Udupi
A temple street, a fishing harbour and a kitchen tradition
A Udupi tour pairs the 13th-century Krishna Matha and its eight monasteries with Malpe's jetty, St Mary's basalt islets and a famed vegetarian cuisine.
Overview
Udupi, the seat of Udupi district on Karnataka's coast, is built around one temple, and a Udupi tour usually runs between the Krishna Matha in the old centre and Malpe's harbour about 5 to 6 km west. It suits visitors who want one pilgrimage site, regional food and a boat ride within two days. October to March is the comfortable stretch, while June to September brings rain that averages above 4,000 mm.
The Sri Krishna Matha stands on Car Street (Ratha Beedi) and was founded in the 13th century by the Vaishnava teacher Madhvacharya. He also set up eight monasteries, the Ashta Mathas, and they share the temple's care by rotation. Every second year the charge passes to the next monastery in turn, a handover called Paryaya; the latest was on 18 January 2026, when the Shiroor Matha took over, so the next falls in 2028. Worshippers see the deity through a window, the Kanakana Kindi, which tradition links to the poet-saint Kanakadasa.
Food is the second reason people come. The cooking grew out of the temple's own kitchens, where the Madhva Brahmin community devised a long vegetarian repertoire for offering to Krishna. Restaurants run by the same community later carried idli, dosa and sambar to Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai under the name "Udupi hotels", and the masala dosa is credited to this tradition. Coastal dishes such as kori roti and fish curry are served as well.
The sea is close. Malpe is the district's largest fishing harbour, with a sea walkway and a tourist jetty where boats leave for St Mary's Islands. Vasco da Gama is recorded as having landed there in 1498, and the rock itself is the draw: tall hexagonal basalt columns formed roughly 85 to 93 million years ago, and the islands were named a National Geological Monument in 2001. Boat trips pause in the June to September monsoon. Kapu Beach has a lighthouse, and Maravanthe Beach, 54 km up the coast, has a road squeezed between the sea and the Souparnika River.
Mangaluru International Airport is about 58 to 60 km to the south, and the town's railway station, on the Konkan line, sits at Indrali, about 4 km from the city bus stand. Bengaluru is about 400 km away and the road journey takes 8 to 10 hours. Allow two days for the temple, the eating places and Malpe; add a third if you want the farther beaches or the Anantheshwara Temple, one of the older shrines in the region.
Known for
A Car Street shrine founded in the 13th century by Madhvacharya
Happening soon
Updated Oct 7, 2026Coming up, dates to be confirmed
Lakshadeepotsava at Sri Krishna Matha
festivalLamps along Car Street, a float procession on the Madhva Sarovara and a chariot procession mark the Krishna Matha's festival around Utthana Dwadashi.
Usually in mid-November, over about three days. The 2024 edition was reported as 14 to 16 November.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesKrishna Janmashtami and Vitla Pindi in Udupi
festivalUdupi marks Krishna's birth at the Matha, and the next day brings Vitla Pindi, a pot-breaking contest in which teams build human pyramids on the streets.
Usually in August or September, with Vitla Pindi (also called Mosaru Kudike) following Janmashtami
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesQuick facts
Summer highs reach about 38 C, winters run from roughly 20 C to 32 C, and monsoon rain from June to September averages more than 4,000 mm a year.
Mangaluru International Airport (IXE), about 58 to 60 km
Udupi (code UD) on the Konkan Railway, at Indrali, about 4 km from the city bus stand
About 400 km and 8 to 10 hours by road from Bengaluru; Malpe is about 5 to 6 km from town and Mangaluru about 60 km. Drive times for other routes (to be supplied).
Plan the St Mary's Islands boat trip outside June to September, when boats do not run, and check at the Malpe jetty on the day
Look up the Paryaya cycle before booking for January of an even-numbered year, when the temple handover draws large crowds; the latest was in January 2026
Budget for a short auto or taxi ride from the railway station at Indrali to the Car Street area, since the station is about 4 km from the city bus stand
Location
Packages that visit Udupi
All packages →Karnataka Pilgrimage Circuit: Sringeri, Dharmasthala and Udupi
A Sringeri Dharmasthala Udupi tour package for four days: Sharada Peetham, Manjunatha Temple and Krishna Matha by private car from Mangaluru.
Sringeri → Dharmasthala → UdupiHeritage & Temples
4D / 3NUdupi and Murudeshwar Coastal Temples
Udupi Murudeshwar temple tour over four private days: the Krishna Matha, basalt St Mary's Islands off Malpe, and a 123-ft Shiva statue on the shore.
Udupi → MurudeshwarHeritage & TemplesPlan a trip to Udupi
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