanakana Kindi

The detail everybody remembers is that you do not view the deity through a door. You view it through a small silver-plated window with nine openings, set into the wall.

The story behind it is the reason. Kanakadasa, a saint-poet of the sixteenth century, was refused entry to the temple because of his caste. He stayed outside and sang. According to tradition the wall cracked and the image of Krishna turned to face him through the gap. The window in that wall is the Kanakana Kindi, and every visitor since — regardless of who they are — sees Krishna the way Kanakadasa did.

Whatever you make of the theology, it is a striking piece of architecture to stand in front of, and it makes the queue mean something.

Anna Brahma — the meal

The temple serves free meals to all visitors, every day. It is not a token gesture: it is a proper South Indian meal, served on a plantain leaf, in a hall that seats a great many people at once.

There is no charge and no requirement. Eat it. It is one of the more genuinely moving things you can do in Udupi, and the food is excellent.

Meal times run around the middle of the day and again in the evening. Turn up, follow the queue.

What to wear

A dress code applies at the temple, and it has been enforced more strictly since early

1. Broadly:

• Cover shoulders and knees. Shorts, sleeveless tops and short skirts are not

appropriate.

• Traditional dress is welcomed and never wrong — dhoti or trousers with a shirt for

men, sari or salwar kameez for women.

• Shoes come off before entering. There are stands for them.

If you are travelling from the beach, bring a change of clothes in the car. Arriving in swimwear and a sarong is the classic mistake.

Practical notes

Phones and cameras are restricted inside. Expect to leave them, and do not plan on photographing the sanctum.

Crowds peak on weekends, festival days and during the morning and evening rituals. A weekday late morning is calm.

Time needed: an hour is enough for a straightforward visit; two if you eat.

Around the temple there are several other shrines in the same complex, the Ratha Beedhi processional street, and a dense knot of small shops and eating houses. The area rewards wandering.

Making a day of it

The temple pairs naturally with the coast because it sits between everything. From Saligrama or Parampalli it is about 30 minutes south; from Malpe about 15 minutes inland.

A workable shape for the day: ferry to St Mary's Island in the morning from Malpe, lunch at Malpe or in town, the temple in the afternoon when the heat is worst and you want to be indoors anyway, then back up the coast for sunset.

Quick reference

• Where: Car Street, Udupi town — about 23 km from Saligrama
• Timings: ~4 am–1 pm and ~3 pm–9:30 pm
• Best time: Mangala Aarti at ~5:30 am, or a weekday late morning
• Dress code: shoulders and knees covered; shoes off
• Do not miss: the Kanakana Kindi, and the free meal
• Cost: nothing