Udupi.........

Udupi is known for the Krishna Mutt (Temple of Lord Krishna) and also native place of the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhvacharya who founded the Krishna Mutt in the 13th century. According to folklore, there was a storm in the sea at Malpe. Shri Madhvacharya was on the shore at the time and saw a ship which was in trouble. He helped the ship reach the shore to safety. The sailors were very grateful to him and gave him deities of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama. He did the pratishte (installation ceremony) of the deity of Lord Balarama near Malpe. This temple is known as Vadapandeshwara. He brought the deity of Lord Krishna and did the pratishte at Udupi. This temple is known as Krishna Mutt. Chariot in front of Sri Krishna Temple,Udupi,India. Shri Madhvacharya handed over the puja and administration of Krishna Mutt to his 8 disciples. Each of them set up their Matha (monasteries) around the Krishna Mutt.[1] These are known as the Ashta Matha. These Mathas are Pejavara, Puttige, Palimaru, Adamaru, Sodhe, Kaniyooru, Shirur and Krishnapura. Since then, 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 Mutt management activities for two years in a cyclical order. During the Paryaya festival, held every two years, the Mutt management is handed over to the next Matha. Each of the Mathas is headed by a Swami, who will be in charge of the Mutt during his Paryaya. Malpe Beach In the 16th century during Sri Vaadiraja's administration, Kanakadasa an ardent believer of God came to Udupi to worship Lord Krishna. He was not allowed inside the Mutt since he was from the caste other than Brahmin, as during that time only Brahmins had the privilege of entering the Mutt to offer pooja to the God. He tried to see Lord Krishna from a small window, but was only able to see Lord Krishna from the back. It is believed that Sri Krishna was pleased by Kanakadasa's bhakti(devotion), so he turned to window. This window is known as Kanakana Kindi. To this day, the Vigraha (Deity) of Lord Krishna faces the back of the Mutt towards the Kanakana Kindi. All Hindu temples have their Vigraha (Deity) facing the entrance of the temple, except Krishna Mutt. Kanakana Kindi is decorated with carvings depicting the ten incarnations of Vishnu. Through the nine small holes of the window we should see the deity of Sri Kadagolu Krishna as a very young boy. He holds the churning rod in His right hand and rope in his left. The Krishna Matha is known throughout the world for its religious customs, traditions, and learning in Dvaita or Tatvavaada philosophy. It is also the center of Daasa Sahitya, a form of literature that originated in Udupi. Demographics As of the 2001 India census,[2] Udupi had a population of 113,039. Males constituted 49% of the population and females 51%. The average literacy rate was 83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy was 86% and female literacy 81%. Eight percent of the population was under 6 years of age. Shivalli Brahmins, Goud Saraswat Brahmins(GSB),Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins(RSB) ,Bunts, Mogaveeras, Billavas and Devadigas, are some of the prominent communities in Udupi. Udupi, which previously had a Town Municipal Council now has a City Municipal Council which came into existence in 1995. Areas around Udupi, such as Manipal,Parkala,Malpe,udyavar and Santhekatte were merged to form the City Municipal Council. Udupi was carved out as a separate district from the erstwhile Dakshina Kannada district on 25 August 1997. Udupi, Kundapura and Karkala were bifurcated from the Dakshina Kannada District and the Udupi District was formed. Language Tulu is the most widely spoken languages in Udupi City. Other languages spoken here include Konkani, Kannada and Beary bashe, apart from Hindi and English.Bhuta Kola, Aati kalenja, Karangolu, and Nagaradhane are some of the cultural traditions of Udupi. The residents celebrate festivals such as Diwali, Dusshera 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. Festivals There are several festivals during which huge crowds of locals as well as outsiders gather in Udupi. During the biennial Paryaya festival 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 Paryaya is held on 18 January on the even years (like 2010, 2012 and so on), starting early in the morning at around 3 AM. During this festival there are tableaus from various groups which gather in Udupi. Festivals like Makara Sankranthi, Ratha Sapthami, Madhva Navami, Hanuma Jayanthi, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Navarathi Mahotsava, Madhva Jajanti (Vijaya Dashami), Naraka Chathurdashi, Deepavali, Geetha Jayanthi etc. are celebrated very grandly by Paryaya Mutt every year. Krishna Janmashtami is held every year. During this festival groups of men wear "Pili Vesha (Tulu)/Huli vesha (Kannada)" Tiger costume and other costumes. They visit and collect donations from shops and houses around Udupi with a lot of enthusiasm among the participants and general public. Bhajana Saptaha which is held in Sri Laxmi Venkatesh Temple. Saptaha means one week. During this time Bhajans are sung continuously day and night for 7 days. This event takes place every year during August. Rathothsava (Chariot festival) is held in almost all occasions around Rathabeedi. During this time the ratha (chariot) of Lord Krishna is pulled by locals around Rathabeedi. In 2012 an "International festival" described as a rave largely attended by foreign tourists caused a scandal when a video of tourists at the event having public sex was distributed.[5] Some government officers watching the video in the legislative assembly resigned in a scandal called Porngate. Future Developments Udupi is getting modernized day by day retaining its image as a pilgrimage centre. Lot of developments are taking place in the city and many projects are in pipeline.[citation needed] The widening of NH 66 from Surathkal to Kundapur to a four lane highway will result in widening of the stretch which passes through the city. Two flyovers at Kinnimulky and Karavali Junction will be built and are expected to ease traffic jams to some extent at those junctions. Private real estate builders and developers have proposed building shopping malls and multiplexes in future due to high average per capita income of the people here. Some housing projectsare due to complete in mid 2012 and it's especially targeted at the NRI audience of Udupi. It has already generated widespread enthusiasm among the locals as it will be Udupi's first worldclass residential complex with all the modern amenities.[citation needed]